Press Release

Ann Pritzlaff to Head History Colorado Board of Directors

Denver - History Colorado has named Ann Alexander Pritzlaff board chair for the coming year at its November 2014 annual meeting, according to Ed Nichols, president and CEO of the organization.

Ms. Pritzlaff has long had a deep commitment to historic preservation, heritage education, volunteer programs and policy through her position on the History Colorado board of directors and her Preservation and Policy consulting practice.    For over 35 years, she has built a reputation as a leader in the field of historic preservation including serving as State Historic Preservation Officer in Arizona, and appointments by three Colorado Governors -- Bill Owens, Bill Ritter and John Hickenlooper -- to the State Historic Preservation Review Board.   She also was selected by President George W. Bush to serve as a “Historic Preservation Expert” for two, four-year terms on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and served as chair of the Preservation Initiatives Committee and on the Council’s Executive Committee. 

Serving on the History Colorado board for the past 11 years, Ms. Pritzlaff has chaired the Archaeology and Historic Preservation Committee, the State Preservation Plan Committee, and serves on the Executive Committee.  “Ann is truly dedicated to the History Colorado mission,” says Nichols.  “She has been a major player in transforming our business model to one based on a healthy mix of public, earned and contributed support for preservation, exhibits and programming that have impact, appeal to multiple audiences, and are sustainable.”

Ms. Pritzlaff was recently honored in 2014 by Colorado Preservation, Inc. with its prestigious Dana Crawford Award further underscoring her leadership in promoting, saving and sharing historic places on national, state and local levels.  “Heading the History Colorado board is profoundly important to me,” she says, “No other organization can help Coloradans understand the present in the context of the past, so that informed decisions can be made for the future.  No other organization can serve as a forum for civic, civil discussion about today’s issues in a historical context the way History Colorado does.  And no other organization has the obligation that we do to preserve the places and the unique stories of Colorado.”

In addition to her leadership and role at the helm of History Colorado’s board, Ms. Pritzlaff was instrumental in development of the national Preserve America program, as well as volunteer programs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and HistoriCorps, a national initiative dedicated to providing workforce support for saving places. She also produced and coordinated the Saving Places Conference, an event widely recognized as the leading statewide historic preservation conference in the country. Other notable efforts include creating and producing the Preserve America Youth Summits, other educational events for youth, and helping to instigate heritage tourism programs across Colorado.

Nationally, Ms. Pritzlaff has received many awards and recognition from such organizations as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the US Forest Service, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.  Most recently in Colorado, she received the 2012 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation for the Colorado Preserve America Youth Summit.

A Coloradan since 1982, Ms. Pritzlaff also serves on the board of the National Western Stock Show and the University of Colorado’s Center for the American West.  She sits on the Board of Advisors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  And, she holds a BA in American Studies from Scripps College and a MS in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont.

 

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History Colorado's mission is to inspire generations to find wonder and meaning in our past and to engage in creating a better Colorado. We serve as the state's memory, preserving the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through our museums, educational programs, historic preservation grants, research library, collections, and outreach to Colorado communities. Find History Colorado on all major social media platforms. Visit HistoryColorado.org or call (303) HISTORY for more information.