Women in Preservation Panel

This March, join the DC Preservation League and the American Institute of Architects at the District Architecture Center (421 7th Street NW) for an engaging panel discussion focused on women’s experiences in preservation. Panelists will discuss career trajectories, common challenges, and favorite projects. Don’t miss out on this engaging event!

Meet the panelists…

Marnique Heath, FAIA, is a Principal and Chair of the Board of Directors of STUDIOS Architecture, an international design firm specializing in workplace, civic and institutional, and mixed‐use projects. At STUDIOS, she oversees an innovative design practice with a diverse client base, including the District and Federal government, educational and cultural institutions, non‐profit organizations, and many private corporations. She is highly valued for her efforts to lead the firm into a new generation of industry practice where diverse interests and backgrounds must be valued and represented to create inclusive places and communities. She also reinforces climate justice as essential for creating equitable communities.

Sarah Vonesh is the Director of Preservation Planning and a Senior Project Manager at EHT Traceries, a woman-owned historic preservation firm in Washington, DC. She holds a MS in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and a BA in Historic Preservation and Community Planning from the College of Charleston. Sarah specializes in the sensitive rehabilitation of historic properties, working with building owners, architects, and developers. She contributes to strategic planning, Historic Structure Reports, and National Register nominations, ensuring historic sites remain vibrant and accessible while balancing preservation with modern needs.

Betsy Merritt is deputy general counsel at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where she has been responsible for the National Trust’s legal advocacy program for the past 25 years. Although Merritt is known for her litigation work, having represented the National Trust in nearly 200 cases in state and federal courts, including two dozen transportation cases, she has a stronger interest in using negotiation and administrative advocacy to persuade government agencies to make more preservation-sensitive decisions, especially through consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Betsy is a native of Seattle, Washington. She graduated from Harvard Law School in 1980, and from Mills College in Oakland, California in 1976.

Lauren McHale was appointed President of The L’Enfant Trust in 2017, after serving as Executive Director and Director of Preservation. In 2012, she initiated the Trust’s Historic Properties Redevelopment Program. Lauren has a B.A. in Art History and Historic Preservation & Community Planning from the College of Charleston and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the past Chair of the Preservation Action Foundation and Past President of the Latrobe Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians. Lauren currently serves as an ACE DC Mentor Program board member and a citizen member of the Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee of Washington, DC’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C.

This event has a ticket cost of $15.00 for DCPL & AIA members, and $25.00 for non-members. Please register online to attend. Click here to register!