Interview with Brent Runyon

Brent Runyon has been the Executive Director of the Providence Preservation Society (PPS) for almost 10 years. He recently announced he will be departing later this year to pursue other opportunities. Brent has a masters degree in historic preservation from the University of Georgia where he focused on community planning and affordable housing issues.  He currently serves on the boards of the Providence Revolving Fund, the Mile of History Association and HousingWorks RI, and serves as a member of the State House Restoration Commission.

1. Reflecting on the last 10 years, what is your proudest achievement?

There have been so many amazing moments during my tenure at PPS, but there are a few things I'm most proud of. The first is our advocacy to prevent the loss of five historic buildings on Brown's campus. The result was that Brown moved a structure and built its new performing arts building on a different site. The second thing I'm really proud of is the city’s first new local historic district in 30 years, a ten-year undertaking! Finally, I am extremely gratified to see our new Building Works program blossom. The seeds for the program germinated back in 2018 and sprouted during the pandemic. As of 2023, we have secured a workshop at 50 Sims Avenue and an agreement with the City of Providence to use the Esek Hopkins House as a learning lab.​

2. While you've helped save many buildings during your tenure, is there one building that Providence lost that stands out as "the one that got away"?

The Alpheus C. Morse-designed Southwest Pavilion at RI Hospital, owned by Lifespan, was an incredibly beautiful vestige of the Victorian era hospital, but the city’s zoning codes were not on the public’s side. There was little that any public body could do to stop its demolition. The fact that it was nearly hidden from public view made it difficult to raise its profile. But the public rose to the challenge; more than 1200 people signed a petition and dozens wrote letters to the City Council, which itself issued a resolution urging its preservation.

3. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing historic preservation in Providence and in Rhode Island in the next 5 years?

Irrelevancy. The bicentennial gave historic preservation a platform and a sense of importance to a country that had only too recently spent billions of dollars on urban renewal and highway building, fraying the fabric of our cities. With the upcoming 250th, there is a tremendous opportunity to situate historic preservation in a place of relevance. This time, though, the relevance needs to speak to the issues our constituents care about. Some of these are easy to see as related to our missions (i.e., housing) while others (i.e., racism) are less clear. But as the saying goes, if you aren’t part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.

4. PPS has been at the forefront of organizations trying to increase their inclusivity and equity.  What advice would you give to other historic and preservation organizations seeking to expand their outreach?

First, everyone in the organization - staff and board - must understand their implicit biases. This understanding carries through everything we do, from committee meetings to advocacy positions. Organizations must be humble in their approach and understand that many in the community view historic preservation, writ large, as adversarial, or irrelevant. We need to cede power to people with different life experiences, including leadership positions on the board and staff. This work is really hard, but if we believe that preservation matters, then becoming more inclusive and pushing for equity is necessary for us to remain relevant.

5. What are the qualities most important for PPS's new Executive Director?

In my opinion, PPS needs a strong nonprofit administrator who has a good understanding of historic preservation philosophy and practice. Beyond that, for PPS to continue the work we’ve done in the last decade, the new director must be committed to engaging the entire community and ensuring the organization is helpful in ways that are true to the mission.