Board of Directors
Preservation Raleigh is dedicated to becoming the leading voice for historic preservation in Raleigh. The organization is guided by a board of directors with a proven track record in historic preservation and community activism.
Esther Hall
President
estherh@preservationraleigh.org
Esther Hall is a former non-profit director with 45+ years of experience. Her City of Raleigh service includes terms on the Appearance and Historic Development Commissions and the Historic Resources and Museum Programs Advisory Board which she chaired.
As a consultant with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Esther provided strategic planning and organizational development training to nonprofits across the country. She served as the president of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.
Don Davis
Treasurer
dond@preservationraleigh.org
Don is a retired Human Resources executive. His interest in history and preservation began at a young age with visits to historic sites with his family. He lives in an historic district and was appointed to the Raleigh Historic Development Commission serving as its Chair. While on the Commission he served on the Certificate of Appropriateness Committee, often sitting in for the Committee Chair. Don has received further training and education from the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.
Jenny Harper
Secretary
jennyh@preservationraleigh.org
A seasoned historic preservation professional, Jenny is proud to be a founding member of Preservation Raleigh. She has lent her expertise to numerous boards and commissions, serving on the City of Raleigh’s Historic Cemeteries Advisory Board, the Raleigh Historic Development Commission, the City’s Design Review Advisory Committee, and the Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan Advisory Board. Currently, she serves as Chair of the City of Raleigh’s Historic Resources and Museums Advisory Board, and as a member of the Dorothea Dix Park Community Committee.
As principal of Quatrefoil Consulting, Jenny has guided projects ranging from historic rehabilitation tax credits and landmark designations, to architectural surveys, community revitalization strategies, and preservation planning. In recent years, she and her husband have undertaken historic rehabilitations of multiple cottages within Raleigh’s last mill village – projects that preserve the past, update for 21st-century needs, and continue to provide workforce housing.
With a Master’s in Historic Preservation from Goucher College (Go Gophers!), Jenny and her family are privileged to live in Prince Hall (the City’s first Black and mixed-use historic overlay district) in the Leonidas and Nan Perry Frazier House, their rehabbed 1921 Craftsman Foursquare.
Ian F.G. Dunn
Board Member
ianfgd@preservationraleigh.org
A resident of Raleigh for 35 years, Ian is a processing archivist, Raleigh historian and photographer. His professional life is spent in the Audiovisual Materials Unit at the State Archives of NC where most days involve processing, researching, and referencing historic photographs.
Ian spent six years with the Raleigh Historic Development Commission on the COA and Research Committees.
His free time is spent doing things the old way, the hard way, or both–usually involving woodworking, historic architecture, writing, or photography.
Jane Forde
Board Member
janef@preservationraleigh.org
A retired educator, Jane’s interest in history was piqued by her grandmother’s genealogical research and the demolition of her great grandfather’s 1841 house, the McGill-Crumpler House.
As a resident of Raleigh’s Bloomsbury National Register District for over 30 years, Jane has enjoyed immersing herself in historic sites and their preservation. For several years, she served on Raleigh’s Historic Development
Commission (RHDC). Jane has an affinity for the State Capitol, where she served as a docent, and for Christ Episcopal Church, a Richard Upjohn Gothic Revival edifice. Both of these sites are National Historic Landmarks and part of the Capitol Square Historic District. Another favorite of Jane’s is the oldest high school in Wake County and a Raleigh Historic Landmark, the 1929 William Deitrick designed Needham B. Broughton High School, in Northern Italian Romanesque style.
Jane currently is a member of the City of Raleigh’s Historic Resources and Museums Advisory Board (HRMAB) and enjoys experiential learning, savoring historic locations, architecture and museums worldwide.
Emily Grant
Board Member
emilyg@preservationraleigh.org
Emily Grant is a seasoned educator, community builder, and museum professional with nearly 30 years of experience directing public programming, youth initiatives, and large-scale cultural celebrations at the North Carolina Museum of History. Recognized with the NC Commission of Indian Affairs Community Leader Award and the Triangle Business Journal Diversity Award, Emily has spent her career creating engaging educational experiences and building strong community partnerships. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Spanish from Tulane University and an M.A.T. in Museum Education and American History from The George Washington University.
Emily actively serves on the City of Raleigh Historic Resources and Museums Program Board and the City of Raleigh Arts Commission Grant Panel, alongside volunteering with Meals on Wheels and Wake County Schools.
Curtis Kasefang
Board Member,
Advocacy Committee Co-Chair
curtisk@preservationraleigh.org
Curtis joined Preservation Raleigh after spending nine years as a commissioner on RHDC. During that time, he spent all nine years on the Certificate Of Appropriateness Committee and 4 years as chairman of the commission. Between tours as a commissioner, he served for ten years on the Design Review Advisory Committee of RHDC, offering free advice to COA applicants.
Curtis has been a resident of Historic Oakwood since 1995 and has volunteered as a porch host on the candlelight tour for most of those years. This volunteer activity is a natural outgrowth of a lifelong interest in architecture and construction techniques. His collection of articles of historic construction techniques from early Old House Journals is housed at the Olivia Raney Local History Library in Raleigh.
Professionally, he is a founding member of Theatre Consultants Collaborative, working on the design of new, and renovation of historic theatres and concert halls throughout the world.
Jenny Kulikowski
Vice President
R&E Committee Chair
jennyk@preservationraleigh.org
Jenny is principal of Interwoven Heritage Services, where she works with individuals,
families and organizations to collect and preserve their history. As a personal historian, she specializes in oral history interviews, life stories, family history narratives, and other services. She works with clients throughout the country as well as locally.
Prior, Jenny worked with Wake County historian Elizabeth Reid Murray and served as an adjunct instructor at NC State University’s Public History graduate program. She also served eight years as the Executive Director at the Raleigh City Museum, leading the move into the Briggs Building and spearheading projects to preserve the stories of Raleigh’s people.
Other past positions and projects include NC State University Archives, Olivia Raney Local History Library, Capital Area Preservation, Johnston County (IA) Museum Committee, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa Jewish Heritage Project, Bureau County (IL) Historical Museum and Library, and Grinnell (IA) Historical Museum. She has an Master’s in Public History and a Bachelor’s in American Studies with a concentration in material culture and folklore.
Katie Pate
Board Member
katiep@preservationraleigh.org
Katie joined the Preservation Raleigh board in July 2025, on the heels of her term as chair of the Raleigh Historic Development Commission. Her several generations of local heritage inform Katie’s passion for promoting, documenting, and interrogating the city’s cultural and architectural roots.
After years working in marketing, consulting, and even a quick stop off making desserts and coffee, Katie decided it was time to work directly on the homes she admires so much. In 2026, she launched Kindly Home Improvements and looks forward to completing preservation projects throughout the Raleigh area.
Reeves Peeler
Board Member
reevesp@preservationraleigh.org
Reeves is a native of Raleigh and a resident for 31 years and running.
Reeves graduated from NC State University with a degree in Agribusiness and holds an MBA from Cal Poly State University. After spending a decade working in agriculture, Reeves began to work in grassroots organizing for affordable housing and tenants’ rights while living in San Francisco from 2015-2021. Upon returning to Raleigh in 2021, he worked in community organizing at Down Home NC, served on the Raleigh Planning Commission from 2023-2025, and currently works at First Citizens Bank in Affordable Housing Finance.
He spends his free time fishing, surfing, traveling, and supporting NC State University athletics.
Stephen Skelton
Board Member
stephens@preservationraleigh.org
Stephen has a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Davidson College and a MA in Public History with a concentration on Historic Preservation from the University of South Carolina.
He worked for the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office for over a decade in various positions related to historic preservation grants, National Register of Historic Places, historic site survey, Certified Local Governments, and Section 106 review. After a brief tenure at the Preservation Society of Charleston as the director of tours, he made the transition to research
grant administration with the Medical University of South Carolina. After retiring from the state of South Carolina in 2019 he moved to the Triangle area to work as a research grant administrator for the Duke University School of Medicine.
Now retired Stephen spends his time travelling, gardening, and volunteering. He is gratified to again be involved in historic preservation issues and activities.
Past Board Members
We thank Dan Becker, Nick Fountain, Ruth Little, Terry Harper, Edna Rich-Ballentine, and Gaston Williams for their service as founding board members.
Staff
Preservation Raleigh was formed in the summer of 2023, so we are a young organization! Please check our page for employment opportunities, or reach out if you are interested in getting involved with our work.
Now in her third year as Communications Director, Dana has been instrumental in establishing Preservation Raleigh’s online presence. She is new to the world of preservation, having a strong background in public education with many years of experience in teaching middle school technology and as a school communications volunteer.
A North Carolina native, Dana first moved to Raleigh in 1987. Dana has served her community through involvement with the Mordecai CAC, the Exploris School Board, the Person Street Partnership, the Wake County Beekeepers Association, and the Conn, Exploris, and Broughton PTAs.
She was introduced to historic preservation through her efforts to save the Seaboard Train Station and to help preserve the Mordecai Community. Dana currently serves on the Raleigh Historic Resources and Museums Advisory Board. She and her family live in a 100 year old home in the East Mordecai neighborhood.
