Preserve Rhode Island Announces Sheryl Hack as Next Executive Director

The Board of Trustees of Preserve Rhode Island announced today that Sheryl Hack has joined the organization as its next Executive Director. Sheryl Hack comes to Preserve RI after serving as a Historic Preservation Specialist for FEMA, as Executive Director of Connecticut Landmarks, and in multiple roles at Canterbury Shaker Village. She holds a BA in History from UC Santa Cruz; a MA from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture, where she focused on vernacular architecture studies; and a MS in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from New England College.

Chris Ponder, co-chair of the Board of Trustees, commented, “After an extensive search, the Leadership Team of Preserve Rhode Island is delighted to announce Sheryl Hack as our Executive Director. Last year, we set out to find a leader with a deep understanding of policy, advocacy, and community engagement. We feel that we’ve found those strengths with Sheryl. We’re excited that she is joining us and thrilled to begin a new chapter at Preserve Rhode Island.”

Hack is excited to work with communities and organizations across Rhode Island. To her, “Preservation is the ultimate recycling. It is also a vital tool for helping to address real issues in real people’s lives, including affordable housing and the impacts of climate change. I look forward to working with Rhode Islanders in utilizing historic assets to solve present day problems.”

Hack succeeds Valerie Talmage, who retired in April after serving as Preserve RI’s Executive Director since 2007.