You were born in Jasper, Indiana, but you’ve been away a long time. Did you ever imagine you’d come back?
That was always the intention. My wife, Cara, and our two children were very much interested in finding our way back home. My objective was to first get the right skills and the right experiences to be most useful to this community. And I also needed to go away and get out into the world to see how other communities were solving some of the same opportunities and challenges that we’re facing here at home. Doing that made me aware of a whole grab bag of possibilities and approaches.
What did Indiana Landmarks see in you—and what did you see in it?
I think we both realized that at the end of the day, it’s important to connect people with the places that matter to them. Whether we’re talking about community preservation, activation of public spaces, or community development and revitalization, the actual, physical places in each community form the starting point. We love the character and charm of old buildings, but it’s the people around them who give them meaning. I knew that Indiana Landmarks was doing a remarkable job at this. We’re the largest statewide historic preservation group in the country. We really do believe in establishing that intentional local engagement. That appealed to me right out of the gate.
Can you explain the lens you’re using in approaching your work?
These days, just saving an old building isn’t enough. You have to define its purpose, its value. How can it be reactivated in a way that benefits the community? I have to come to the table not just with an appreciation of why a particular structure mattered in the past but also what it can mean to its community now and in the future. Whether it finds a purely economic use or serves as a public gathering space, it’s important that it makes us feel connected.
You’re replacing Marsh Davis, who had a 36-year run. What’s it like to come in as the new guy?
I’ve been very impressed. I think the Landmarks team is inherently open to new ways of addressing challenges. We have both a stable, tenured staff and the energy of new folks constantly coming into the fold.
What are your top goals?
I want to give communities the capacity to address their own stocks of historic buildings. I believe that just tearing buildings down creates holes in communities, both physically and mentally. A better way was to get people into those spaces, whether it be for private, public, or charitable uses. We need to have relationships with communities. You must make the effort to ensure that everyone from residents, to business owners, to community leaders understands their roles. Via our nine regional offices around the state, I want to ensure that we’re bringing the full extent of our state-level knowledge to each community we can help. Also, that we replicate what is working in one part of Indiana.
Where do you find workers to help restore old buildings when it’s almost impossible to find someone who can plaster a wall or glaze windows?
Any time you step into an old building, you have to really problem solve for the way things were done in previous generations and understand how to make older buildings work in a modern world with modern methods. We do have a shortfall of people who can fix old windows and maintain and update old wiring. I’ve seen examples of this issue across the country, where a disaster hits, and you can’t find craftsmen with the skillset to repair, replace, or update damaged older buildings. And as our climate continues to intensify, maintaining what we have will be pretty critical. We’re working right now on some pilot programs in South Bend and other parts of the state where we give access to our old buildings to tradesmen who want to expand their skills. And we’re working with Ivy Tech Community College to identify certification programs that would extend beyond HVAC and general electrical to give students additional preservation and historic trade skills. We’re also doing one-on-one programs so that the average citizen knows what tools they need to, say, repair their own old windows themselves. We love these historic buildings, but it can take a lot of effort and a lot of time to get them to where they need to be.
What are the biggest issues facing Indiana’s historic preservation community?
It’s a mix of two things. Rural economies have seen slower growth, and small towns have faced some “hollowing out.” Because of this, there’s less investment in their historic structures. They just don’t have all the money necessary. On the flip side, some fast-growing areas are demolishing older buildings in favor of new construction. But the reality is that once those older buildings are gone, they’re gone forever. You will not be able to get the same level of quality and attention to detail in new construction because of the costs involved and the speed at which these projects must be developed in order to make a profit.
What do you do for a town that is shrinking so rapidly that it just doesn’t have the resources to preserve its stock of old buildings, no matter how impressive they are?
This isn’t just a small-town issue. Places like Detroit and Cleveland face the same problem. In some cases, it’s a matter of trying to hold onto what you can, to buy time to properly assess and identify reuses. It can take several years before a new purpose emerges, but the stability of the community benefits from that longtime anchor building having been protected until it could be reactivated. You even see that here in Indianapolis with the Bottleworks District. How long was that building used as nothing more than a high-level storage center until a viable reuse case was finally found? And what did it bring in terms of quality of life and improving the character of downtown? Examples of this can be seen across the state. These buildings have stories to tell. They’re connected to things that made our economy strong, and they can do that again for us.
Are there particular building types that present themselves again and again?
One recurring trend is repurposing large and outdated warehouses or industrial structures. We try to identify reuses, be those social functions or entertainment, dining, or housing. We also have almost 100 churches that have gone through our Sacred Places program, receiving our support through capital investments, feasibility studies, or fundraising campaigns.
Why did you decide to get into the historic preservation field?
Growing up in Jasper, we had a lot of pride in the character and condition of our buildings, whether it was my old schools, one of the gymnasiums, or the church I could see from my bedroom window. Everything I interacted with was, more often than not, a well-maintained historical building. That consistently impressed upon me the importance of protecting and maintaining them. I felt this from an early age, though of course I didn’t start understanding the role of community philanthropy until much later.
What is your own house like?
Just a couple of months ago, Cara and I purchased a 1946 Colonial in Meridian-Kessler. It certainly needs a lot of love to take it to where we want it to be. We’re doing a lot of window scraping right now, plus taking care of a ton of little maintenance items. The basement is being torn up as we speak. It’s quite a project. Let’s just say that I leave work, go home, and get right back to work. Cara, though, is the true craftsman. She’s a creative spirit and even does her own woodworking. I’m really lucky to have her masterminding the development of our home while I jump into my new role.
What did you miss about the Hoosier State?
Three days after I came back, I was up in Sheridan for a Main Street event, and they were serving fried chicken. I texted Cara, “You won’t believe what I’m eating on day three.” I was pretty excited for our home-cooked fried chicken. It feels good to be around Butler basketball and Indiana University sports and not feel like the outsider whose favorite teams are hundreds or thousands of miles away. And, naturally, I feel very much at home being close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is just an exciting, happy time for me, Cara, and our kids.
