I have long heard about the importance of being a VAF member – through my work at the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, graduate school at George Washington University (GW) and my subsequent work at the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT).  And, the VAF stories I’ve heard!  Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal from some of VAF’s founders and long-time members, including Catherine Bishir, Claudia Brown, Orlando Ridout, Marcia Miller, and Richard Longstreth. 

I’ve been a VAF member since the late 1990s, attending my first conference in Williamsburg, Virginia in 2002. Orlando’s field methods class at GW further confirmed my interest in survey work. He emphasized the importance of conducting in-depth building analysis and research. Armed with that background, I began a decade-long stint as an independent preservation consultant in New Mexico, and in 2014, I was delighted to accept the offer to return to the East Coast and MHT as Administrator of Research & Survey.

I welcome the opportunity to serve on the VAF Board and as a member of the Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowship Committee.  As a member of the 2018 planning committee, I hope you’ll join us for next year’s conference – A Shared Heritage: Urban and Rural Experience on the Banks of the Potomac – in Alexandria, Virginia and southern Maryland.