Project and Outreach Manager
The Wheeling National Heritage Area Corp. seeks a dynamic individual to join their leadership team. Candidates who possess previous experience with local or statewide “Main Street” programs/projects or related activities are preferred. Ideal candidates must have great presentation skills, verbal and written communication skills, thrive with community outreach/relations and be an avid networker and communication specialist in addition to having exceptional command and utilization of social media, Microsoft Office applications, and other web based marketing/design platforms and technology. This position will be accountable for the following primary responsibilities:
This position provides a very competitive compensation package that is commensurate upon experience level. This position also provides health insurance. If you feel you are a good fit for this newly constructed role, please send your resume, cover letter, and a sample of your marketing or advertising work product via e-mail by no later than January 13, 2017, in confidence, to Mr. Jake Dougherty, Executive Director, at [email protected]. Equal Opportunity Employer Updates compiled by Mercy Klein, Preserve WV AmeriCorps Each year, PAWV announces the West Virginia Endangered Properties List – a collection of historic resources at risk of being lost to neglect, demolition, and other human and environmental factors. PAWV works with stewards of each property to help improve and save the property so it can be reused. Preservation projects usually take several years to complete, and they need continued support after the initial listing. In the spirit of “Where are they now” updates, PAWV is doing a post about how the endangered properties’ projects are progressing. Projects featured in this post (listed alphabetically) include the Ananias Pitsenbarger Farm, Wheeling’s Blue Church, Feagans Mill, 1400 Block of Wheeling’s Market Street, Margaret Manson Weir Memorial Pool, Staats Hospital, and the Tyler County “Poor Farm” Home.
West Virginia has 92 commercial and mixed-use historic districts ripe for revitalization – yet developers choose to invest in neighboring states instead of our downtowns due to West Virginia’s uncompetitive 10% historic rehabilitation tax credit. Neighboring states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia, all have 25% historic rehabilitation tax credits. Since 2002, each of these three states has created more than 44,000 jobs in the redevelopment of historic buildings, generating more than $3 billion in total income for each state. In the same period, West Virginia’s 10% tax credit has created just 3,529 jobs, and $170 million in total income.
The state must take action to remain economically competitive with surrounding states. An increase in the current state historic rehabilitation tax credit from 10% to 25% would make West Virginia’s historic commercial districts more attractive to developers, spurring private investment. There are a number of ways you can support the proposal to encourage redevelopment of West Virginia’s historic building, you can contact your state legislators and sign a petition. Learn more by visiting https://revitalizewvdowntowns.com. The coalition’s members include the Abandoned Property Coalition, the American Institute of Architects WV Chapter, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Wheeling National Heritage Area, and private businesses. If your organization is interested in joining the coalition, contact PAWV at [email protected] to learn how. CALL TO ACTION: URGENT ADVOCACY NEEDED, HISTORIC TAX CREDIT IN DANGER OF REPEAL IN TAX REFORM12/12/2016
President-Elect Trump and Speaker Ryan have prioritized moving tax reform legislation in the first one hundred days of the next Congress which begins in January. A tax reform package could move quickly through Congress by way of the budget reconciliation process, which only requires a simple majority for passage in the Senate, instead of the typically needed 60 votes to cut off debate.
Ways and Means Republican Committee members will be meeting on December 14th-15th to agree on big picture elements of tax reform with a goal to have a draft bill to review in early January. We expect tax reform legislation will follow Speaker Ryan’s “A Better Way” blue print, released earlier this year. This document recommends eliminating tax credits and deductions, which would include the Historic Tax Credit (HTC), the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). The Historic Tax Credit is in grave danger of elimination in tax reform. Historic Tax Credit advocacy is urgently needed, both in the near term and throughout 2017. The Historic Tax Credit (HTC) is the most significant federal financial commitment to historic preservation. Over the last 36 years, the credit has created 2.3 million jobs, leveraged $117 billion in investment, and rehabilitated more than 41,250 buildings—all while generating enough in federal revenue to pay for itself. The Historic Tax Credit Coalition, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Trust Community Investment Corporation and allied organizations, like the Preservation Alliance of WV, are moving quickly to increase lobbying capacity. However, there is no substitute for the advocacy that you can provide. Your assistance is critical! We are hopeful that if a sufficient number of Senators and Representatives convey their support for the HTC to party leadership and to members of the tax writing committees, the Historic Tax Credit can be retained as an important part of a reformed tax code. Requested Action: Contact House Members of Congress ASAP– Call (during office hours) or email the offices of your Members of Congress before December 14th and ask to speak to tax staff or staff contacts you have in offices. Since there are no West Virginia Representatives on the House Committee on Ways and Means, ask that they “Please contact Chairman Kevin Brady and other members of the House Ways and Means Committee to explicitly state your support of the Historic Tax Credit when reviewing draft Tax Reform Bill.” Resources: 1. HTC Fact Sheet and Key Points to share with legislators: 2. HTC Maps a. State and Congressional Maps with Economic Data b. Interactive Mapping Tool developed by Novogradac and Company How to Contact Your Member of Congress To locate the name and phone number of your House Representative or Senators go to:http://www.sos.wv.gov/public-services/contacts/Pages/federaloffices.aspx Alternatively, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 (during office hours) and asked to be connected to your Senators’ or House Member’s DC office. Once connected to the office, you should identify yourself as a constituent, and either asked to be connected with tax staff or ask for the email of tax staff to communicate your advocacy. Then follow-up on your request. Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act This Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act (HTCIA) provides several reform options to enhance the Historic Tax Credit as part of a reformed tax code. While the opportunity to co-sponsor this bill has past, the legislation reflects the reform ideas that have broad political support and could be included in a tax reform package. · The House version of the bill (H.R. 3846) has attracted strong bi-partisan support on the Ways and Means Committee and presently has 53 Members of Congress supporting the bill. · The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), introduced last March has 7 bi-partisan co-sponsors. This year, PAWV hired Terrell Ellis & Associates (TEA) to examine the feasibility of establishing a revolving loan fund to protect historic properties in West Virginia. If determined feasible, TEA was given the task to make recommendations on the structure and management of a historic preservation revolving loan program.
In researching this matter, TEA interviewed 23 individuals representing a combination of community developers, nonprofit and for profit lenders, private developers, and professional service providers. TEA also surveyed 37 historic property owners and community developers. Based on this research, TEA recommended that PAWV move forward with the development of a revolving loan program based on the following parameters:
Now that the feasibility study has been completed, and the recommendation has been made to proceed in creating a historic properties revolving loan program, PAWV will apply for a second round of grant funds from the 1772 Foundation to develop a business plan. PAWV will also identify a nonprofit organizational partner and start raising funds for the initial capitalization of the loan program. PAWV will have the bulk of 2017 to create a business plan and fundraise for this program if awarded funds from the 1772 Foundation. Consider increasing your donation to PAWV to help us make the loan program a reality. Visit http://www.pawv.org and donate through PayPal – the button is at the bottom left-hand corner of the homepage. The feasibility study was made possible with generous grant funding from the 1772 Foundation. The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmlands for future generations. To learn more visit, http://www.1772foundation.org/. For a full copy of the feasibility study, email our executive director, Danielle LaPresta at [email protected].
By Joe Obidzinski Most historic sites are familiar with necessary changes to the interpretation of their site. Exhibits get old and new information is gathered necessitating a fresh take on things. At the Jackson’s Mill Farmstead (Historic Area) we have been discussing such changes for the past few seasons. In April, we were provided this opportunity through some fortuitous instruction from above. Jackson’s Mill is a part of the West Virginia University Extension Service and therefore falls under the purview of Morgantown. They instructed us to focus more of our programming efforts on-site. Once they did, we began to work on our new interpretation in earnest. This is a discussion of some of our efforts thus far. Our site and collections are focused on early life in western Virginia from about 1800 – 1850. As the name implies, we were the home site of the Jackson family (Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson spent his youth here after he was orphaned). Presently, our site features the old Jackson Mill (gristmill) building and a relocated gristmill, and two log cabins. Currently the first floor of the Jackson Mill is utilized as an exhibit space. While this is a great use for the space, it has had some problems for visitors One of the overall issues with the Old Jackson Mill has always been a lack of cohesiveness in the objects displayed and a disconnect from the period that we primarily interpret. For example, we have gear work from a grist mill that was not the Jackson’s, an entire water-powered sawmill (which would have been located in a separate building nearby), as well as farming equipment, much of which is from the post-Jackson era. Visitors who toured our site were often confused until a guide would offer some explanation for how these pieces related either directly or indirectly to the story of our site. In an effort to address these issues, and provide a richer visitor experience, I developed a number of new exhibits.
I wanted the exhibits to be more than just a dry description of what the people were looking at so I wrote a description that included both the pieces, as well as their importance to the Jacksons, the region, and the history of the period. Ultimately, we installed three exhibits in the Jackson Mill. The first one was called “Forest to Floors” which described how that particular saw worked, how the Jacksons, used theirs, and how the timber industry was important in the region. I also developed another one for the gear work in the mill called “What Makes a Mill Go ‘Round?” The concept here was to discuss the various types of gear work necessary to drive the large stones necessary for gristmilling and how these gears varied from those that drove the Jacksons’ mill stones. Finally, I created an exhibit entitled, “Field to Stone.” This exhibit ties together the various plows, planters, and grain cleaners that are also on the main floor. The narrative discusses the entire season from planting, to growing, and harvesting. It also touches on how the grains needed to be cleaned and dried before they could be brought to the mill for grinding. These exhibits are more traditional in their presentation. This was not the case for some of our other buildings such as the Blaker gristmill. When we reevaluated the first floor of the Blaker gristmill we concluded that because this is our active mill we wanted it to have a more functional and active feeling, rather than the more traditional exhibit space in the Jackson Mill. Since the gristmill was historically a gathering place for the community, and because we conclude all of our tours with a demonstration grind, we have reconfigured the miller’s office to reflect a more “lived in” feeling and give visitors a sense of what a miller’s office was like when people visited the mill for business. In the Blaker Mill, there are three sets of stones, two of which we use and one that is utilized for display. Since each set of stones are carved with pattern called the dress, and this carving needed to be maintained, or redressed every so often, we set up the machinery necessary to raise the stones in order to redress them. The exhibits discussed here are only a small sampling of some of the many updates that have been made at the Jackson’s Mill Farmstead, many more will continue to be installed in the coming months. To see more on our efforts, or learn about the history of Jackson’s Mill, stop by the Farmstead for a visit. Guided tours are offered every Saturday and Sunday from April through October.
I am very interested in heritage tourism, and think that the Glen Dale/Moundsville/Wheeling area has a great deal of untapped potential for attracting both local visitors and tourists. Serving with the Convention and Visitors Bureau staff, I would like to try and boost Cockayne’s profile and entice more people to visit. Cockayne has a large and varied collection that is ready to be cataloged and conserved, which are my special areas of expertise, and I am fortunate to have the support of the entire University of Delaware Museum Studies SWAT Team behind me in the event any particularly challenging problems arise. I am hoping to leave Cockayne next year with a solid collections management plan and to have provided training to the staff and volunteers on the best practices of stewarding the collection. Since coming to Cockayne in August, I have made the acquaintance of two wonderful dogs and many people. My boyfriend Zach and I have spent two weeks being tourists in the area, and it has been amazing. Director Janell Keyser and the members of the board of Cockayne have been more than welcoming, even including me in meetings that have given me insight into what the hopes and plans are for the future of the site. I have even learned that there are paranormal happenings right here at Cockayne and will be sure to document every otherworldly experience. In just the month that I have been here, I have already participated in a workshop on historic window repair and attended a conference in Beverly with the entire PAWV team, and am very excited to see more of this beautiful state and hear about the ideas and experiences of the other members of PAWV team 2016. Main Street Fairmont Seeks Executive Director
Do you have what it takes to lead a dynamic organization and create change in your community? If so, we have the job for you! Executive Director – Main Street Fairmont Main Street Fairmont seeks a part-time Executive Director to lead the revitalization and economic development of downtown Fairmont, a designated West Virginia Main Street community and 2010 Great American Main Street Award winner. Fairmont is enjoying an exciting renaissance of its small downtown, although much work remains. Potential candidates must be entrepreneurial, energetic, imaginative, well organized and capable of functioning effectively in an independent environment while coordinating multiple public and private interests. Excellent communication, fundraising and collaboration skills are essential. Strong leadership is required. A bachelor’s degree and professional experience in one or more of the following areas is preferred: economic development, urban planning, historic preservation, and/or non-profit leadership. Candidate will be familiar with the Main Street Four Point Approach. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Duties •Raise the profile of downtown Fairmont in order to reach new audiences and build its reputation as a business friendly environment that will thrive with the emergence of new commerce and the resulting increase of foot traffic. Serving as the lead advocate for Main Street Fairmont (MSF), the Executive Director utilizes a high level of knowledge and enthusiasm in fundraising, non-profit management, and communications in order to ensure that the downtown continues to flourish. The Executive Director is expected to establish good relationships with existing and potential sponsors, and will build a strong fundraising operation for the organization. •The Executive Director oversees the development of a balanced annual budget and strategic operating plans; plans and implements fundraising and business activities to secure adequate operating and capital monies; utilizes reserve funds effectively; all through sponsorship, applying for grants, and identifying and implementing new business ventures and revenue streams. In consultation with the board of directors, the Executive Director prepares and monitors the annual budget, provides excellent fiscal oversight, controlling receipts and expenditures, meeting budgeted financial obligations while working within the MSF by-laws. •Articulate a clear vision and set of strategic priorities for the organization, with defined goals and objectives for achievement: The Executive Director is charged with reviewing the mission, vision, strategic priorities and objectives of MSF and, in collaboration with board of directors and co-partners, will continue to develop and implement a strategic plan consistent with the goals of the organization. •Become familiar with all persons and groups directly or indirectly involved in the downtown commercial district. Assist Main Street Fairmont’s board and committees in developing an annual action plan for implementing a downtown revitalization program focused on four areas; design/historic preservation, marketing, operations/management, and business enhancement/development. •Coordinate activity of Main Street committees, ensure that communication between committees is well established; assist committees with implementation of work plan items. •Develop and maintain a close working relationship with the City of Fairmont and Marion County to ensure that all aspects of the downtown revitalization efforts are compatible with the goals and objectives of the City and County. •Coordinate and participate in ongoing public awareness and education programs designed to enhance appreciation of the downtown’s architecture and other assets and to foster an understanding of Main Street Fairmont’s goals and objectives. Through speaking engagements, media interviews and appearances, keep Main Street Fairmont highly visible in the community. •Assist individual tenants or property owners with physical improvement projects through personal consultation or by obtaining and supervising professional design consultants; assist in locating appropriate contractors and materials; provide advice and guidance on necessary financial mechanisms for physical improvements. •Assess the management capacity of downtown businesses and encourage improvements in the downtown community’s ability to undertake joint activities such as promotional events, advertising, special events, and business recruitment. Encourage cooperation between downtown interests and local public officials. •Work closely with local media to ensure maximum event coverage; encourage design excellence in all aspects of promotion in order to advance an image of quality for the downtown. •Represent the community at the local, state, and national levels to important constituencies. Speak effectively on Main Street Fairmont’s directions and findings. Help build strong and productive working relationships with appropriate public agencies at the local and state levels. •Oversees operations of the Citizens Building, located on Adams Street. Qualifications Job Knowledge and Skills Required The Director should have a bachelor’s degree and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: public relations, marketing, volunteer recruitment/management, event planning and management, commercial district management, small business development, non-profit administration, fundraising, architecture, and/or retailing. The Director must be sensitive to design and preservation issues. The Director must understand the issues confronting downtown business people, property owners, public agencies, and community organizations. The Director must be entrepreneurial, energetic, imaginative, well organized, and capable of functioning effectively in a very independent situation. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential. Supervisory skills are desirable. How to Apply To be considered for this position, applicants must submit the following: a resume, cover letter, three work-related references and salary history by October 7th. To apply, send materials to [email protected]. The Preservation Alliance of WV honored preservationists from across the state during the 8th Annual Historic Preservation Awards Banquet held at Halliehurst Mansion in Elkins on Friday, September 23, 2016. This year’s event is part of the statewide historic preservation conference “This Place Matters” being held in Beverly and Elkins. “Historic preservation award recipients are nominated by local community residents and selected through a competitive application process. The winners are some of the most notable historic preservation projects in the state for 2016,” explained Danielle LaPresta, Executive Director for the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia. The 2016 Historic Preservation Award Winners are: Landscape Preservation Award – Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation for the preservation of Rich Mountain Battlefield in Randolph County. Downtown Preservation Award – MountainPlex Properties for undertaking multiple historic preservation and re-use projects in historic Hinton, including the Ritz Theatre and the McCreery Hotel. Cultural Preservation Award – Davis and Elkins College for its development of the Center for Railway Tourism and the preservation of multiple historic buildings on campus, including Halliehurst Mansion and Graceland Inn and Conference Center. Rodney Collins Preservation Achievement Award – Toni Ogden of Lewisburg for her efforts in preserving historic cemeteries. Preservation Achievement Award – Main Street Ripley for the Alpine Theatre restoration project. Dr. Emory Kemp Lifetime Achievement Award – Randy Allan of Beverly for his dedication to preserving historic landmarks in Beverly.
For the second year in a row, the Alliance featured two award categories, which also include cash awards to be used for specific preservation projects. The Preservation Persistence Award was awarded to two separate property stewards that are working diligently to preserve properties on the WV Endangered Properties List. The Stewardship Award was given to one property steward for exemplifying best preservation practices. These awards were presented to: Preservation Persistence Award – Blue Sulphur Springs Pavilion, Greenbrier Historical Society Preservation Persistence Award – McCoy Fort Project, Williamsburg District Historical Foundation Stewardship Award – Monroe County Historical Society “We are fortunate to have so many wonderful individuals and organizations dedicated to preserving and rehabilitating West Virginia’s historic resources,” stated Preservation Alliance of West Virginia board president Sandra Scaffidi. “This evening was our way of recognizing the efforts of our unsung heroes who are making a difference in revitalizing our great state.” The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is the statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to historic preservation. It is best known for administering the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program and for the annual West Virginia Endangered Properties program. For more information, visit www.pawv.org. |
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