Who We Are
Mission
Preserve Rhode Island's mission is to protect and activate historic places for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders.
Board of Trustees
Rebecca J. Bertrand, Co-Chair
Ronald Onorato, Co-Chair Christopher G. Ponder, Co-Chair
Kimberly Smith Barnett
Sheila Brush
Abigail Campbell-King
Kristen A. Carron Esq.
Jerry W. Dauterive Ph. D.
Jeremiah E. de Rham
Michele Fonseca
Theresa Guzman Stokes
Annalisa Heppner
Amy Oakley
Brett N. Pelletier
Clark Schoettle
Michael A. Sherry
Amy Sonder
Jennifer Suellentrop
John Woolsey
2024 Annual Report
Read about Preserve RI's successful year and learn what's to come in 2025.
Our Staff
Sheryl Hack
Executive Director
Appointed by the Board of Trustees in 2025, 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.
(401) 272-5101 ext. 203
Cathy Saunders
Director of Lippitt House Museum
Cathy has spent three decades providing children and adults with experiences, knowledge, and tools to enable them to be their own advocates and their own agents for change. She started out at Science Museum of Minnesota before becoming the Director of Education at Providence Children’s Museum. In recent years, she shifted her focus to history, running a women’s history project at New Bedford Whaling Museum and serving as Lippitt House Museum’s Curator of Education. She currently is the Museum’s Interim Director. She holds a B.A. in Human Ecology and an M.S.Ed. in Museum Education Leadership.
csaunders@preserveri.org
(401) 490-0289
Jane Bird
Museum Associate
Jane comes to Preserve Rhode Island from a background in community outreach and the arts. She grew an early love of history as a tour guide, researcher and historical reenactor at several house museums in her hometown of Concord, Massachusetts. Creating and performing educational programs at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, the Wayside, the Concord Museum, The Old Manse, and the Longfellow House in Cambridge, she also served as a tour guide at the Southeast Lighthouse on Block Island, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City. Jane holds a B.F.A. in Drama from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and trained at the Atlantic Theater Conservatory in New York. In addition to her work at Lippitt House, Jane is an active volunteer in educational theater, improv and drama therapy organizations in Providence.
(401) 453-0688
![Mat Photo[45].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bf9af7_747e492a2c81478581f3645c7aae4c1c~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_80,w_480,h_480/fill/w_160,h_160,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Mat%20Photo%5B45%5D.jpg)
Mat Hickey
Property Manager
Mat is a New England native who joined Preserve RI in April 2023. With a deep connection to the region, Mat's family settled in Massachusetts in the 1800s; his grandmother even worked as a ladies maid for Blanche Ames at Borderland Estate in Easton, MA. He spent his summers on Block Island, RI, where his family settled in 1805. His grandfather, Rob Lewis, founded the Block Island Conservancy in 1972 and spearheaded the preservation of over 50% of the island as well as the moving of the Southeast Lighthouse. Mat's passion for preservation led him to a career in estate management, where he honed his skills caring for historic properties. Most recently, he managed the last privately-owned Stanford White home in Newport, RI; built in 1882, it is still used as a summer home by the original family today.
(401) 272-5101 ext. 202
Tom Peterson
Director, Communications and Development
Tom Peterson works with non-profits to build sustainable models for growth. A former marketing strategist and brand builder for international CPG companies (Unilever, Estee Lauder, Swarovski), tech companies (IGT), marketing agencies, non-profits and small/challenger brands, he now utilizes his expertise for positive impact in Rhode Island. His ability to interpret consumer insights, find new markets and audiences, build affinity and loyalty with current customers/donors and create effective communication strategies across media platforms provide him with a unique ability in helping organizations meet their goals. He has a B.A. in Finance from Fordham University and a M.B.A. in Marketing/International Business from N.Y.U.
(401) 272-5101 ext. 201
Paul Trudeau
Director of Preservation
Paul joined Preserve RI in 2018. His background includes working as a Preservation Planner for the City of Cambridge, MA, and Program Director for the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, as well as a project manager in the audio/visual industry. With Preserve RI, Paul has taken on a variety of roles including property management, scoping and managing capital projects, program development, grants management, preservation technical assistance, and managing Revolving Fund projects. A native of Rhode Island, he holds both a B.A. in History and a M.A. in Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia.
401-272-5101 ext. 206
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Alex Costa
Communications and Events Coordinator
Joining Preserve Rhode Island in 2023, Alex is coming in after a year of service with AmeriCorps*VISTA, where he helped URI with their Community Service Work-Study Program, and helped support financial learning for students. He has experience working in different areas, such as sales, service, and higher education. Born in Rhode Island, Alex graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2022 with a B.S. in Health Studies and a B.A. in History. Having always been interested in history and historical places, Alex is excited to work with the team, but is also ready to converge other interests such as equitable housing, accessibility, and urban design in order to ensure that historical preservation can continue on an upward trend of inclusivity.
(401) 272-5101 ext. 205
Job Opportunities
If you are interested in volunteering, please email either staff@preserveri.org or lippitthouse@preserveri.org with your resume and interests.
History
Preserve Rhode Island was founded in 1956 under state charter to "preserve the beautiful historic buildings, places and things in Rhode Island." Properties such as Lippitt House Museum, Jeremiah Dexter House, Philip Walker House, and Hannah Robinson's Rock were donated, accepted for stewardship, and have been guided into responsible management - whether under our direct care or through affiliated organizations.
In 1999, the organization adopted its current name (previously the Heritage Foundation of Rhode Island and then the Heritage Trust of Rhode Island), marking the expansion of its role from steward to statewide preservation advocate. Preserve RI began responding to local issues in communities that grappled with sprawl, lack of resources, community revitalization, maintaining community and character, and more.
Preserve RI is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization directed by a volunteer Board of Trustees dedicated to protecting the historic and unique places that define Rhode Island. Our small professional staff work with a philosophy of team work amongst ourselves and collaborate with other organizations and individuals, all to preserve Rhode Island as a place where love to live, work, and play.