Preserving Together w/ Carol Quillen

This week I’m joined by Carol Quillen, President & CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Carol became the 10th president in 2024 and brings a fresh perspective from her career in academia, including over a decade as president of Davidson College.Together we explore how preservation is not about saying “no” to change, but about creating opportunities, building community connections, and shaping a more sustainable future. Carol shares her journey, clears up common misconceptions, and highlights how preservation can spark economic growth, civic engagement, and even climate resilience.We also talk about the power of adaptive reuse, storytelling, and local partnerships—from rural towns to urban neighborhoods—that make preservation a catalyst for inclusion and resilience.✨ If you’re curious about how the past can fuel stronger communities and a brighter future, this episode is for you!Links:11 Most endangered list: America's Most Endangered Historic Places | National Trust for Historic PreservationPreserving Black Churches: https://savingplaces.org/black-churches Action Fund: African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund | National Trust for Historic PreservationHOPE Crew: HOPE Crew | National Trust for Historic PreservationNTHP Main Street program: Main Street America :: HomeRepurpose Capital: RePurpose CapitalNTCIC: NTCIC | National Trust Community Investment CorporationWoodlawn Mansion: Woodlawn Historic Overview — Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighey HouseTED Talk the dangers of a single story : Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story | TED TalkNTHP Grants Programs webpage: https://savingplaces.org/grantsNTHP Action Center: https://savingplaces.org/action-centerTangible Remnants on InstagramTangible Remnants WebsiteLinkedTr.ee for resourcesEarn CEUs for listening to this podcastSignup for Ask Me Anything w/ Nakita ReedGabl Media NetworkSarah Gilberg's MusicBio: Carol Quillen is the 10th President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and joined the National Trust in January 2024.Carol brings to the National Trust a deep appreciation of history, and a distinguished career leading academic institutions. Prior to the National Trust, she served as the 18th president of Davidson College (2011-2022).Nationally, Carol is a founding member of the American Talent Initiative (ATI), a consortium that aims to graduate annually 50,000 additional low- and moderate-income students from the nation’s top colleges and universities.Among other roles, she co-chaired, with General Robert Caslen, the NCAA’s Commission to Combat Campus Sexual Violence and she served on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans. She has spoken at numerous venues, including the Aspen Ideas Festival, edX Global Forum, and the Milken Global Conference. She has served on the boards of the Kinkaid School (Houston, Texas), American Council on Education (Washington, D.C.), the Levine Museum of the New South (Charlotte, North Carolina), and Credential Engine, a national organization that enables “credential transparency” in the post-secondary educational sector. In 2019, Princeton awarded Carol the James Madison medal, given in recognition of an alumnus/a’s distinguished career advancing the cause of graduate education or record of outstanding public service. She has received numerous academic awards, and earned fellowships from the Mellon Foundation, the Whiting Foundation, the Fulbright Foundation and Villa I Tatti, Harvard’s Center for Renaissance Studies in Florence, Italy. Carol is the author of two books and many articles. Her writings have appeared in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Huffington Post, The Hechinger Report, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Carol earned a B.A. in American history from the University of Chicago, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with special and general honors, and a Ph.D. in European history from Princeton University. She then joined the History Department at Rice University, serving there on the faculty, as the founding director of the Boniuk Center and as a vice provost and vice president before she was named president of Davidson.**Some of the links above maybe Amazon affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.** Mentioned in this episode:NCARB PodcastTo Build is Human