We are pleased to announce the keynote speaker for the 2023 MHPN Annual Statewide Historic Preservation Conference – Sandra Sageser Clark. Ms. Clark is the Director of the Michigan History Center and a long-time friend of MHPN.
Sandra grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, where her father was a history professor at Kansas State University. Her B.A. and M.A. in history are from Michigan State University. She has a taught history, been an editor and speechwriter for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Sandra returned to Michigan as editor of Michigan History Magazine in 1979. She was deputy director of Travel Michigan for three years before she became director of the Michigan History Center in September 1991. She has been president of the American Association for State and Local History, the Michigan Museums Association, and the Automobile National Heritage Area. Her awards have included the 2009 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Leadership Award and the 2019 AASLH Award of Distinction.

We may come from a small town with a striking Carnegie Library, a rural area with a photogenic sweep of historic farmsteads, or an inviting shoreline community with an artists’ enclave, a music conservatory, or its original fishing shanties and docks. Perhaps we’re from a mid-sized community with a traditional 19th-century downtown surrounded by historic neighborhoods, or a large urban area with historic theaters and churches amidst internationally-acclaimed Mid-Century Modern office buildings. No matter which, we know these precious survivors from our past are points of pride for residents. More and more often, they also are what make a community a distinctive destination that attracts visitors.

It was in May, 2007, that we last were on Mackinac Island. The conference that year was the first time we’d focused on historic preservation’s role in tourism. “Heritage Tourism” was exciting because – while not new – it was beginning to reveal its full potential to Michigan’s preservation community. Now 16 years later, the stunning value of heritage tourism to Michigan’s economy is proven. With the celebration of our historic resources, however, we can see that with popularity come the pressures of over-development and popularity’s wear-and-tear.

We’re going to look at what this means. We ask ourselves: what fragile balance must we achieve to assure that the earnings attracted by our historic resources do not compromise our efforts to conserve their authenticity? What better time to ask this question than in 2023 as Mackinac Island plays host to the MHPN’s 43rd annual conference. What is shared can apply directly to where YOU live!

This track focuses on the conference theme of “A Fragile Balance: How Heritage Tourism Balances Profitability and Authenticity.” The track is for individuals, people in business and manufacturing, preservation professionals, craftspeople and tradespeople, elected and appointed officials, and government staff – anyone who needs to advocate for preservation and a sensible and well-balanced approach to heritage tourism. Some session ideas might include:

• Considering the tools used to spur heritage tourism, economic revitalization, a sense of place, the reclamation of traditional downtowns and neighborhoods, and the skills of diplomacy needed to bring groups together.

• Discussing the tools used to convince the public that while promoting heritage tourism, they can also safeguard their cultural resources – including buildings, structures, sites, objects, features, natural open spaces, and human-made landscapes, either alone or as cultural ensembles.

The track is for those who need to know more about the laws, policies, and designations; the programs of assistance, tax incentives, and economic benefits; and the best practices and educational programs that provide support for heritage tourism efforts. Session topics could include:

• Studying the various programs of tax credits and loans, assistance, easements, etc., used by those whose wheelhouses include the ability to negotiate financial packages that make heritage tourism projects a reality.

• Discussing the laws, policies, codes, and procedures that are the tools used by people who proactively and successfully advocate for heritage tourism.

The track is for individual property owners, professionals doing design and hands-on work, and community officials who need to know more about the special design needs of historic buildings, traditional trades, and current building and development practices–the tools for effective heritage tourism efforts. Ideas might include:

• Presenting case studies of historic buildings that are saved from demolition, adaptively reused, and returned to inventive new uses that jump-start heritage tourism.

• Showcasing people doing hands-on work with historic resources, both trade professionals and do-it-yourselfers, and considering the tools they used to overcome obstacles.