Sacred Sites Director Ann Friedman received a lifetime achievement award from the Historic Districts Council (HDC) at their annual Grassroots Awards ceremony on June 18. Ann’s family, friends, and Conservancy colleagues cheered her 23 years of dedication to preserving historic houses of worship across the State.
Ann is affectionately known as the “Jewish Church Lady” for her tireless efforts to guide congregations through complex projects. In her remarks, Ann noted she was also a “Yenta,” matchmaking congregations with skilled preservation professionals who could handle the complex issues of older buildings.
Ann is an encyclopedia on virtually any of the hundreds of congregations she has helped. She often formed long relationships with institutions that returned for second or third Sacred Sites grants. She has also climbed up a remarkable number of roofs and steeples.
Ann’s knowledge, enthusiasm, and spirit have endeared her to countless colleagues and grant recipients and earned their admiration and respect.
Ann is retiring from her duties on October 1. Fortunately, her longtime deputy Colleen Heemeyer will take over as Sacred Sites Director. Until then, Ann will continue to examine roofs and travel to institutions applying for grants. And we will start planning a big, proper, sendoff.
