HARTFORD PRESERVATION ALLIANCE HIRES FIRST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ADVOCACY GROUP PROGRESSES FROM VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE TO PROFESSIONALLY-STAFFED ORGANIZATION

 
( Hartford , CT – March 8, 2005) – The Hartford Preservation Alliance has made significant progress in strengthening the non-profit organization with the hiring of its first Executive Director, Laura Knott-Twine. Hired after a national search, Knott-Twine is a seasoned professional who is well-positioned to take the organization forward in its mission to preserve historic architecture in Hartford .  

This development marks a milestone in the history of the Hartford Preservation Alliance, which since its formation in 1998 has been an all-volunteer effort. Funding from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Surdna Foundation helped to support this staffing initiative.  

“We are very pleased that we were able to attract someone of Laura’s caliber,” said Lee Kuckro, Board Member and Chair of the selection committee for the Hartford Preservation Alliance. “Her skills and experience are what we need to fulfill our goals to be an advocate and a resource for the preservation of Hartford ’s architectural assets and the revitalization of its neighborhoods,” he said.    

Laura has over 25 years of involvement in historic preservation and in economic and community development.  She has served on town planning and economic development committees, the Northeast Connecticut Tourism District, Northeast Connecticut Alliance Committee, Counsel of Government Committee in Windham County , The National Heritage Park Committee, and Connecticut State Parks .  She was founder and first Executive Director of the Windham Textile and History Museum, Inc. in Willimantic , Connecticut , and the first Director of the Small Business Administration Office of Women’s Business Ownership at the University of Hartford . She has a BA in History/Writing and Literature and an MA in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Norwich University in Vermont . One of her first tasks will be to find office space for the expanding organization.  

The mission of the Hartford Preservation Alliance is to preserve and revitalize Hartford ’s unique architectural heritage and neighborhood character. For more information about the organization and its initiatives, visit www.hartfordpreservation.org.