PAWV's executive Director Receives Award

PAWV is proud to announce that our Executive Director, Danielle Parker, has received a 2022 WVU Eberly College Rising Star Alumni Award! This recognition program honors Eberly College alumni who graduated within the last 10 years and who show great promise in their careers. An awardee’s professional contributions mirror the values of WVU and the Eberly College, including leadership, innovation and dedication.

Pictured are Dr. Kate Staples, Danielle Parker, and Dr. Gregory Dunaway

Shortly after graduating from the Eberly College in 2011, Danielle began serving as director of the Preservation Alliance and has accomplished some important milestones in the years since. Under her leadership, the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program was started in 2013 and has deployed over 193 AmeriCorps service members across 176 sites in West Virginia to support sites that attract heritage tourism to the state. 

Over the years, Danielle has prioritized advocacy efforts to increase the State Historic Tax Credit. These efforts paid off in 2017 when the HTC was increased to 25%, and again in 2021 when this increase was made permanent, making preservation a more attractive option for West Virginia homeowners and investors.

One of Danielle’s biggest accomplishments in the past year was securing a $550,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant administered by the National Park Service. This grant will allow PAWV to expand its Saving Historic Places Grant program, which works to save historical buildings by funding stabilization work and jump-starting preservation projects by providing pre-development funds.  

Danielle has worked tirelessly both behind the scenes and in the spotlight during webinars, workshops, and site visits, and we, PAWV staff, Members of the Board of Directors, and Preserve WV AmeriCorps members are proud of and grateful for her dedication to preservation in the Mountain State. Congratulations on your award!