Historic Context Studies: Putting the People in Preservation

Heather Bailey is the Preservation Planner for the City of Madison, WI. With a Ph.D. in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University, she has professional experience as a preservation planner at the state and local levels. She has served as a technical adviser for the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance, and board member for the Tennessee Preservation Trust and Colorado Preservation, Inc. In 2015, the University of Minnesota Press published her chapter “Does This Place Really Matter? The Preservation Debate over Historical Significance in Colorado's Post World-War II Suburbs,” in Making Suburbia: New Histories of Everyday America.

Abigail Christman is a Principal City Planner in Landmark Preservation at the City and County of Denver. Abigail has a varied background having previously worked for consulting firms, Colorado Preservation, Inc., and the University of Colorado Denver. Her experience includes Section 106n consultation, reconnaissance and intensive-level surveys, National Register nominations, HABS/HAER/HALS documentation, neighborhood pattern books, preservation tax credit certification, interpretation, public outreach, and serving on the Denver Landmark Commission. Abigail also teaches a graduate course for CU Denver titled Historic Buildings in Context. Abigail holds a B.A. in History from the University of South, a M.A. in Public History/Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University, and a M.A. in Histories and Theories of Architecture from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, England.

Michael de Lange is a Senior Historic Preservation Planner with the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. With 15 years of experience in cultural resources management, Mike has worked for the Oregon and Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Offices and the City of Portland. He currently works on Seattle's historic preservation program, managing environmental review projects, representing the city in Section 106 consultations, and overhauling the city's inventory of historic resources to make it more inclusive and engaging. He served as president of Docomomo US Oregon and was a founding member and president of Docomomo US Hawaiʻi. Mike attended the University of Oregon for both undergrad and grad school, which makes him a double-duck.

Stephanie Rouse, AICP is the Livable Neighborhoods Manager in the Urban Development Department in Lincoln, Nebraska leading the city’s work on affordable housing and neighborhood development. In her previous role as a planner in the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department she focused on historic preservation, active transportation, and advancing Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan goals. She has worked extensively on local and National Register designations, historic reconnaissance surveys, and historic design guidelines. She is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln teaching Introduction to Historic Preservation.