As you may recall, the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s executive director, David Preziosi, moved on to Texas last fall and MHT announced its open position. It took a while, but I think it was worth the wait: last week MHT announced its new director is Lolly Barnes, Biloxi native and longtime preservation leader. Good luck to Lolly and to MHT as it resumes its preservation advocacy around the state!

The Mississippi Heritage Trust is pleased to announce that Lolly Barnes has joined the organization as Executive Director.  Lolly has a long history of involvement with the Mississippi Heritage Trust, having served on the Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2010 and President from 2008 to 2009.  A native of Biloxi, Lolly brings nearly twenty years of experience in historic preservation to the position.  After earning a B.A. in History from LSU and a M.A. in History from USM, Lolly returned home to work for the City of Biloxi, first in collections management for the city’s museums and later as Historical Administrator.  In this role, Lolly oversaw the restoration of several of Biloxi’s most treasured historic landmarks, including the Saenger Theatre and the Biloxi Lighthouse.

After leaving the City of Biloxi in 2004, Lolly worked to develop a revitalization plan for the historic White House Hotel, which was placed on the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s first “10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi” list in 1999.  Following Hurricane Katrina, Lolly worked for the National Trust for Historic Preservation as Program Manager to advocate for the restoration of historic properties damaged in the storm.  As a consultant, Lolly has worked with several organizations, including the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, Mississippi Main Street Association and the City of Pass Christian, on a variety of restoration and conservation projects. A former Fellow with the Knight Program in Community Building, Lolly is a member of the People’s Heritage Foundation Board of Trustees and a commissioner for the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area.

If you’re not a member of MHT, consider joining. It’s our primary way of advocating on a state-wide level for preservation of Mississippi’s historic places. And remember that if you have an endangered place in your town or county, this is the year for MHT’s bi-annual 10 Most Endangered Places list. Fill out a form and send it in, and maybe get MHT’s help in preserving it: http://mississippiheritage.com/documents/10MostAp13.pdf.

Categories: Historic Preservation, Mississippi Heritage Trust, Preservation People/Events