Mike Miller named Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara!

Some great news on the BFA front as one of our co-founders was just named the Executive Director of  Preservation Buffalo Niagara!

Michael Miller is one of the finest people I know and has a love for preservation which is tremendous.

I remember the first time I met Mike…it was about five years ago and I was at the Central Terminal manning a table for the Broadway Market at an event…he introduced himself and we got to talking about the neighborhood…over the next few months we communicated more and came up with the idea for Broadway Fillmore Alive along with our other co-founder Michele Johnson.   All of us recognized the need to start promoting the neighborhood as a sum of all its parts.  What amazed me most about Mike is that though his prime passion was with the Central Terminal, he understood the value of everything in the neighborhood…I am not only talking about buildings…its people, its charm, its unique character and place in the fabric of Buffalo.

That last line is what I believe is the most important thing Mike will bring to the table for Preservation Buffalo Niagara.

Congratulations Mike…we love you man!  He will now be able to take his “passion” for preservation to a whole new level!

The press release from PBN on Mike’s hire after the jump…

Last night, the Board of Trustees of Preservation Buffalo Niagara unanimously voted to appoint Michael Miller as Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s Executive Director. In a related action, Preservation Buffalo Niagara launched a search for a new staff person, a Preservation Specialist, to provide field services and assistance to preservation organizations and owners of historic properties throughout a seven county western New York region. With these hires, Preservation Buffalo Niagara will have the most substantial preservation staff ever assembled to advance historic preservation in the Buffalo region.

Michael Miller’s selection is the culmination of a six month national search and a review of over 35 resumes submitted from applicants from throughout the country. The Search Committee was co-chaired by Steven Weiss and Blythe Merrill and included Peter Flynn, Joy McDuffie, Harvey Garrett, Catherine Schweitzer and Doug Swift. Serving as an advisor to the committee was Henry McCartney, formerly the long-time director of Rochester’s preservation organization.

Stated Steven Weiss, who is also vice chair of PBN “We are just delighted that Michael Miller will be joining us, as he has the combination of skills we are looking for. He has a passion for historic preservation and has been a volunteer leader with local preservation organizations. He also has the management skills to move our organization forward. That Michael lives and works in this region is also a plus, as he can start quickly, already knowing our people, our leaders, our architecture, our neighborhoods and our region”. Mr. Miller plans to assume his duties on July 13th.

Michael Miller currently is President of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, a volunteer position. He is also the co-founder of Broadway Fillmore Alive. In these endeavors he has worked with numerous volunteers, helped build a supporting membership, obtained support from public entities and administered grants. Professionally, Miller has been with M&T Bank since 1992, with a variety of administrative, managerial and project experiences.

Stated Miller “I am honored to be given the opportunity to work for historic preservation for our architecturally rich region. We have a lot of work to do and I am anxious to get started. I would like to thank the Preservation Buffalo Niagara search committee and board members for their confidence in me. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me!”

Preservation Buffalo Niagara was formed in October 2008 when the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier and the Preservation Coalition of Erie County joined forces with the goal of creating a substantial, professional preservation organization for the Niagara Frontier. Helping PBN move forward quickly were grants from the John R. Oishei Foundation, the DB Trust, and the Baird Foundation. PBN is also supported by over 750 members.

The Preservation Specialist position will be funded for its first three years by a “Partners in the Field” grant awarded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with year-one matched by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. A job description is posted at www.preservationbuffaloniagara.org. Buffalo will be the host of the National Trust’s 2011 National Preservation Conference.

Stated Catherine Schweitzer, PBN’s Chair, “With the enthusiastic encouragement and investment by so many individuals, foundations, corporations and organizations, we are thrilled to see our new preservation organization moving forward so quickly. Our mandate is to prepare Buffalo to be the host of the 2011 National Historic Preservation Conference; our talented new staff will not only help us do so, but together they give us significant capacity to advance preservation in neighborhoods, villages and downtowns throughout our region.”