Webinar: Social Media: Managing Comments, Conflict, and Community
Wednesday, June 18th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Online conflict is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to derail your mission. This session walks through a clear, practical framework for handling public criticism, misinformation, and high-conflict interactions on social media. You’ll learn how to assess risk, respond with clarity, protect your team’s energy, and build trust through the way you show up online. We’ll explore real scenarios, discuss audience behavior patterns, and give you tools to moderate with strategy—not just instinct.
Our Presenter
Joe Dunay is a brand and communications strategist who helps place-based organizations build systems for thoughtful, sustainable storytelling. He currently serves as the Marketing and Communications Manager at Heritage Ohio, where he leads messaging, PR, and content strategy to support preservation and revitalization efforts across the state.
Previously, as Director of Marketing and Communications at the Van Wert County Foundation, Joe led the narrative and brand development for Van Wert Forward, a multi-year downtown revitalization initiative. His work blended strategy, storytelling, and public engagement to reflect the community’s identity and future vision. He also served on the board of Main Street Van Wert, connecting organizational strategy with on-the-ground experience.
Joe’s career began with PRSSA, where he served as National Vice President of Professional Development. He helped shape educational programming and supported the creation of student-run PR firms across the U.S. and abroad. Later, on PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards, he began honing his approach to curiosity-led, community-first communication.
Outside of work, Joe is a photographer focused on place, memory, and the ways people shape the built environment. He collaborates with communities to tell their stories both visually and verbally.
2025 Annual Awards
What is the awards nomination process?
To nominate a a person, building, or project, complete a nomination form and attach supporting documents and high-resolution photos. If your documents or photos are large files, please email them to fquinn@heritageohio.org with the name of the nomination in the title of the email. To view a detailed description of the awards categories, view the 2025 Awards List.
All nominations must be received by July 31, 2025. Nominations that do not follow the formatting provided in the form, and incomplete entries will NOT be accepted.
Each submission has an entry fee of $50.
Not sure if your nomination fits a category? Contact us at 614-258-6200 or fquinn@heritageohio.org and we will be happy to discuss the nomination with you.
Award Categories
Main Street Awards
- Best Main Street Committee Project
- Best Main Street Committee Event
- Main Street Business of the Year
- Main Street Director of the Year
- Main Street Volunteer of the Year
- Spirit of Main Street
Complete a nomination for a Main Street Award
Projects & Place Awards
- Best Commercial Rehabilitation
- Best Downtown Placemaking
- Best Historic Theater Restoration
- Best Residential Restoration
Complete a nomination for a Projects & Place Award
Individual Awards
- Joyce Barrett Preservation Hero Award
- Young Preservationist of the Year
Heritage Ohio Welcomes Downtown Marion as the State’s Newest Affiliate Main Street Program
Heritage Ohio is proud to welcome Downtown Marion, Inc. as the state’s newest Affiliate Main Street Community, marking a major step forward in the city’s downtown revitalization. This recognition builds on a partnership that began in 2022 and highlights Marion’s long-term commitment to revitalizing the heart of the city through local leadership, historic preservation and community collaboration.
The announcement comes as Marion celebrates winning the national Strongest Town Contest presented by Strong Town’s. The city stood out for its hands-on, inclusive planning, including the “Love Your Neighborhood” initiative, which brings residents and city staff together to clean up neighborhoods, identify challenges and co-create solutions. Flexible zoning encourages infill development, and grassroots innovations like mid-block crosswalks and strategic transit partnerships are making Marion’s core more walkable and connected.
“Marion has done incredible work building capacity, recruiting strong volunteers for leadership positions, and hiring an outstanding executive director who has a sincere passion for his community,” said Matt Wiederhold, executive director of Heritage Ohio. “They’ve demonstrated a local commitment to preserving their architectural history, securing sustainable funding, and establishing strategic partnerships with local leaders. We’re excited to continue supporting their progress.”
The Ohio Main Street Program, based on Main Street America’s proven four-point approach to revitalization, helps communities like Marion transform their historic business districts into vibrant centers of civic and economic life. As an Affiliate Main Street Community, Marion continues to grow its visibility and credibility statewide, drawing from a strong peer network and increasing its capacity to attract investment and talent to its historic core.
“This advancement reflects the dedication of everyone involved in Downtown Marion,” said Allen Wilson, Executive Director of Downtown Marion, Inc. “It opens new opportunities for growth and deeper community engagement. We’re proud to be part of this network and eager to keep moving forward with Heritage Ohio’s support.”
Marion joins twenty other Ohio Main Street communities—including Coshocton, Delaware, Kent, Lorain, Marietta, Medina, Middletown, Millersburg, Painesville, Piqua, Ravenna, Tiffin, Tipp City, Troy, Van Wert, Vermillion, Wadsworth, Wellington, Westerville and Wooster.
For more information regarding the Heritage Ohio Main Street Program, contact Heritage Ohio at 614.258.6200 or visit heritageohio.org.
Webinar: Fire Protection & Life Safety for Historic Preservation & Adaptive Re-Use
Wednesday, May 14th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Description
This presentation is an overview of the building codes and standards applicable to historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects, including an overview of alternative approaches to building, fire, and life safety code compliance. The program also includes two case studies based on two Ohio projects as examples of two tools available to design professionals to demonstrate compliance using an alternative approach to compliance.
This webinar is registered for 1.00 AIA HSW continuing education credit.
Our Presenter
Scott Voelkerding the Director of Fire and Life Safety at Osborn. He is technically experienced in many aspects of fire protection engineering including fire, building, and Life Safety Code consulting, hazardous materials storage, due diligence studies, and various design concepts for fire protection systems, fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, smoke control systems, means of egress, and other life safety systems. Scott has managed a range of projects from engineering studies to Blank Purchase Agreements (BPAs) for fire protection services. He is member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and an Associate Member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). Scott passed the Fire Protection Engineering PE Exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and practices engineering as a full-time fire protection engineer and life safety consultant.
Webinar: Building Code Basics for Historic Main Street – Part II
Thursday, January 30th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Historic buildings may have been built either prior to building codes existing or under codes that are long out of date but, that does not mean the building code doesn’t matter. A basic understanding of the current building code can help you understand what you can use the building for, what improvements may be needed, and how to make sure it is accessible to as many people as possible. These webinars will give an introduction to the building code as it relates to typical historic building types. We will also explore some of the historic origins and reasons why portions of the building code are required.
This two-part webinar is registered for 2.00 AIA HSW credits. Those wishing to earn credit for this webinar must attend both Part I and Part II.
Melinda Shah is an architect with Schooley Caldwell who has spent 20 years working on historic buildings for public and private clients. Through this experience, she has gained valuable knowledge of how to work with existing buildings to preserve them while bringing them to life for new and modern uses. She is also experienced at working with the various requirements for buildings listed on historic registries, in districts with design review, and with historic tax credits. She has worked on over 30 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Melinda received both her Bachelor and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of Cincinnati, where she had the opportunity to co-op with other design firms and gain significant experience in preservation design. In addition, she received a Certificate of Historic Preservation from the University of Cincinnati.
Amanda Fuson is an architectural designer who has been with Schooley Caldwell since in 2015. She is a graduate of Miami University and has a Master of Architecture and a Master of Historic Preservation degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her role involves architectural design and document support on various projects, including the Hoster Brewery, Newark Arcade, Lakeside, and Perry County Courthouse. Outside of work, Amanda loves to travel and see new places — she caught the travel bug when she lived in England for a year as a child. She is also obsessed with all things history (art, architectural, film, U.S., European…really, any).