About Us
YPA provides events, tours, research, training, technical assistance, and special projects that encourage the next generation to take a leadership role in preserving their communities. Incorporated in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, YPA is the only organization of its kind in the United States.
YPA’s events and publications resonate with young people. More than 5,500 people have participated in our education programs, events, tours, research, and partnerships. YPA is more than 350 members strong from 19 states, working to engage the next generation in historic preservation. YPA operates in the nine-county southwestern Pennsylvania region that includes the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington, and Westmoreland.
YPA is guided by a 15-member voting Board of Directors and a non-voting Advisory Committee. The organization’s founder, Dan Holland, is the organization’s CEO. YPA was incorporated with the PA Bureau of Charities in 2002 and received its permanent 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the IRS in May 2007.
Our Mission
The mission of Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh is the participation of young people in the preservation of historic resources. Everyone who supports the next generation is a Young Preservationist. YPA insists that historic preservation is an effective tool for economic development and regional revitalization.
Young Preservationists Association from Jordan K on Vimeo.
More about YPA:
Our Vision
Our vision is for YPA to be the premiere organization for young people in preservation.
Our Slogan
YPA’s slogan, Give life to history®, is rooted in the belief that historic preservation is more than creating museums. It involves bringing back to life old structures through restoration, adaptive reuse, and creative renovation. It also means injecting new life into an older neighborhood by constructing new structures that complement the existing community fabric and allows for pedestrian interaction.
We encourage people to become involved in a civic dialogue about how to create a better human experience in the Pittsburgh area.
Our Values
YPA’s organizational values emphasize three important concepts that are central to our work: Innovation, quality, and diversity. YPA’s events and culture supports inclusion (by embracing geographic and demographic diversity), responsiveness, and an emphasis on the economics of preservation.
YPA’s Objectives
The YPA will accomplish its mission by pursuing the following objectives:
- Educate young people about the value of historic preservation as a key component of economic and community renewal in their community.
- Train young people to use strategies and tools to preserve their history.
- Provide opportunities for youth participation in preservation activities.
YPA’s Value Proposition
> Community Awareness: We are active in the community, particularly African American communities; we have spoken to more than 50 different organizations and events;
> Youth Programming: We work with young people, particularly high school and college students, as well as young professionals, on unique programs that meet academic needs, and we have impacted more than 5,500 people with our community- and school-based programs;
> Publishing: We have published more than 20 unique publications and have been featured in more than 150 media stories; we also maintain a Facebook page and a Give Life to History blog;
> Civic Engagement: This includes cleanup projects, historic nominations, and collaborative ventures;
> Leadership Development: Since 2003, YPA has hosted more than 30 interns and volunteers.
2011 Board Members
Jason Baim, Independent Consultant – Business Development and Strategy
Robert W. Chambers III, CEO, RWIV Construction LLC
Giselle Leonardo, Esq., Giselle Leonardo P.A., Attorney; Civil Engineer, Arbitrator, Mediator
Courtney Patterson, Professional Writer and YPA Board Secretary
Rashan Walker, Project Manager, Manchester Citizens Corporation and YPA Board Treasurer
Colin White, Master of Public Management Student, Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Public Policy
Todd Wilson, E.I.T., Traffic Engineer, AECOM, Inc.
Gerrod V. Winston, Project Architect, The Design Alliance and YPA Vice Chair
Jeff Woodard, Executive Director, Pennsylvania College Access Program and YPA Board Chair
YPA Staff
Dan Holland, CEO
YPA Advisory Committee
Christopher Drew Armstrong, Professor, History of Art & Architecture, University of Pittsburgh
Tom Baker, Chief Community Affairs Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters and President, Baker Leadership
Susan Brandt, Principal, Susan Brandt Urban Development
Eliza Smith Brown, Historic Preservation Consultant
Scott Brown, Vice President and Community Investment Manager, Citizens Bank
Walter Burlack, Regional Director, Student Conservation Association
Jeremy Burnworth, Geneva Marketing Group
Lu Donnelly, Architectural Historian
Kim Falk, Evaluation Specialist, Great Lakes Behavioral Research Institute
John Fetterman, Mayor, Borough of Braddock
Joe Flynn, Vice President, Community Development, Wesbanco
Larry Glasco, Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh
Linda Gwinn, Downtown Blairsville, Inc.
Tim Hadfield, Robert Morris University
Randy Harris, Historian
Alex Hershey, Esq. Attorney, Thorp Reed & Armstrong
James Hill, Investment Manager, MetLife
Harry Johnson, Chief of Staff to Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle
David Kahley, President and CEO, The Progress Fund
Carl Knoblock, Pittsburgh District Director, Small Business Administration
David Lewis, Founder, Urban Design Associates, Architects and Professor Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University
Stanley Lowe, CEO, Pittsburgh Neighborhood Preservation Services
Everett McElveen, President and CEO, Life’s Work
Devon McSorley, Communications Consultant
Tracy Montarti, Owner, Villa Montarti Photography
Jerry Morosco, AIA, Gerald Lee Morosco Architects, PC
Mara Peluso, Program Development Coordinator, Town Center Associates
Rob Ruck, Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh
Norma Ryan, Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation
Doug Skowron, Real Estate Developer, Pittsburgh Gateways
John Stephen, Executive Director, Allegheny River Towns Enterprise Zone
Bill Strickland, CEO, Manchester Bidwell Corporation
Shelly Todd, Esq., Mooncrest Neighborhood Association
Althea Worthy, Historic Preservationist