Mission Statement

The mission of Heritage Consulting Inc. is to help citizen groups and government agencies preserve cherished landmark buildings and downtown districts and grow high performing nonprofit heritage organizations to manage them.

Heritage News

Alexander Balloon has joined Heritage Consulting Inc. as a consultant. Alex began working as an intern in 2008 while completing his course work in Historic Preservation at the Graduate School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a master’s degree in Historic Preservation and Urban Redevelopment in 2009. Alex is responsible for designing survey instruments, organizing focus groups, conducting research and analysis relating to historic preservation and downtown revitalization, preparing graphic materials, and drafting memos and reports.

2009-2010 interns

We are delighted to work with the next generation of preservation professionals as interns as they start their careers. In the past year we have worked with the following:

Jackie Wiese is a graduate student in historic preservation at the University of Pennsylvania’s historic preservation program in the Graduate School of Design. Jackie expects to graduate in 2010.

Laura DiPasquale is a graduate student at the University of North Carolina’s historic preservation program.

Melissa Steeley is a 2009 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s historic preservation program in the Graduate School of Design.

Speaking Engagements

Donna will be all over the country this season speaking about Main Street, historic preservation and house museum topics. CLICK HERE to see Donna's speaking engagements schedule.

Heritage Consulting Inc. is a woman-owned business that provides assistance to non-profit organizations, government agencies and corporate clients nationwide in three practice areas: downtown and commercial district revitalization, historic preservation and non-profit organizational development. Donna Ann Harris is the firm's principal and has over twenty years of experience as a trainer, program designer and manager in the historic preservation field.

Heritage Consulting, Inc. has a particular expertise in non-profit organizational development issues and can provide long or short term assistance in downtown revitalization planning, partnership development, sustainable funding strategies including establishing business improvement districts, and strategies and planning for reuse of non-profit/government owned historic structures.

"New Solutions for House Museums" now available

Donna's recent book New Solutions for House Museums: Ensuring the Long-Term Preservation of America’s Historic Houses is viewed as a “must read” in the house museum and historic preservation field. The book is being used in graduate school classes in museum studies, historic preservation and public history programs across the country. Published by AltaMira Press in 2007, Donna’s book is part of a joint publishing agreement between AltaMira Press and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) to identify important books in the field. Donna has published articles about reuse of historic house museums in History News and Forum Journal from her research for the book. Since 2007 Donna has been asked to speak at more than 30 national, regional and statewide conferences about her house museum research and consulting work. Find out about why the house museum model for preserving older homes no longer works and Donna’s take on a broad range of alternatives to save these landmarks for future generations. Order your copy today from Amazon.com.

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