On Tuesday September 27, 2022 at the Cortez City Council Workshop, Community and Economic Development Director Rachael Marchbanks presented the Cortez Historic Preservation Board members with a Commission Excellence Award for Best Practices in Identification and Registration from the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC). The awards program was established to recognize and honor outstanding efforts and achievements by local preservation commissions, as well as individual preservationists doing exemplary work at the federal, state and municipal levels. The Cortez Historic Preservation Board has proven that preservation boards in small towns, with no paid preservation staff and limited budgets, can still accomplish a great deal. With the help of grants, the Cortez Historic Preservation Board started inventorying historic properties on First and Second Streets within the original townsite. The project later expanded to include all pre-1974 structures, and 17 high priority auto/tourism resources. Through their work, the City of Cortez has engaged the community, highlighted the breadth of history and cultural resources the town offers, and laid groundwork for continued preservation planning and public education. The Board was unable to receive its award at NAPC’s FORUM in Cincinnati, Ohio in July. FORUM 2022 brought together preservation professionals and commission members from across the country for a week of training, education and networking. FORUM is held in destination cities every two years and is the only national conference dedicated to the concerns and educational needs of preservation commissions, their staff, and communities. The conference blends traditional educational sessions with roundtable discussions, mobile workshops, and tours. Founded in 1983, NAPC’s mission is to help build strong local preservation programs and leaders through education, training and advocacy. For more information, visit http://napcommissions.org/.
CONTACT: Maddie Clites NAPC Communications Associate 757-802-4141 maddie@napcommissions.org
Local contact info: Linda A. Towle 970-565-3987 ltowle@q.com
To view the official release please go to Cortez Historic Preservation Board Receives NAPC’s Commission Excellence Award