Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County has been pretty absent in recent years, imho. I recently met their newly hired executive director (see below) and he promises some new energy and focus. Press release here:
The Board of Directors of The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County has hired Jack W. L. Thomson as the new Executive Director of the county’s only non-profit historic preservation organization.
Jack spent six years in Salisbury, North Carolina at Historic Salisbury Foundation as their Director. During his tenure there, Thomson managed the Foundation’s nationally recognized historic preservation real estate program, and worked tirelessly as an advocate for preservation and restoration. Under his direction, the organization hosted annual history classes, seasonal house tours and a number of annual fundraising events. Additionally, Thomson managed four landmark sites, published books and launched a social networking campaign for Historic Salisbury Foundation. In 2006, Thomson co-hosted a national television program on the History Channel that focused on the restoration of the McCubbins McCanless House, a circa 1894 property saved by historic preservation efforts. In Salisbury, Jack managed an annual budget of nearly $300,000 and a staff of four people, while maintaining a membership of 350 – 400. Thomson has served on the Board of Directors for Preservation Action, the national historic preservation lobby organization, as well as Downtown Salisbury Inc. and Preservation North Carolina Board of Advisors. Jack also has a considerable background in historic restoration and project management, having worked as a restoration specialist for a Charlotte based general contractor. He is no stranger to this area, having spent a good part of his early years growing up in north Asheville.
The Preservation Society works with various programs promoting preservation such as historic property easements, advocacy for endangered properties, educational workshops and special events, and the annual Griffin awards. “It is our goal to serve the entire community”, Thomson said, “by promoting and protecting historic resources, from historic districts, to traditional neighborhoods, from urban environments to historic farmsteads.”
