Author Bios

Christine Palmer, Christine Palmer earned a master’s degree in Public Historical Studies at UC Santa Barbara in 1990 after fifteen years of volunteer and academic experience in the field of historic preservation. Her book, published in 1991, New Deal Adobe: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Reconstruction of Mission La Purisima, 1934-1942, is a compilation of documentary research and oral histories collected from veterans of the 1930s CCC who reconstructed Mission La Purisima in Santa Barbara County, California.

She has been employed by the federal government to evaluate U.S. Forest Service Depression Era structures for National Register of Historic Places status. She has also worked as the historian for a cultural resources management firm in Virginia City, Nevada where her architectural and social history research was selected for publication in the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly. In addition, Ms. Palmer received an appointment from the Reno, Nevada City Council to their Historic Resources Commission.

She has also been employed as staff for the Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission for the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1995, she began working for the King County, Washington Historic Preservation Program in Seattle, Washington to survey historic structures in suburban and rural communities. In 1997 she returned to Santa Barbara for employment as the City Historian where she staffed the City Historic Landmarks Commission and the Architectural Board of Review.

In February, 2002 she launched Palmer Historical Consulting to advise Santa Barbara property owners, developers, and government decision makers on the protection of historic sites. She also works part-time as the Historic House Museums Coordinator for the Santa Barbara Historical Society providing docent-led tours of the 1862 Fernald Mansion and the 1854 Trussell-Winchester Adobe. Her pro bono activities include numerous historic walking tours provided as fundraisers for Santa Barbara non-profit organizations. In 2004 she began teaching an adult education class on neighborhood history and architecture for Santa Barbara City College.

Heather MacIntosh, Preservation Seattle's primary creator and writer, was Historic Seattle's Preservation Advocate from February 2001 until August 2004. She is now President and CEO of Preservation Action, a nonprofit organization based in Washington DC dedicated to empowering grassroots advocates with information and tools to improve preservation funding and policies nationwide.

Heather grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, a smallish town, founded in 1730 on the Cape Fear River. Her first preservation project in 1993 involved illustrating a guidebook to Wilmington's oldest houses under the auspices of the Historic Wilmington Foundation. Her education and professional career in historic preservation grew from an early interest in studio art, art history, and creative writing. Two masters degrees (Art History, Williams College, 1994; Architectural History, University of Virginia, 1997) and over a decade after her hometown guidebook project, she is still highly dedicated to raising awareness of the value of the historic built environment. Her diverse preservation work includes cultural resource management services, building-related content for print and web media, CRM database oversight, grantwriting, historical research, architectural field work, and program development.

Reuben McKnight is the Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Tacoma, Washington. Previously he was a writer and graduate intern for Historic Seattle (2002-2003) and also served as Acting Pioneer Square Board Coordinator for the City of Seattle. In his pre-cubicle life, Reuben was an archaeologist supervisor and field technician for commercial projects in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Reuben has a degree in Anthropology/Archaeology from Western Washington University, and a Master of Urban Planning (Preservation Planning) from the University of Washington. He currently sits on the board of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and has also served a term on the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. A lifelong Seattleite, Reuben lives with his wife and daughter in historic Columbia City.

Beth Dodrill was a graduate intern at Historic Seattle (2003) and contributing writer for Preservation Seattle. As an intern, Beth conducted research and provided support for landscape projects as well as general support for the Historic Seattle staff.

Beth Dodrill-Rezghi was a graduate intern at Historic Seattle while completing her MLA and Preservation Planning Certificate programs at the University of Washington (2002-2003). She currently practices as an independent preservation consultant and landscape designer. Since 2003, she has served on Historic Seattle's Preservation Advocacy Committee. She also serves as both a docent and member of the Landscape Conservation Committee for the Dunn Gardens Historic Trust (www.dunngardens.org/index.html ) and is a member of DoCoMoMo.WeWa, a preservation advocacy group focusing on mid-century modernism.

Beth grew up in Louisville, KY where she earned a BA in English at the University of Louisville. Her interests in cultural landscapes and the built environment grew from her awareness of how Louisville's historic architecture and Olmsted park system significantly contributed to the city's unique character and her own personal “sense of place.” She has lived in Seattle since 1998. Her preservation work has included assisting with residential architecture surveys in the Queen Anne and Capitol Hill neighborhoods and surveys of commercial buildings city-wide, as well as assistance with EIS and SEPA review projects and City of Seattle Landmark Nominations. E-mail Beth.

Stephen Day is Chair of the AIA Seattle Historic Resources Committee and member of the Real Property Law Group. Stephen is both an architect and land use attorney in Seattle and works with clients on a wide variety of development projects, including those involving redevelopment of landmark historic properties. He was born in Seattle and has degrees in both law and architecture from the University of Washington, with a Masters Degree in Architecture from Columbia University in New York City. Stephen and his wife Nancy Josephson (also an architect) have lived and studied in Rome, Italy and worked for several years with architecture firms in New York. Stephen can be reached at (206) 625-1511.

Trevor Griffey was a graduate intern at Historic Seattle and a contributing writer for Preservation Seattle. Since the fall of 2002, Trevor has been a graduate student in American history at the University of Washington, on a joint fellowship between the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies and the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest. His research focus is on social welfare issues and urban politics.

From 2001-2002, Trevor was a freelance political reporter and contributing writer for the Seattle Weekly, ColorsNW magazine, the South Seattle Star, and Real Change. His writing for ColorsNW magazine in 2002 earned him two awards from the Western Washington Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, including first place in magazine arts coverage and third place for magazine environmental reporting. He received his BA in 1997 from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and moved back to Seattle in the summer of 1998.

Michael Houser serves as the architectural historian for the State of Washington and runs the National Register and Washington Heritage Register Programs. Michael joined the Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation in May 2001. A native of Washington, Michael returned to his home state via Bend, Oregon where he served as the Historic Preservation Planner for six years. His previous work experience includes time at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, and Thomas Hickey Architects in Chicago. His recent interests include the preservation of the recent past (buildings from the 1950s & 60s), and he is working on developing the states first architectural style guide.

Michael received his Bachelors of General Studies in Architecture, American Studies from the University of Idaho, and a Masters of Science in Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan University.

Pete Mills is a mayoral appointee to the Historic Seattle Council where he is treasurer and chair of the Advocacy Committee. Pete has worked in various capacities for Seattle University and the Catholic Youth Organization and currently works at St. Joseph Parish. He is a longtime resident of the Puget Sound area and holds degrees in Public Administration and Anthropology as well as expired certifications in sailing, CPR, and fork lift driving.

Holly Taylor is the principal of Past Forward, a consulting company specializing in heritage education, cultural tourism, and historic preservation projects in the Pacific Northwest. Previously, Holly worked for several years with King County, as a heritage program coordinator for the Landmarks and Heritage Commission, as a cultural historian for the Parks Division, and as a project manager for the Resource Lands Division.

Her background is in cultural anthropology and northwest regional studies, and she has a strong interest in cultural landscape preservation. Originally from Burien, Washington, she now resides on Vashon Island. E-mail Holly.

Dwayne Meadows was a graduate intern at Historic Seattle in the summer of 2004 and is a current student at the University of Wyoming working towards a Masters in American Studies. His focus is Cultural Landscape Interpretation and Preservation. He grew up in the small logging and ranching community of Saratoga, Wyoming on the Upper North Platte River. Past preservation work has including restoring CCC wilderness cabins at Misty Fjords National Monument, and homes in Wyoming, Colorado, Michigan and Bainbridge Island. Recent research and writing projects include a National Register nomination for Sunrise Iron Mine and Company Town in Wyoming, a National Register nomination for a historic railroad district in Sheridan, Wyoming, researching threats to Heart Mountain Relocation Center near Cody, WY, and surveying historic barns for the National Trust Barn Again! Project.

Dwayne has a BA in English Literature from the University of Wyoming.

John Hennes has been on the board of the Queen Anne Historical Society since 1994. He grew up on Magnolia, attended Queen Anne High School and the University of Washington and spent his career in aerospace engineering at NASA and at Boeing. He currently is editor of the Society's Cobblestone newsletter and is a frequent tour guide for walking tours of Queen Anne. He believes the Queen Anne Grizzlies will rise again.

Peter H. Brink is Senior Vice President, Programs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation where he is responsible for a broad range of programs and services including six Regional Offices across the United States, and the Heritage Tourism Program. Mr. Brink is a principal spokesperson for the National Trust, including speaking to the news media and at preservation gatherings across the country. Prior to the National Trust, Mr. Brink was the first Executive Director of the Galveston (Texas) Historical Foundation from 1973 - 1989, the city-wide nonprofit historic preservation organization.

Eugenia Woo serves on the Board of Directors of Docomomo_Wewa (Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement, Western Washington), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Northwest Modernism. She is a former staff member of the City of Seattle's Historic Preservation Program and currently works for Artifacts Consulting in Tacoma.

Lorne McConachie is a principal at Bassetti Architects which was founded in 1947 and has become one of Seattle’s leading architectural firms specializing in projects for academic, civic, and cultural institutions. Lorne has been there for 26 years and has developed expertise in the planning and design of public facilities along with a passion for historic work. He has unparalleled experience in restoring significant historic Washington schools including Roosevelt High School, Madison Middle School, West Seattle High School, Franklin High School, and many more. As a former Chair of Seattle Landmarks Board, Lorne helped steer numerous historical projects in Seattle. He participated in the Mayor’s Task Force on Historic Schools and is also the recipient of a Seattle Chapter AIA Award for the renovation of Franklin High School.

Magnolia neighborhood resident Martha Young relocated to Seattle with her husband in 2004 from South Dakota. She works part-time as a greeting card merchandiser, but her volunteer hours at Historic Seattle take advantage of her credentials in history, archaeology and paleontology, as well as her museum docent experience. Her enthusiasm and organizational skills are highly valued in Historic Seattle's Advocacy program.

Historic Seattle Advocacy Activists are a diverse group of organization members who care about persuading property owners, developers, politicians, and bureaucrats about protecting our community's built environment. Some have years of experience and expertise working with the local built environment enabling them to provide penetrating research and insightful analysis of community projects that impact historic buildings. To take part in advocacy programming, to receive an email preservation action newsletter, or to learn more about preserving and shaping your neighborhood, contact Preservation Advocate Christine Palmer at christine@historicseattle.org.

Tyler Sprague is a Masters student in Structural Engineering at the University of Washington. His focus is on innovative structural solutions and techniques to preserve the built environment. He is currently working on a National Science Foundation project, using X-rays for non-destructive evaluation of reinforced concrete. He was raised in Chico, California and holds a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley. He currently lives in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood with his fiance, Rachel..

John Fleming started in ceramics with a brief career as a studio artist, ski instructor and rock climber in Taos, New Mexico. He naively switched to architecture “for the money,” and holds a Masters of Architecture degree from University of New Mexico. John worked with Anant Raje in Ahmedabad, India, Antoine Predock in Albuquerque, New Mexico, George Suyama, LMN and Mithun in Seattle, before starting Jetson/Luddite Architects in 1996. “I have to give Andrew Borges credit for the name.” For the last eight years, John has been the F in RBF architecture, where he, Andrew Borges and Tim Rohleder try to practice what they preach—Clean, Honest, Modern Architecture. John Fleming designed The Grass Blades for Seattle Center, those cool flappy things north of the Experience Music Project. He also designed the Bainbridge Historical Museum and numerous contemporary houses around Seattle. John is on the editorial committee and pretends to be a writer for ARCADE architecture/design in the northwest.

Mikala Woodward has been the Director of the Rainier Valley Historical Society since 2001. She has worked at the Museum of History and Industry in the Exhibits and Education, and at the University of Washington Archives. In 1994 she co-founded the Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project. She has an M.A. in Museology from the University of Washington and a B.A. in History from Swarthmore College. She lives in the Rainier Valley with her husband and two children.

Kathleen Conner is a Planner for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Major Projects and Planning section. She is the Parks department liaison on Landmarks and preservation issues.

A Seattle native, Larry earned a Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning and a Master's degree in Architecture at UW. He formed his firm, The Johnson Partnership, in 1979. He has a diverse background in community and regional planning, residential and commercial architectural design, project management, and a continuing interest in architectural history and design. He is recognized as one of the more knowledgeable architects in Seattle regarding the Craftsman style and Arts & Crafts design. He served as past Chair for the Seattle Chapter AIA Historic Resources Committee and past Chair of the Ballard Avenue Historic District. Larry currently serves on the Boards of the Northwest School and Historic Seattle. On weekends you can find him somewhere near water, fishing, boating, or just looking at old wooden boats.

Flo Lentz is Manager of the Historic Preservation Program at 4Culture, King County's cultural services agency established in January 2003 to continue the work of the King County Arts Commission, Public Art Commission and the heritage programs of the Landmarks Commission. Flo has been a Pacific Northwest historical consultant for thirteen years and has also staffed preservation offices in city, state, and federal governments. She holds a graduate degree from Columbia University.

Captain Michael Vlahovich is the Director of the Coastal Heritage Alliance in St. Michaels, Maryland, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization dedicated to preserving the skills and stories of a proud working waterfront culture. Mike is a master builder and restorer of wooden boats. His family came to the Pacific Northwest from Croatia about a hundred years ago. An important part of his heritage was the fishing life, and as a teenager, he became involved in commercial fishing for salmon in Puget Sound and Southeast Alaska. During his years in the trade, Mike has become known internationally as a master of wooden boat construction, restoration, and repair. In recent years he has concentrated on the passing on of skills through apprenticeship programs, technical college instruction, community boat building projects, and repair. In recent years he has concentrated on the passing on of skills through apprenticeship programs, technical college instruction, community boat building projects, and public maritime demonstrations. He co-founded what is now called the Working Waterfront Museum in Tacoma, Washington in 1994.

John Chaney is a Northwest native and a graduate of the University of Washington with a dual degree in Urban Planning and Architectural History. He started his preservation activity in 1968 surveying buildings in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, determining the potential for historic district designation. He started his professional career in Oregon City, Oregon. His work included developing the Oregon Comprehensive Plan and the establishment of a preservation program including historic districts, a conservation district and individual landmarks programs. In 1982, he returned to Seattle to staff the City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. In 1992, he left the City of Seattle to become Executive Director of Historic Seattle. Under his direction the 1892 Victorian Row Apartments, the 1902 William B. Phillips House, the 1957 Egan House, 1907 Dearborn House, and the Good Shepherd Center Artist Live/Work projects were undertaken. The Good Shepherd Center chapel project and the 1889 Cadillac Hotel were completed in 2005. In addition to the physical preservation projects, Historic Seattle has expanded educational and advocacy programs under his direction. John was President of the Pioneer Square Planning committee and Vice Chair of the National Trust’s Statewide and Local Partners Program.

Donovan D. Rypkema is principal of Place Economics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development-consulting firm. The firm specializes in services to public and non-profit sector clients who are dealing with downtown revitalization and the reuse of historic structures. Rypkema has worked with communities in 48 States. Internationally he has spoken at conferences in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Portugal and worked with citizens groups and officials in China, Japan, Russia, and Thailand. He is the author of numerous articles and publications as well as a book The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide.Rypkema has completed analyses of the impact of historic preservation on the statewide economy in Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, New York and North Carolina and the effect of local historic districts on property values in Indiana. Recently he completed a manual on the feasibility analysis of historic buildings for the U.S. Army. Rypkema holds a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University, served on the Board of Advisors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Boards of Directors of the North Capital Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Washington Council of Agencies.