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Preservation Dallas has hired Carolyn Howard, an experienced non-profit leader and historian, as Executive Director.

Preservation Dallas has hired Carolyn Howard, an experienced non-profit leader and historian, as Executive Director.  Howard will begin her duties at the Dallas non-profit on Tuesday, May 30.

“As Preservation Dallas continues to evolve, the organization needs a unique blending of skills to lead us through the coming challenges and opportunities,” said Norman Alston, FAIA, President of Preservation Dallas. “We are excited to have found those skills in Carolyn and are confident that she can further establish a culture of preservation that Dallas needs.”

Howard comes to Preservation Dallas with more than 30 years of experience leading Historic Main Streets programs in Texas and Oklahoma, including in Lewisville, TX; El Reno, OK; Beaumont, TX; and Marshall, TX. These organizations were focused on the economic revitalization of central business districts and the adjacent neighborhoods. Under Howard’s leadership, Beaumont Main Street was awarded National Main Street status for 15 consecutive years, and downtown Beaumont saw a net gain of 1,400 jobs.

Howard’s expertise includes fundraising and grant-writing; civic coordination; and planning and supervising a wide range of recurring programs. Her innovative programs have engaged a broad range of constituencies and brought them back to revitalized downtowns. She has extensive knowledge of the financing tools that can be used to fund historic preservation projects, including tax credits and revolving loan funds. She also has extensive experience coordinating with a broad array of stakeholders, including public-sector entities at all levels of government; community institutions; and financial institutions. 

Preservation Dallas recently hosted its 50th Anniversary Home Tour in mid-April and the 24th Annual Preservation Achievement Awards in mid-May, hosted by The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, which were tremendous successes.

Howard is joining a thriving organization, which has held ten public events in under four months. These have included the Preservation Dallas 50th Anniversary Home Tour in mid-April, and the 24th Annual Preservation Achievement Awards held at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum in mid-May, both of which were tremendous successes. 

Preservation Dallas has an outstanding summer of events planned which include:

  • An emancipation-focused event in advance of Juneteenth at Old City Park on Tuesday, June 13, featuring historian Donald Payton, whose ancestors helped to build the Millermore Mansion, and were emancipated from the Miller Plantation
  • The Preservation Dallas Annual Meeting, to be held Thursday, June 15 at Fair Park
  • “Leftover: The Legacy of Chinese Cuisine in Dallas,” the first public exhibition of The Dallas Asian American Historical Society, which will feature historical research, oral histories, and artifacts in visual displays designed by local Asian American artists, and will open at The Wilson House with a reception and public history event on Friday, July 7
  • An arts and architecture tour of Temple Emanu-El on Sunday, July 16, led by Jon Rollins and Nancy Israel.
  • A historical panel on the July 1973 Dallas Police killing of 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez, and its aftermath—part of a week of memorial events being organized by the #SantosVive50 coalition—to be held at the Latino Cultural Center on Tuesday, July 25, in partnership with the Dallas Mexican American Historical League (DMAHL) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Institute, LULAC’s 501(c)(3) arm.
  • An evening historical walking tour of Little Mexico, also a part of the #SantosVive50 event series, on Thursday, July 27, in partnership with DMAHL.
  • A presentation on The Bankhead Highway with Marcel Quimby on Thursday, August 24 (venue TBA).
  • “From Oak Lawn to Oak Cliff: The LGBTQ Experience,” co-presented with The Dallas Way (an LGBTQ historical society) and Heritage Oak Cliff at the Turner House on Tuesday, September 12.

Founded in 1972, Preservation Dallas is dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the city’s historic buildings, neighborhoods, and places.  The non-profit organization is dedicated to championing initiatives that value the history and culture of places throughout the community, enhancing the quality of life and economic development of Dallas. Preservation Dallas partners with neighborhoods, local and national organizations to document through surveys and research, educate the public, and broker solutions for endangered historic properties.