The past decade has been one of dramatic and accelerating growth for Preservation Maryland.
FROM NICHOLAS A. REDDING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Since just 2015, the organization has accomplished a great deal, including:
- Launching several new high-profile programs, including, Six-to-Fix, Smart Growth Maryland and a national partnership, The Campaign for Historic Trades,
- Producing 100+ episodes of PreserveCast, a nationally recognized preservation podcast,
- Establishing PreserveList as the go-to preservation business database for the Mid-Atlantic,
- Growing our grant programs by 150% to support the diverse needs of the state,
- Significantly expanding our legislative advocacy outreach in Annapolis – developing a host of preservation champions in the General Assembly,
- Accepting the need to engage in disaster response efforts following two devastating floods in Ellicott City – and becoming a national champion for resiliency and mitigation.
- Leading targeted battlefield preservation efforts at South Mountain, Fort Tonoloway and Falling Waters Battlefields,
- Expanding the professional staff of the organization to meet the growing needs – and eliminating nearly all deficit spending in the process,
- Sustainably growing the budget of the organization by nearly 260% through an expansive and inclusive development and fundraising effort.
But, our work is far from complete.
A Year of Challenges and Opportunities Await
In 2020, the organization will continue to expand and accept new challenges, including:
- Formally launching our historic property redevelopment program. Currently, the organization has a critically endangered historic property under contract – the first redevelopment project for the organization in nearly three decades. The project is a big leap of faith – and once the due diligence is completed we’ll need the support of our members to save this one-of-a-kind structure.
- Expanding the Campaign for Historic Trades. In partnership with the National Park Service and with the support of several national funders – we will be working to make historic trades’ training a powerful tool for revitalization and workforce development. Opportunities abound – and we’ll need the support of our donors, funders, and friends to build the capacity to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
- Leading Maryland’s First Community Asset Mapping Project. Using a template first established by the Trust for Public Land, we’ll lead a project in Hagerstown’s historic Jonathan Street neighborhood to engage the public, residents and key stakeholders in a community-driven planning effort to chart the future of this threatened African-American enclave.
- Taking Bold Action to Expand the State Historic Tax Credit. The momentum has been building for years – and now with a large coalition of stakeholders and legislators, we’ll push for a multi-million dollar expansion of the state historic tax credit – an effort which could save thousands of resources around the state.
- Leading by Example with Six-to-Fix. This year’s class of Six-to-Fix projects are some of the most diverse and challenging since the launch of the program. With donor support, we’ll work to put these unique projects located around the state on a better path to preservation. Each project will become a learning opportunity for communities around the state grappling with similar challenges.
These significant and challenging opportunities are just the ones we know about now – and as history has taught us – every year presents new and unexpected challenges. The expected and unexpected alike are why we depend on donor support – donations to our Annual Fund make this work possible and give us the confidence we need to make bold plans.