Executive Director, Riverside Avondale Preservation
Mission
Riverside Avondale Preservation Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance and preserve the architecture, history, culture and economic vibrancy of the Riverside Avondale historic neighborhood. RAP facilitates neighborhood improvements and preservation through community participation, education, advocacy and events that highlight Riverside Avondale’s special quality of life.
Serving Jacksonville
37 years
Those served
RAP serves more than 10,000 community residents, and more than 300,000 people attended programs and events such as the Riverside Arts Market, Tour of Homes and Luminaria.
Biggest challenge
Managing the diverse needs of an urban neighborhood. Riverside Avondale is arguably the most diverse community in our city and since we are an urban-built environment, it is challenging sometimes to balance the preservation of our historical resources with the desires of new development, whether those are urban infill projects, utility upgrades, or even transportation needs. Because of our historic status and the various protections this offers, Riverside Avondale’s property values have held up better than every other neighborhood in the city, and so it is important that we retain what makes our neighborhood special while finding smart nondetrimental ways to include the new.
Biggest satisfaction
Those moments when I know I made a difference in the neighborhood that I call home. I feel so proud when I visit the Riverside Arts Market and know that I had a hand in making that a reality and that it brings thousands of visitors to our historic district, giving them a new appreciation for our urban core residential districts. Programs like RAM and the Riverside Avondale Tour of Homes help make our city an attractive place to visit and to do business. After all, we all know that quality of life is one of the major factors for business relocation. It is also great when a resident has a problem and I can help resolve it in a diplomatic, positive way, or help residents find a way to make their voices heard, which is very difficult in a city this large with so many competing priorities.
Hometown
I moved to Jacksonville in third grade, so I would call this city my hometown. I was born in Texas and lived in San Diego and in the Panhandle for a while because my father was in the Navy. After I married, we moved to Ohio, Massachusetts (where my husband attended graduate school) and New Jersey (where I earned my B.A.). We always knew we’d come back to Jacksonville and that there was no other place in the city we’d rather live than Riverside Avondale.
First experience with community service
In college, I was a volunteer for the Rutgers Oral History Archives of WWII. That experience was so rewarding – meeting and interviewing veterans about their life experiences and their service to our country – that I knew I wanted to join the field of public history. Studying dates and names was never what attracted me to study history – it was the story of the common man, preservation of our cultural history, and finding creative ways to share that history with the public. Another very rewarding community service experience was serving as a mentor for Communities In Schools, which is a program for youth. I honestly think I received just as much, if not more, out of meeting with my student each week and serving as a positive role model.
Your job before RAP
I joined RAP three years ago. Before that, I was the director of the Amelia Island Museum of History in Fernandina Beach. When I started there, it was in a state of disrepair with only three people on staff. I oversaw two major building projects: one that created all new permanent exhibits throughout the first floor of the museum and a new resource library on the second floor, and another that was an addition that included a new entrance, accessible restrooms on both floors of the historic jail, an elevator, and a new egress. Under my leadership, the museum also grew its programming, staffing and began a new Veterans Oral History project in conjunction with the Library of Congress.
Upcoming events
In June we are doing a joint program with The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, an exhibit called “Our Neighborhood as Art” that will highlight what makes our neighborhood special.
During June, we are holding a “Mid-Summer Nights Festival” at the Riverside Arts Market, which will be a great way to cool off under the bridge after you enjoy the exhibit.
Contact information
www.riversideavondale.org
www.riversideavondale.blogspot.com
Facebook: Riverside Avondale
389-2449
[email protected]