Webinar: Historic Preservation Pipeline Initiative & CLG Grant Funds
Wednesday, August 14th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Join us for a conversation with the Ohio Department of Development and the State Historic Preservation Office to discuss two funding sources to assist with National Register of Historic Places listings.
The Historic Preservation Pipeline Initiative provides small grants and technical assistance to assist in nominating buildings and districts to the National Register of Historic Places. The program creates a pipeline of properties that are eligible for redevelopment assistance through the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program and helps communities and property owners advance redevelopment of underutilized historic buildings.
The Certified Local Government (CLG) Program facilitates cooperation between state and local governments with Federal partners to promote nationwide preservation initiatives. Through the certification process, local communities make a commitment to national historic preservation standards. This commitment is key to America’s ability to preserve, protect, and increase awareness of our unique cultural heritage found across the country. Certified Local Governments range from small villages to major urban centers. Once certified, Certified Local Governments may compete annually for grants to help carry out a wide range of historic preservation activities.
About Our Presenters
Lisa has been the Program Manager for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program at the Ohio Department of Development since 2018. She earned an MA and PhD in geography from the University of Kentucky with a focus on cultural landscapes, historic preservation, and community values for places. After beginning her lifelong love of abandoned places with exploring derelict farmsteads around her home in Southwestern Minnesota, then finding a niche in Kentucky mapping abandoned railroads, she can’t believe people keep paying her to creep around in abandoned buildings. She is thrilled to be working with communities to revitalize beloved places.
Nathan Bevil, Community Planning & Preservation Manager at the State Historic Preservation Office, holds a bachelor’s degree in history and historic preservation from Mary Washington College and a Master of Historic Preservation degree from the University of Georgia. He administers the CLG program, guided the development of the State Historic Preservation Plan, and provides technical assistance to communities on local historic preservation matters.
Webinar: Ephemera, Artifacts & Photographs, Oh My! Tackling Conservation & Preservation Quandaries
Wednesday, November 6th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
In this presentation, we will talk about how to tackle conservation concerns, including some resources for handling artefacts, rehousing materials for long-term care and when to reach out to a conservator. Presenters will also share information about the Ohio Preservation Council, and there will be time for questions and discussion.
About Our Presenters
Marcela is the head of conservation at The Ohio State University Libraries. In this role and in partnership with colleagues across the organization, Marcela is responsible for physical treatment, collection care, and preventive conservation of circulating and non- circulating collections. In this position she also serves as a resource for the university, Columbus, and the Ohio community by engaging in outreach, training, consultation, and other educational activities. She is currently the chair-elect of Ohio Preservation Council.
Virginia is the Digital Projects Librarian at Kent State University. Her specialty areas are project management and digitization, working primarily with the university’s unique collections. She holds an MLIS from Kent State University and an MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies from the University of Leeds. Her research areas include privacy in digital collections and the Right to be Forgotten. She is author of Framing Privacy in Digital Collections with Ethical Decision Making (Morgan & Claypool, 2018) and also serves as the chair of Ohio Preservation Council.
Webinar: Partnering with The Ohio CDC Association
Wednesday, June 26th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Ohio CDC Association is a statewide membership organization of nearly 300 locally-based rural and urban nonprofits and aligned organizations that work to rebuild neighborhoods through initiatives such as economic development, affordable housing, financial education, and local food access. OCDCA supports member organizations through capacity building, programs, and public policy advocacy, especially at the Ohio Statehouse. As discussions around housing development heat up in Columbus, members of the OCDCA team will share about new state-funded housing programs and proposals for additional policy changes that may be coming. Additionally, they will share about their work supporting community development nonprofits around Ohio, and share opportunities for historic preservation organizations to join their membership.
About Our Presenter
Torey Hollingsworth is Executive Director of the Ohio CDC Association, a statewide organization that fosters vibrant neighborhoods and improves the quality of life in all communities through advocacy and capacity building of its member agencies.
Before joining OCDCA in 2023, Torey served as the Director of the Office of the Dayton City Commission, and Senior Policy Aide for Mayor Nan Whaley, where she focused on issues related to eviction prevention, police reform, housing quality, and reducing gun violence. Prior to returning to her hometown of Dayton, Torey also held roles at Greater Ohio Policy Center, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and as an AmeriCorps VISTA.
Torey received her Masters of City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University and her BA
from the University of Chicago. Torey and her husband, Michael, live in Dayton's Historic Huffman
neighborhood.
Webinar: Partnering with Museums to Enrich Your Community’s Story
Wednesday, June 12th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Ohio has over 1300 museums and historic sites – with at least one organization in each of our 88 counties, museums are natural partners to help tell your community’s story, and preserve its legacy for future generations.
Learn about Ohio’s statewide organization for museums and museum professionals, the Ohio Museums Association, and how OMA can help connect you with opportunities and museums in your area.
Then, hear from museums that have worked closely with their Main Street partners to learn about the impact and opportunities these relationships have opened for all parties involved.
About Our Presenter
Johnna McEntee (she/her) has worked in the museum association field for over twenty years and is the Executive Director of the Ohio Museums Association (OMA) – a position she has held since 2011.
During her time at OMA, Johnna has been involved in many state-wide and national museum initiatives, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections program, the American Alliance of Museums’ Museums Advocacy Day – and was honored to receive the Advocacy Leadership Award from AAM during the 13th annual Museums Advocacy Day, is a planning partner for Ohio Statehood Day, founder of the Ohio Statewide Organization Advocacy Roundtable, co-founder of the Columbus chapter of Emerging Museum Professionals, was Midwest Regional Representative to the National Alliance of State Museum Associations, was a Steering Committee member for the national initiative for state museum associations “Museums United Phase II,” Community Engagement Center Advisory Committee Representative for the Ohio Digital Network, and is a member of IDEAL Columbus – a central Ohio DEAI working group. During COVID, Johnna was a planning and contributing partner of the Local History Helps committee. Johnna was named and currently serves as a representative for the America 250 – Ohio Museums, Arts Organizations, and Cultural Institutions Committee.
Johnna is a founding member of the national state museum associations organization, the Coalition of State Museum Associations (COSMA). She recently completed her term serving as immediate Past-Chair for the COSMA Foundation Board, chair of the COSMA Program Committee, chair of the COSMA Summit Committee, and member of the COSMA Nomination Committee.
Erin Augenstein serves as the Executive Director of Campus Martius Museum and the Ohio River Museum. She holds a BS in Special Education from Miami University, a Masters in Education from Muskingum University and a Masters in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University, with a Certificate in Museum Studies from Northwestern University. Erin believes in the power of Cultural Tourism to bring revenue to our Appalachian communities, and she works collaboratively with regional organizations to provide events, programming, and educational opportunities for local residents and visitors from around the globe.
Webinar: Reconciliation, Recovery, & Resilience: A Historic Preservation Plan for Ohioans
Wednesday, May 15th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The newest edition of the State Historic Preservation Plan was recently released by the State Historic Preservation Office. This plan, developed with an expert board, and with the input of Ohioans just like you, serves as both a working plan for the State Historic Preservation Office and as a guide for preservation throughout the state. Come learn what’s new in the latest edition and how it helps save historic sites in Ohio.
About Our Presenter
Nathan Bevil, Community Planning & Preservation Manager at the State Historic Preservation Office, holds a bachelor’s degree in history and historic preservation from Mary Washington College and a Master of Historic Preservation degree from the University of Georgia. He administers the CLG program, guided the development of the State Historic Preservation Plan, and provides technical assistance to communities on local historic preservation matters.
Webinar: An Exploration of the American Stained Glass Industry
Wednesday, May 22nd – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Explore the rich history of American stained glass and the niche industry that supports so much of our architectural art glass environment. Looking to the future of stained glass restoration, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment. Success hinges upon our willingness to embrace creativity, and our ability to draw insights from past endeavors and forge collaborative pathways with communities. Fortunately, our history is steeped in a tradition of collaboration, service, and ingenuity, providing a sturdy foundation upon which to build.
About Our Presenter
Megan McElfresh is a third-generation stained glass artisan who became Executive Director of the Stained Glass Association of America (SGAA) in Fall of 2017. Her background in operations management and art history gives her unique qualifications as the leader for the National Trade Association as it celebrates its 120th anniversary of service to the industry. In her role with the SGAA, McElfresh is focused on sowing the seeds of long-term change and expanding the SGAA’s core programs. Her focus is on showcasing the Association as a hub for the industry through strong partnerships with manufacturers, preservation and stewardship groups, and education centers. By bringing together the nation’s foremost architectural art glass studios in technical skill and integrity, the Stained Glass Association’s cumulative knowledge can be combined for the benefit of all who are tasked with the care and investment of our nation’s living stained glass museum.
The Stained Glass Association of America, founded in 1903, is a 501(c)6 national professional trade association serving the architectural ornamental art glass industry across
North America and Internationally. In December 2017, the national headquarters office moved to Buffalo, NY. Coming up on its 120th anniversary, they are focused on strengthening their 501(c)3 Foundation, expanding their mission, and serving our nation’s emerging professionals.
The SGAA Foundation was founded in 2020 to promote public appreciation and knowledge of the stained glass and mosaic art form and champion the provenance of the material in architectural art. The mission of the Foundation is to foster proactive, responsible stewardship of our nation’s architectural art glass and mosaic treasures. Beauty must be abundant and accessible and we must collaborate with like-minded organizations to bring new voices into our industry while providing more resources to protect our nation’s stained glass heritage.
Become the Next Great Ohio Main Street Community
Do you love your downtown, and feel that it could benefit from being part of a national movement for revitalization? Are you interested in preserving your community history and supporting locally owned and operated businesses? Are you missing out on the economic impact of the heritage tourism economy in Ohio? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, maybe it’s time to consider the Ohio Main Street program.
Heritage Ohio, the State-wide coordinating agency under Main Street America, is looking to expand the program with five new Ohio Main Street communities. The Main Street approach, created in the late 1980s as a model for downtown revitalization, preservation, and economic development, is a nationally respected framework that is followed by over 2,000 communities that value their history and local economy. In Ohio, 52 historic communities are currently part of the Main Street program.
The path to becoming an Ohio Main Street Program begins with a Downtown Assessment Resource Team (DART) visit. Thanks to special funding, Heritage Ohio is currently able to scholarship up to 50% of the $5,000 cost of the DART visit and Main Street pipeline planning process for up to five Ohio communities. A DART is a two-day, deep dive workshop in a community, when Heritage Ohio staff conducts site visits, community visioning and input modeling, walking tours, and interviews with key community stakeholders to determine if there is capacity for a full Main Street program.
The initial application is due on May 10th.
Webinar: Using Statistics to Show Your Economic Impact
Wednesday, April 24th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Monthly reporting and gathering statistics are two of the least exciting parts of any downtown managers’ job, but what if you could use those numbers to show the value of your work, and the economic impact your local program is generating for your community?
Lorna Swisher and Matt Wiederhold, two former Ohio Main Street directors, will walk you through the process of completing monthly reports, and then share a reinvestment template as a tool to support funding requests, illustrate the local and regional impact your program is generating, and help you document in black and white how your downtown development initiatives are a vibrant economic development machine for your community.
About Our Presenters
Lorna Swisher joined Heritage Ohio’s staff in October 2023, having previously served as the Director of Mainstreet Piqua for 26 years. With a background in broadcasting and public relations, she describes herself as a nonprofit ‘wonk’, emphasizing the importance of organizational infrastructure for effective operation. Lorna served on the Hotel/Library Legacy Alliance, which successfully restored the Fort Piqua Plaza in downtown Piqua. This $22 million project revitalized a deteriorating hotel into a vibrant community asset housing the Piqua Public Library, a banquet facility, and restaurants. Under her leadership, the Main Street program in Piqua received national accreditation from Main Street America/National Trust for Historic Preservation each year. In her current role as Assistant Director of Revitalization, Lorna supports Heritage Ohio’s Main Street programs.
Matt Wiederhold joined Heritage Ohio in May 2022 as its executive director. Matt began his career in historic preservation and community development in 2001, with an Urban Main Street Program in Uptown, Toledo, Ohio, as part of a pilot project with LISC and the National Main Street Center. In 2003, he accepted a position on the west side of Cleveland with the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, and guided the rehabilitation of numerous historic storefronts, recruited small businesses to fill the storefronts, and eventually became the project manager for the initial development of the Gordon Square Arts District, including the renovation of the Capitol Theatre. In 2008, Matt became the first executive director of Main Street Medina, and have spent most of the past 15 years working in that community, guiding the development of their historic district, and working to make Medina a notable, historic destination. Matt is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a degree in art history, having focused on American art and architecture, 1860-1940.
Webinar: Top Tips for National Register Nominations
Wednesday, March 27th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
What is the National Register of Historic Places? This webinar will cover the basics of what the National Register of Historic Places program is, what being listed in the program does and does not mean, and what benefits may come with a listing. Additionally, this webinar will outline the process of nominating resources to the National Register of Historic Places and provide insight and tips to preparing a nomination.
This webinar is registered for 1.00 LU AIA credit.
About Our Presenter
Abby Marshall, Survey and National Register Manager for Inventory and Registration for the State Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio History Connection, holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Geography with a concentration in Travel and Tourism as well as a Master’s of Science degree in Historic Preservation – both from Ball State University. She began working at the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office in 2021 and currently serves on the Heritage Ohio Board as the Young Ohio Preservationist’s chair.
Webinar: Grow with Google
Wednesday, February 28th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Looking to expand the reach of your small business and get customers in the door?
Google is the #1 source current and potential customers will use to gain information about your business. Learn about all the tools Google can provide to your business to increase business traffic and drive sales.
About Our Presenter
Janet Hurn is a seasoned professional with a passion for education, digital innovation, brand design, and marketing. With over 30 years of experience, she has established herself as an expert in online course development, e-learning administration, and e-consulting. As the Co-Founder of Future Ready Consulting, Janet is dedicated to supporting new and scaling small businesses in their growth journey. Her extensive background as the Senior Director of Regional E-Campus at Miami University has equipped her with valuable insights into instructional technology and innovative methods for online learning. Janet’s expertise, combined with her commitment to staying ahead of the curve, enables her to provide strategic guidance and consultancy services to elevate brands, improve online presence, and effectively reach target audiences. Whether it’s through brand development, website design, or digital marketing strategies, Janet is ready to empower entrepreneurs and business owners to change the world.
Janet has had many accomplishments, innovations and awards. She holds a DMI Certified Marketing Professional certification, Google Analytics certification, and Google Ads certification. She is also the Grow with Google Ohio Digital Coach, where she teaches small businesses all over Ohio how to use Google tools to enhance their businesses. Janet has a strong background in education, with over 30 years of experience as a Senior Instructor of Physics at Miami University. Under her leadership, the Miami Regionals E-Campus was listed on US News and World Report’s Top Online Schools in 2023 and the top 20 Online Schools in 2021. Janet’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the University System of Ohio’s Faculty Innovator Award and the ASCUE.ORG Keynote Speaker honor. Her commitment to excellence and passion for online education make her a valuable asset to the field.
Webinar: Redevelopment Funding Opportunities from the Ohio Department of Development
Wednesday, January 31st – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Join us for a conversation about community redevelopment and the funds available through the Ohio Department of Development to assist your projects. Funding opportunities to be discussed include:
Welcome Home Ohio
The Welcome Home Ohio (WHO) program is designed to provide grants for the purchase of qualifying residential properties, the cost of construction or rehabilitation, or a nonrefundable tax credit for qualifying activities.
Brownfield Remediation Program
The Brownfield Remediation Program provides grants for the cleanup of brownfield sites, to assist in the remediation of hazardous substances or petroleum at an industrial, commercial, or institutional property. Remediation includes acquisition of a brownfield, demolition performed at a brownfield, and the installation or upgrade of the minimum amount of infrastructure necessary to make a brownfield site operational for economic development activity.
Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program
The Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program is designed to provide grants for the demolition of commercial and residential buildings and revitalization of surrounding properties on sites that are not Brownfields.
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program
The Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program provides grants to improve access to clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Grants of up to $5 million for construction projects are available to Ohio communities. All political subdivisions with the authority to own and operate public water and sewer systems and non-profit, non-community public water systems may submit an application
Webinar: Historic Preservation Commissions: The Legal Basics
Wednesday, February 21st – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The strongest defense commissions have against accusations of arbitrary and capricious decisions is to consistently follow established review procedures. Customized for each state, this workshop covers the legal basis for commission operation. This presentation will provide an overview of procedural due process, takings, appeals, property rights, and economic hardship. Participants will examine common preservation legal issues and acquire tools to improve decision-making and build a defensible record.
About our presenter:
Will Cook is a nationally recognized lawyer and scholar with a successful record for protecting National Historic Landmarks, significant landscapes, historic viewsheds, and traditional cultural properties. His practice focuses on balancing historic preservation with economic development so that historic preservation law is more efficient, effective, and predictable. Will helps his clients navigate the Section 106 process of the National Historic Preservation Act at the project level with an emphasis on historic viewsheds and landscape protection. He negotiates on behalf of tribes, project proponents, local governments, and other consulting parties to achieve creative, win-win outcomes that appropriately balance preservation values and development needs. Examples of his work include helping to find reasonable limits to unregulated cruise tourism in historic port communities, advising a local government with a National Historic Landmark district on its legal rights in response to proposed offshore utility-scale windfarms, and working with a nationally recognized preservation advocacy group on how to address a proposed seawall that would surround a National Historic Landmark district.
In 2019, Will assisted the Parks & People Foundation in Baltimore with identifying ways to use Section 106 to leverage shoreline restoration of the Middle Branch Harbor and proposed “green” urban park along its 11-mile shoreline. Will’s extensive knowledge of preservation legal tools and land use law allows him to serve as a strategic partner with policymakers, developers, and preservation advocates on best practices to make preservation law more effective and efficient. Examples include assisting the City of Philadelphia and the Town of Palm Beach with identifying strengths and weaknesses in their local preservation laws, suggesting opportunities for improvement based on peer city reviews, and helping educate the public about preservation law’s benefits. Through his work with the National Alliance of Preservation Commission’s Disaster Planning Advisory Committee, Will helps historic communities with adaptation planning and disaster relief, including their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Will has argued in court and before administrative agencies across the country on behalf of advocates seeking to protect traditional cultural properties: historic places that continue to be used by living communities. His engagements have included arguing on behalf of the National Trust for Historic Preservation before the New Mexico Supreme Court, which affirmed unanimously Mount Taylor’s designation in New Mexico’s State Register of Cultural Properties.
Will earned his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and is a graduate of Furman University, where he received a B.A. in political science. Prior to joining Cultural Heritage Partners, Will served for eight years as associate general counsel for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and teaches preservation law at Columbia University.