The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) is seeking a Preservation Manager willing to travel the entire state of West Virginia to assist with the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program and develop team-based, hands-on historic trades training opportunities. 
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Who are we?
Formed in 1982, PAWV is the grassroots, statewide nonprofit dedicated to historic preservation in the Mountain State. PAWV and its members work to preserve West Virginia’s unique cultural heritage for current and future generations. PAWV maintains its mission through a variety of services, including advocacy and education, as well as through its Saving Historic Places Grants, microloan fund, and the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program. 

Preserve WV AmeriCorps is PAWV’s statewide, national service initiative where AmeriCorps members support grassroots efforts to help main streets thrive, help communities develop cultural heritage tourism, and preserve beloved West Virginia landmarks. The program currently involves 23 AmeriCorps members in a combination of full-time and half-time slots that are assigned to nonprofit organizations and government agencies with history-based missions or services. 

What are we looking for?
We are seeking a full-time Preservation Manager with a positive mindset who enjoys helping people and can fulfill the duties the organization needs while exemplifying competence, communication, integrity, and responsibility. Commitment to our non-profit mission and ability to travel the entire state of West Virginia are important. The Preservation Manager will work very closely with the executive director but with considerable independence, self-direction, and accountability. 

An office at the PAWV Headquarters in Elkins will be provided. As a statewide organization, we will consider a remote home office in a different part of West Virginia for the right applicant. This position will require statewide and overnight travel for the Preservation Manager to be on-site for hands-on projects and other duties.    

Preservation Manager Duties
The Preservation Manager will focus primarily on the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program and work closely with the executive director to ensure its smooth operation. The Preservation Manager will have some administrative responsibilities and will also be responsible for hands-on historic preservation project development and coordination.

PRESERVE WV AMERICORPS:

• Assist with recruiting and interviewing candidates for AmeriCorps opportunities;
• Assist with AmeriCorps on-boarding and administrative tasks such as setting up OnCorps accounts and conducting mid-year evaluations;
• Communicate with site supervisors and potential partners as it relates to AmeriCorps;
• Facilitate team building, service projects, and new member familiarization with the area; 
• Oversee member and site performance, including participating in some member-planned events, conducting site monitoring visits, and helping to resolve issues and conflicts that may arise with members;
• Participate and co-lead virtual AmeriCorps monthly meetings;
• Help to plan and conduct supplemental AmeriCorps trainings;
• Help members to plan their required AmeriCorps civic service projects;
• Attend Volunteer West Virginia meetings;
• Plan and provide on-site supervision for two hands-on historic preservation team projects per year for Preserve WV AmeriCorps members, which involves:
  • Conducting in-person site visits to evaluate potential projects and for project planning;
  • Coordinating with local public property owners on developing the project and a scope of work consistent with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation;
  • Fundraising and supply-raising for the project, as needed;
  • Understanding safety needs for projects;
  • Facilitating additional site supervision and training needs for hands-on projects; and
  • Coordinating travel arrangements for AmeriCorps members.

OTHER PAWV TASKS:

• Participate in West Virginia Historic Preservation Trades Task Force Meetings (a PAWV initiative) and assist with specific outreach and programmatic goals identified by the task force;
• Represent PAWV at some stakeholder meetings to be determined and be well-versed in what resources are available, who potential partners may be, and how each can participate in developing successful outcomes;
• Answer the PAWV phone and assist those calling PAWV; 
• Collect mail at Elkins office and share information with the executive director; 
• Make deposits for PAWV and work with executive director for book-keeping purposes;
• Participate in weekly PAWV Team Meetings, Committee Meetings that relate to the position, and Quarterly PAWV Board Meetings.

Skills
Required for this position:

• Organized, accurate, meticulous, detail-oriented;
• Strong written communication skills;
• Excellent in-person communication skills, comfortable in person and on the phone, polite and friendly;
• Comfortable with common computer programs such as, MS Office, email, Zoom, and Google Drive, able to learn new technology; 
• Dependable transportation and valid drivers license (mileage and travel reimbursements provided); and
• Able to complete and be cleared for work through a two-part criminal background check investigation that includes a digital submission sex offender check and a fingerprint-based criminal background check.

Helpful experience for this position:

• Hands-on building preservation;
• National Service; 
• Supervising teams; and
• Hands-on project management.

Expected background:

• Minimum of Associate’s degree in any field OR at least 2 years of experience in construction/building restoration

Compensation/Benefits: Compensation is $33,000/year, two weeks paid vacation each year and federal holidays are included. FICA and Workers Compensation Insurance is paid by PAWV. Mileage and travel reimbursement will be provided at the U.S. General Service Administration’s approved rates.

Timeline: We expect to start interviewing in July and will accept applications until the position is filled. The goal is for this position to start by late August prior to the start of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps service year. 

To apply: If you are interested in this staff position, please email a resume, along with a cover letter that indicates why you are interested and your availability situation to dlapresta@pawv.org.  

Contact: Executive Director - Danielle (LaPresta) Parker, dlapresta@pawv.org, 304-642-0693  

This job is supported by a three-year AmeriCorps grant (2022 – 2025) for Preserve WV AmeriCorps and is contingent upon renewal of grant funding annually.

Last week, the West Virginia Legislature passed legislation that improves the 25% State Historic Tax Credit (HTC) in West Virginia, and it is now on its way to the Governor's desk. 
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House Bill 4568 (known as Phased Rehabilitations of Certified Historic Structures) achieves multiple goals such as:

• Allowing the state HTC to be taken in phases, which is known as “phased rehabilitations”,
• Allowing the recapture of HTCs,
• Requiring the issuance of HTC certificates based on issuance of Phase Advisory Determination, bringing the state program in line with the federal HTC program, and
• Eliminating all caps to the state historic tax credit and associated rules, guarantees, and restrictions related to caps and allocations. These were outlined in the original 2017 legislation that increased the tax credit from 10% to 25% and included:
  • The per project cap of $10 million for a certified rehabilitation project;
  • The annual cumulative cap of $30 million in tax credits issued per fiscal year;
  • The “smaller project” allocation that was originally intended to ensure smaller projects (those under $500,000) received tax credits

If signed into law by Governor Justice, this legislation will become effective on July 1, 2022. What this means for West Virginia is that completing HTC projects just got a little simpler. The three-part application for the state and federal HTCs (which when combined total 45%) will be a more fluid process when working with the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service because the agencies will now follow the same procedural rules, thus minimizing paperwork requirements. Equally as important, removing the limitations on allocations and guarantees of historic tax credits will make it more secure and improve investor confidence when undertaking both larger and smaller projects.

This is a major win for West Virginia! These provisions increase the Mountain State’s attractiveness from industry-based development firms that specialize in HTC-backed projects, in addition to making the program more user-friendly for individuals wanting to undertake smaller projects. Neighboring states have more restrictive programs, making West Virginia a very investor-friendly state for HTC projects in the mid-Atlantic region. For instance, Maryland has a 20% state HTC that is capped at $3 million per project with a $9 million annual cumulative cap per fiscal year. Pennsylvania and Ohio both have a 25% state HTC, but they have $5 million annual cumulative cap per fiscal year.

HB 4568 was sponsored by Delegates Jason Barrett (R-61), Eric Householder (R-64), Erikka Storch (R-03), Vernon Criss (R-10), Paul Espinosa (R-66), Daniel Linville (R-16), Joe Ellington (R-27), Ruth Rowan (R-57), Clay Riley (R-48), Dianna Graves (R-38), and John Hardy (R-63). The Alliance appreciates their support and would also like to thank the leadership and policy expertise provided by the Abandoned Properties Coalition and their long-term dedication to seeing West Virginia’s state historic tax credit improved.
 
The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia is the statewide, grassroots nonprofit dedicated to historic preservation. The Alliance has been working as a member of the Abandoned Properties Coalition since 2016 to improve the state HTC to include the provisions outlined in HB 4568.

For inquiries regarding usage of the West Virginia commercial HTC, contact the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office’s Tax Credit Coordinator, Meredith Dreistadt at meredith.c.dreistadt@wv.gov. 

Read the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia's 2021 Annual Report. Check out the .pdf or scroll down to see the report in images.

West Virginians are invited to celebrate their historic preservation success stories through the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia’s new West Virginia Preservation Spotlight series. ​

Since 1982, the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia has been working to enhance West Virginia’s Preservation Community in support of our historic structures and landscapes. One of the most effective programs we have deployed to date has been our Preserve WV AmeriCorps program. Since 2013 our AmeriCorps program has deployed 193 AmeriCorps service members across 176 sites in WV. The members have provided services to their sponsoring sites with the goals of increasing capacity, tourism, and sustainability for our historic assets across the state. 

The benefits of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program to organizations can hardly be overstated. Beyond the direct service provided by national service members, there have been huge collateral benefits to West Virginia's communities. Service members have gained experience and understanding of the importance and intricacies of preservation activities to help them in their careers, sponsoring organizations have expanded their outreach and capacity to fulfill their missions, and members and alumni throughout the state have been invigorating their communities with fresh ideas and enthusiasm for West Virginia's historic assets. Many Preserve WV AmeriCorps members are from out of state, and some have gone on to remain here and become long-term residents of West Virginia.

Recently, the Preservation Alliance completed a Phase One evaluation of its AmeriCorps program with the Indiana University's Eppley Institute for Research. This report found that the 110 Preserve WV AmeriCorps members, who served in the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program during the period 2015-2019, positively impacted West Virginia's communities. Their service directly increased:

• Care of their site sponsor's historic resources by 77%
• Their site's organizational efficiency by 71%,
• Number of events at their sites by 72%,
• Visitation at their sites  by 61%, 
• Programming and resource sustainability by 61%,
• Volunteer participation at their sites by 31%, and
• Grant funding by 68%, with the median increase being $1,100 per site.

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A summary of that research is provided in the images below. You can also review a full copy of the report here. 

Come to Virtual Morning Coffee with the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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Join us at 9am on Thursday, December 16th, for a news brief where we’ll discuss an opportunity to improve a crucial tool for redeveloping West Virginia’s downtowns and incentivizing the re-use of vacant buildings - the historic tax credit. A total of 122 Federal Historic Tax Credit projects in West Virginia between fiscal year 2001 through 2020 has leveraged an estimated $258,016,381 in total development.

During the news brief, we will share a legislative update, how to take action and how potential improvements to the historic tax credit can benefit local community development by maximizing the long-term impact and sustainability of current federal funding opportunities for community projects by incentivizing private sector investment.
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Register here https://savingplaces-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0lf-6rrDwsHtUg7nddSrjOJqOE8i9b3ibZ

AJ Hammond and Dylan Sheldon, DBA Historic Morgantown, recently completed the historic renovation of the home of former WVU President Daniel Boardman Purinton. The home at 76 Grandview Ave. in South Park, had fallen into a state of disrepair and sat vacant for over a year. However, recognizing the historic significance of the property, Sheldon and Hammond spent the last 18 months renovating the stately home to its original grandeur.

“The completion of this project has been incredibly rewarding,” said AJ Hammond, who is a Relationship Banker at Citizens Bank of Morgantown, and the current President of Main Street Morgantown. “The beautiful architecture, the stories behind these properties in South Park and Downtown are what sets this neighborhood apart! Our mission is to preserve these buildings, and share this important history in order to build a more vibrant community and improve the quality of life in Morgantown!”

President D.B. Purinton was not the only famed resident of this property. John Alden Purinton, named after his direct descendant John Alden a crew member of the Mayflower, was a son of the President and served as the first Basketball Coach at West Virginia University in 1904. Additionally, Edward Earle Purinton, who was an internationally renowned author and health expert, called this property home. The author’s most popular book selling over 700,000 copies, “Triumph of a Man who Acts,” was distributed to more than 50,000 Officers of the English Army in 1919.

“This property was the crown jewel of the neighborhood,” said Dylan Sheldon, a Project Manager at Inneraction Media. “Being a part of the team who brought it back to life, has been an honor.” This project was not Sheldon’s first historic renovation, he also restored an abandoned property on Park Street built in 1926 by carpenter, D.B. Biser. “South Park is a special neighborhood, with important properties,” said Sheldon, “in order to be good stewards of what we’ve been given, it’s important to restore these homes for future generations.”

Built in 1907, the Victorian home on Grandview Ave. served as a retirement property for the Purintons. Prior to moving to South Park, the family lived on the campus of WVU in the President’s Mansion. “The Purinton House,” as it is named today, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses the offices of International Students and Scholar Services.

The historic renovation features approximately 3,000 square feet of living space, all new electrical, plumbing, roof and windows. This home has been upgraded with modern amenities while preserving the original trim, pocket doors and built-in cabinets. The four bedroom, three bath house will hit the market next week through Nancy Hillegas of Landmark Realty Services.