Board of Directors

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance is governed by a board of directors that includes leaders from around the state who have made significant contributions to the business, public, and nonprofit sectors in New Hampshire.

Sue Booth

Sue Booth of Canterbury has owned and operated Vintage Kitchens for 25 years. In her business, she works with mostly residential clients and welcomes the challenges of older homes. She served on the Preservation Alliance board as chair of the Preservation Alliance’s Old House & Barn Expo committee and development committee as well as executive committee before a hiatus and return. We’re glad to have Sue and her excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking back! She lives with her husband, Steve, a craftsman, and photographer, in Canterbury.

Jack P. Crisp, Jr., Esq., Vice-Chair

Jack P. Crisp, Jr., is an attorney with nearly four decades of legal experience focused in the areas of commercial law & litigation, professional licensure, estate planning and probate administration, and family law. He has represented municipalities, businesses of all types and sizes, financial institutions, developers, licensed professionals, individuals and families.  Jack also is a past president of the New Hampshire Bar Association and the New England Bar Association. He lives in Bow with his wife, where they raised their four daughters and where Jack previously served as a selectman and member of the Budget Committee.

Matt D’Amore, Treasurer

Matt D’Amore serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Automotive Supply Associates, Inc. (Sanel Auto) in Concord. Prior to working at Automotive Supply Associates, he worked at Nathan Wechsler & Company from 2003-2011. Mr. D’Amore served on the board of directors of the Friends Program from 2004 to 2015, and currently sits on the board for the New Hampshire chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants, where he works with the board to develop six seminars annually for continuing education and networking. Matt is also currently on the board of the award-winning CATCH Neighborhood Housing. He lives in Deerfield.

David Drasba

David Drasba, AIA of Hancock recently retired from over four decades of work as an architect, with specialization in the renovation and rehabilitation of historic buildings. He was the project manager of award-winning community preservation projects for the Washington Meetinghouse, Hancock Meetinghouse and Dublin Town Hall as well as many other notable library, municipal, and academic projects. He has served on boards and committees in the Monadnock region, including as chair of the Hancock Historic District and planning board.

Michael Duffy, Secretary

Michael Duffy of Manchester has been repairing and rehabilitating historic buildings for three decades. His most recent work is redeveloping old houses in Manchester. He serves on the Manchester Heritage Commission.

Frederick Farrar

Frederick Farrar retired this year from building stores globally for the Ralph Lauren Architecture + Design Studio after 26 years. Most recently, he served as Head of Global Retail and Wholesale stores.

From 1993 through 1996, Farrar served on the non-profit Board and then as the Executive Director of the Colonial Theatre in Keene, NH during the first phase of the 1924 multi-use building’s restoration and renovation and the beginning of its transformation to a regional cultural center. He has also served as the Board Chair for the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat and as President of the Weathervane Theatre Alumni Association, which supports the Weathervane Theatre in Whitefield NH, and owns and maintains the Mt. Washington Grange Hall for the theatre.

A Keene native, he received an AB in Visual and Environmental Design from Harvard College and Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Jeanie Forrester, Chair

Jeanie Forrester of Meredith is the town administrator in Tilton and a select board member in Meredith. She began her government service in the administration of then-Governor John H. Sununu and served as a New Hampshire Senator from 2010 to 2016. Forrester is the co-owner of Forrester Environmental Services. She was previously was the executive director for Main Street programs in Meredith and Plymouth. 

Jeff Gilbert

Jeff Gilbert of Rye is a broadly experienced businessman who worked as an attorney and investment banker before founding W.J.P. Development, LLC to acquire, develop and manage commercial real estate. Since 2000, Mr. Gilbert has been active in politics, serving as a State Representative until 2005. From 2002-2004, he was Vice Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Mr. Gilbert presently serves the State as Treasurer of the Port Advisory Council and as Chairman of the State Park System Advisory Council. He is also President of the Board of Trustees of The Housing Partnership and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New Hampshire Public Television. Other board service includes Strawbery Banke and Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra.

Jada Lindblom

Jada Lindblom is UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community and Economic Development Field Specialist in Belknap County and a faculty member in UNH’s Recreation Management and Policy department. Her focus areas include sustainable tourism, downtown revitalization, workforce development, and outdoor recreation. Before joining the board, she was the project leader for Understanding and Advancing the Preservation Trades, a research study produced for the Preservation Alliance and the statewide non-profit preservation organizations in Maine, Vermont and New York.

Lindblom’s past experience with preservation includes managing urban historic sites for Preservation Utah and working as a natural and cultural heritage tour guide. As a researcher with Arizona State University’s Center for Sustainable Tourism, Lindblom led projects pertaining to public engagement with historic sites, from a Fremont culture village in Utah to heritage tourism sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Raised in Warner, she holds a Ph.D. in Community Resources and Development from Arizona State University, an M.S. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Utah, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Scripps College.

Nicholas Mitchell

Nicholas Mitchell returns to the Board after a one-year absence. While chair, vice chair and member of the Preservation Alliance board, he provided key guidance in organizational growth, engagement of core and new audiences, and new programs. As President of MC2, a marketing and advertising consulting firm, Nicholas developed marketing strategies and launched advertising campaigns for a diverse group of clients including Agfa Corporation, Anheuser-Busch, Bitstream, Caterpillar Tractor and GTE/Sylvania. He also managed communications and media relations for several US Senate and House campaigns and served as Vice President/Communications Director of Americans for Campaign Reform, an advocacy group based in Washington, DC. Nick is a former Chairman of the Board of The Fells historic estate in Newbury, NH, and former Chair of the Board of The Friends Program in Concord, NH.

Arron J. Sturgis

Born and raised in Keene NH, Arron attended the University of New Hampshire and graduated in 1983 with a degree in Psychology. 

Arron began his career in historic preservation in 1987 and in 1992 created Preservation Timber Framing (PTF), a traditional timber framing company specializing in the structural repair of historic timber framed buildings. By 1998, PTF was incorporated and had a team of 3 craftsmen. Today Arron employs 15 highly talented craftsmen who are dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings. Their award-winning work is found throughout the state. 

Arron served two terms as the President of Maine Preservation, a non-profit preservation advocacy group that is dedicated to preserving Maine’s heritage and built environment.  He continues there as an advisory trustee and is actively involved in both New Hampshire and Maine with trades education through internships that combine field work and preservation advocacy. 

Arron is also an active member/participant in the Timber Framers Guild, the Traditional Timber Framers Research and Advisory Group (TTRAG), The Preservation Trades Network, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

Robert Werner

Rob Werner is the New Hampshire State Director for the League of Conservation Voters, a national advocacy organization that works to turn environmental values into national, state, and local priorities. Rob formerly served as the National Field Director of Americans for Campaign Reform. A public policy analyst and advocate, Rob has organized successful advocacy and legislative campaigns for the American Heart Association, Smoke-Free NH Alliance, and the American Cancer Society. Rob has extensive experience in the health care sector, working in the private, government, and non-profit areas. Rob is a graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon School and the University of Vermont. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University as well as two certificates from the Harvard Kennedy School, Senior Managers in State and Local Government and Climate Change and Energy Policy. Rob served for seven terms on the Concord City Council and chairs the Concord Energy and Environment Advisory Committee. Rob is a Global Affiliate to the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. Active in the Greater Concord, NH Chamber of Commerce, Rob serves on the State Government Affairs Committee. Rob serves on the Board of Directors for the Harvard Kennedy School New England Alumni Association and the Harvard Club of New Hampshire. Rob is a graduate of Leadership New Hampshire and a member of the Bow, NH Rotary Club.

Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson holds a degree in history and African American studies from Syracuse University, a certificate in preservation carpentry from the North Bennet Street School in Boston, and a master’s degree in building conservation from the University of York, England. Currently, he is the Director of the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources.  He has worked professionally in the field of historic preservation and museums for more than 20 years in South Carolina, Georgia, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Ben currently sits on the boards of the Association of Preservation Technology, the Gundalow Company of Portsmouth, and his local Rotary Club. He lives in a restored 1791 tavern in the town of Hopkinton with his wife Lucy and their two boys, Lincoln and Harrison.

We recently thanked Bryon Champlin for his tremendous service and sent best wishes for his new role as Mayor of Concord. (January 2024)

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