On August 3, 2023, Gonick Family Professor Frank Matero took the oath of office to join the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation as a new Expert Member. Matero, who also chairs the Department of Historic Preservation, was appointed by President Joe Biden to the ACHP for a term ending June 2027.
The ACHP is an independent federal agency comprised of 24 statutorily designated members from federal agencies, preservation organizations, Indian tribes, and expert private citizens.
“It has long been the responsibility of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to guide federal policy on heritage matters, yet rapidly evolving contemporary heritage concerns will require even greater reflection on these fundamental questions.” Matero said. “I am very honored to be a part of that discussion.”
“Historic preservation has much to contribute to the current state of the world,” Matero continues. “Conservation and preservation have always been about repair and reparation whether it is building rehabilitation, ecological restoration, or urban regeneration. Managing change of the inherited environment is the core task of the historic preservation field. The question is not simply how we do this, but for whom, and to what end?”
Matero joins the Council’s group of four expert members, which also includes Weitzman alum Monica Rhodes (MSHP’12), an international award-winning preservationist, who was appointed in 2022.
“The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation will benefit greatly from Professor Matero’s deep knowledge and expertise in historic building materials and archaeological practice,” ACHP Chair Sara C. Bronin said. “As a fellow academic, I look forward to working with him to expand our research capacity and to ensure that young people can access opportunities presented by the ACHP and by the historic preservation field as a whole.”
