EUGENE, Ore. -- (May 18, 2010) – Cathy Galbraith, a longtime leader in historic preservation in Oregon, is the recipient of the University of Oregon's 2010 McMath Award. The awards ceremony will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, at the UO in Portland White Stag Block at 70 N.W. Couch St.
The UO's preservation program and the Venerable Group, Inc. present the McMath Awards annually to recognize an outstanding individual whose contributions in Oregon have raised awareness and advocacy through his or her lifetime commitment to historic preservation.
Cathy worked as Oregon City's planning director from 1979 to 1986, and director of development services from 1986 to 1987. She served as director of Historic Seattle from 1987 to 1992. Since 1993, Galbraith has been the executive director for the Bosco-Milligan Foundation, a nonprofit historic preservation education organization that owns and operates the Architectural Heritage Center. The center has led 390 preservation programs serving more than 48,000 people in the Portland region.
"Cathy's got a strong backbone when it comes to addressing difficult preservation issues, and seeing them through to a successful resolution," says Kingston Heath, director of UO's Historic Preservation Program. "She's been involved in various ways from nurturing projects in sustainable community development, through all phases of preservation stewardship and educational outreach."
The recipient of the McMath Award is selected by a jury panel based on nominations from other professionals and Oregon citizens. Professor Heath, last year's winner James Hamrick, and Portland architect Paul Falsetto, comprised this year's jury that selected Galbraith.
The McMath Award honors the late George McMath, the "father of preservation" in Portland. An architect and preservationist, his life-long commitment to restoring and preserving Portland's architectural history cemented his reputation as one of the most significant figures in safeguarding Oregon's rich architectural heritage.
UO graduate student Ernestina Fuenmayor will speak about her research at the luncheon. Her topic is "Viewing childhood places through a preservation eye: Conserving Cacao Haciendas in Choroni, Venezuela."
Tickets to the award luncheon are $50 with the proceeds supporting financial aid for historic preservation students. The reservation deadline is May 20. For more information, please contact Twyla Tritt at 541-346-3697. Parking will be available at the Smart Park at N.W. Naito Parkway and N.W. Davis Street. Tickets may be ordered online at hp.uoregon.edu/mcmath.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Karen Johnson, AAA Communications, 541-346-3603, karenjj@uoregon.edu
Sources: Kingston Heath, Historic Preservation Professor, 541-346-2115, kwheath@uoregon.edu,Cathy Galbraith, CathyG@VisitAHC.org, 503-231-7264.
Link: Architectural Heritage Center, http://www.visitahc.org/
Story by Emily Wilson
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