(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Historic Ketchikan Inc. announced that Stephen Reeve will be the new Executive Director for the local organization. Reeve will be replacing former Executive Director Dave Kiffer who recently resigned.

According to Historic Ketchikan, the new Executive Director Stephen Reeve is a city planner and architect who specializes in urban development and design, historic preservation and tourism development. Reeve has led public sector urban development and non-profit management strengthening programs in developing countries, directed state and local government planning agencies and has carried out dozens of urban planning and design, historic preservation, tourism development, and local government management projects in the United States and developing countries. Reeve and his family have also renovated significant historic buildings in Ketchikan.

Historic Ketchikan Board of Directors' President Terry Wanzer said, "The organization is working on several exciting projects at this juncture. We are excited to have Stephen on board to assist Historic Ketchikan in bringing many of these projects to fruition. Stephen is a perfect fit with his background, plus he was co-founder of the Historic Ketchikan non-profit which was established in 1990."

Former Executive Director Dave Kiffer resigned after serving the Board since 1999. Kiffer has accepted a job with the State of Alaska as the Education Coordinator at the Ketchikan Correctional Center. Kiffer, a fourth generation Ketchikan resident, said he would continue to work to preserve and celebrate Ketchikan's history.

"My time at Historic Ketchikan has been very rewarding," Kiffer said. "We have helped preserve some significant building in Ketchikan's history, such as White Cliff School, the Water Warehouse and the Clover Pass School. Historic Ketchikan has always been more than just about preserving a historic face for the visitors. It is about who we are and where we came from. And about building onto that, for our future."

Historic Ketchikan, a private, non-profit organization, is active in promoting economic development through heritage tourism and historic preservation through special projects. The Ketchikan area has the largest percentage of historic properties in the State of Alaska, and Historic Ketchikan takes a very active role in maintaining that integrity.

Recently Historic Ketchikan Inc was awarded a $15,975 grant from the Alaska Historical Commission for the renovation of the historic Arthur Yates Building (click here) in downtown Ketchikan. The Yates grant was one of seven awarded by the Commission at its August 2012 meeting. The grant is a federal pass through grant that will come from the Alaska Office of History and Archeology, which is part of the State Department of Natural Resources. It is a matching grant, so Historic Ketchikan will have to raise $15,000 in matching funds. The grant is to be used for a pre-development survey of the Yates Building.

The Board of Directors meets on Wednesday mornings at Annabelle's, 7:30- 9:00 am and interested parties are invited to attend.

On the Web:

Historic Ketchikan
www.historicketchikan.org

SitNews ©2012
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.