UVM historic preservation alumni employment

A recent survey showed that about 90 percent of UVM Historic Preservation Program graduates are actively employed in the preservation field--approximately one-third in nonprofit organizations, a third in the private sector and the remainder in local, state and federal government. UVM alumni/ae have worked in nearly ever state in the US, as well as in Canada, England, Malaysia, Hungary and Nevis.

Renee Viers '93 is employed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, DC. When asked how UVM's Historic Preservation Program aided her in her current position, Renee replied, "One of the best aspects of the Program was learning how to read the history of a town through its architecture." Before working for the National Trust, Renee served as the Executive Director of the Historic Fredericksburg (VA) Foundation for several years after graduating from UVM. The Foundation owns and operates one historic building and is involved in preservation and research projects in the area. Renee and Historic Fredericksburg received national attention for their involvement in blocking Wal-Mart's development of Ferry Farm, George Washington's boyhood home. The property was acquired by the Kenmore Association for $2 million, who uses the farm to interpret eighteenth-century life in the area. Interestingly, the successful bid to stop Wal-Mart from developing the property was not based on zoning restrictions or sprawl-related issues. The retail giant was blocked by the local Architectural Review Board on the basis of the architectural plan for the site. In the end, it was a great victory for historic preservation and Wal-Mart built a store nearby.

UVM preservation alumni have served as chief executive officers or professional staff of local, state, and national major preservation organizations and agencies including: National Trust for Historic Preservation, Heritage Canada, National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Maryland, Massachusetts Historical Commission, Historic Boston, Historic Albany Foundation, Greater Portland Landmarks, New Haven Preservation Trust, Miami Purchase Preservation Fund, Providence Preservation Revolving Fund, Historic York, Preservation Action, Arizona Historic Preservation Office, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, Savannah Landmark, Historic Charleston Foundation, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Mount Vernon, U.S. ICOMOS, Historic New England (Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities), Canadian Canoe Museum, Rokeby Museum, Dade County Preservation Office, Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation, City of Philadelphia, City of Burlington, and Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Kansas State Historical Society and the Colorado Historical Society. Other alumni are working in the private sector as consultants and for a range of cultural resource management and preservation development firms.
The program is supported by an active network of alumni/ae.