Greetings! As the newly elected president of HPPA, I look forward to working with the organization's board and members as we continue our mission of sustaining the growing network of Cornell preservationists. I owe a special thanks to my predecessor, Katelin Olson, and a whole host of committed board members over the past several years. Their efforts have allowed HPPA to enact the goals of our recent strategic plan and to gain considerable momentum in developing new opportunities for student engagement and alumni support. A prime example is the Will Stark Continuing Education Grant, for which we will begin accepting applications shortly. Now in its second year, the annual Stark Grant provides monetary support to Cornell HPP alumni for professional development activities, including conference attendance or other professional training. Given the accomplished and curious group of folks who have come out of the HPP program over the past 40+ years, I know many of you regularly engage in these activities. I strongly encourage you to read the additional details in this newsletter and to submit an application, and we will look forward to learning about your plans for the coming year.

In my new role with HPPA, I expect to meet or reconnect with many alumni of the program in the near future. (Because I'm based in the Bay Area, I want to give an early plug for the National Trust's Past Forward conference, which San Francisco will host in mid-November. I hope to see you on the West Coast!) If you have been involved in HPPA in the past but have let your membership lapse, or if you are entirely new to the organization, I particularly want to ask that you consider becoming a member: information on joining HPPA can be found on our website. Your membership ensures that the organization can continue to expand its valuable programs and support for the Cornell HPP community.

So long for now!

Shannon Cilento (HPP ’17) is originally from Oswego, New York. In 2015, she earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and global studies at SUNY Oswego and began at Cornell the following fall. After her first year in HPP, Shannon interned with the Cleveland Restoration Society in Cleveland, Ohio. Shannon’s thesis, From Cod to Conservation: The Intersection of Tourism, the Cod Moratorium, and Telecommunications History in Newfoundland, explored the impacts of the 1992 Canadian cod-fishing moratorium on rural Newfoundland’s historic built environment. Following graduation in May 2017, Shannon completed a 3-month fellowship with Discover Downtown Westbrook, a Main Street organization in southern Maine. Presently, Shannon is the Community Development & Grants Planner for the Sullivan County Division of Planning in New York’s Catskill region. Shannon manages several County grant programs, including one which funds historic preservation projects, and gives technical assistance to municipalities and community organizations who wish to save and improve their historic places.

Caitlin Kolb (HPP '13) - I received my B.A. from Loyola University Chicago in 2010. I enrolled in Cornell's HPP program the next year. My thesis at Cornell was on the construction of Clarence Stein's Hillside Homes. After finishing at Cornell in 2013, I moved back to my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. A few months later, I got a job at a local architecture firm, Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, specializing in historic rehabs. I've now been there for 4 years, writing National Register Nominations and historic tax credit applications for buildings in Nebraska and Iowa. I've also done historic resource surveys in Omaha, Plattsmouth, and Saline County, all in Nebraska. In my non-work hours, I've volunteered with a local preservation non-profit, Restoration Exchange Omaha, and been a part of efforts to save a couple of local buildings (one successfully!). I have a one-year old son, a husband, and one cat. I enjoy riding bikes with them when the weather is nice (minus the cat).

Bryan McCracken graduated from the HPP program in 2011 and is the Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Ithaca.  He lives in Norwich, NY, with his wife and two children. When he is not commuting or spending quality time with his family,  Bryan works on his two historic properties,  one a badly "remuddled" c. 1840 Greek Revival and the other a nearly intact 1904 Colonial Revival.

Andrew Roblee (HPP '17) is an upstate New York native who enjoys reading the classics, writing mediocre songs on the guitar, and has a particular fondness for public school architecture. He lives in Auburn, NY with his wife, Devon, and two sons, Alex and Arthur. 

HPPA Executive Committee Members
President: Jon Rusch, Class of 2012
Vice President: Grant Johnson, Class of 2010
Secretary: Erin Fredrickson, Class of 2016
Treasurer: Natalie Franz, Class of 2009

Many thanks to the outgoing board members for your service!

The annual Map Sale was held on November 28-29 in Sibley Hall. Historic Urban Plans worked with PSSO on the event. Sales were especially brisk this year now that Historic Urban Plans accept credit cards! Proceeds from the sale are split evenly between Historic Urban Plans and HPPA.

Need a map soon, or can't make the map sale? Visit Historic Urban Plans.