New York lost a remarkable woman and an extraordinary citizen with the death of Joan Kaplan Davidson this past Friday.
Joan had an incredible impact throughout New York. The Conservancy will be forever grateful to her for providing the initial funding to launch our statewide Sacred Sites Program. Since that launch, we have developed multiple funders and have helped some 870 religious institutions of all denominations care for their historic buildings.
Joan remained a touchstone for us. A familiar presence at our events. And we were delighted to honor her with our Lucy G. Moses Leadership Award.
Joan offered her judgment, leadership, and support to numerous preservation, environmental, and civic groups.
Now with Joan and former Lieutenant Governor and MTA Chair Richard Ravitch gone, there is a huge void in civic leadership we must try to fill. They were the models for us to follow to continue to fight for New York.