Selected Client Work
USC Heritage Conservation Programs
As Associate Director of Heritage Conservation Programs at the University of Southern California School of Architecture, I help Master of Heritage Conservation students complete their theses, work to recruit new students, and help manage other aspects of the master’s, dual-degree, certificate, and summer programs.
In Spring 2024, I had the joy of creating and teaching Communicating for the Built Environment, a course applying basic communications principles to heritage conservation, architecture, urban planning, and related fields. It was amazing.
My communications class at the once-threatened Hung Sa Dahn/Young Korean Academy, where Katherine Yungmee Kim (front row, center) discussed storytelling for preservation advocacy. Katherine’s a writer, journalist, and director of the Koreatown Storytelling Program at the Koreatown Youth and Community Center. Photo by Dilan Askew.
Messaging Guide for Local Preservation Programs
As a leading voice on local preservation programs, the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) knew that many of its members struggle to convey their work in a highly technical, largely misunderstood field.
I researched the toughest issues NAPC members face, then developed the Messaging Guide for Local Preservation Programs with extensive input from members and colleagues across the U.S.
The first guide of its kind offers language and tips to help preservation professionals have more productive conversations, demystify the local preservation process, and start positioning their work as the positive, collaborative effort that it is.
Download the guide, read about the process, and/or watch a webinar.
My table at NAPC’s FORUM conference, learning what matters most to members.
Messaging Assistance
I help architects, nonprofits, and consultants identify and articulate what sets them apart. I’ve advised on strategy, messaging, and content for clients including Louisa Van Leer Architecture, Friends of Residential Treasures: Los Angeles (FORT: LA), and Historic Resources Group.
“Being so close to an issue, you don’t always see your successes the way others do. Having someone outside the organization who understands the importance of your work—and can communicate it—is critical.”
Strategic Advising/Facilitation
As a neutral party with a preservation perspective, I’ve facilitated strategic planning sessions for consulting firm Page & Turnbull and nonprofits Docomomo US, the Santa Monica Conservancy, and Hollywood Heritage.
In addition to moderating discussions, I research and present on the state of the field, benchmark peer organizations, interview constituents, and synthesize results, helping each client forge a distinct identity and a clear path forward.
Academic Recruiting
To help address declining enrollment in academic programs nationwide, I developed recruitment strategies and content for heritage conservation/historic preservation graduate programs at the University of Southern California and Goucher College.
I benchmarked similar programs and interviewed students and alumni to identify patterns in their perceptions and motivations. Based on this research, I developed messaging, content, and strategy to recruit the best-suited applicants for each program.
Church of the Epiphany members celebrate their $150,000 win in the Partners in Preservation campaign (below).
Public Engagement
Dating from 1888, Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights is the oldest operating Episcopal church in Los Angeles, as well as a historic hub of social justice activism. I led the church’s participation in the 2018 Partners in Preservation program, a nationwide grant competition sponsored by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I created the campaign strategy, developed the content, ran the tech, and managed the small but mighty team. “The little church that could” came in fourth place out of twenty sites across the U.S., winning $150,000 in grant funding.
“Cindy not only knows her way around every form of digital communication, her instincts, expertise, and humor make working with her a joy and an education. She brought us through what could have been a grueling campaign with aplomb and integrity to a totally successful conclusion. ”
Marketing Collateral
PATH Ventures needed new marketing collateral to better reflect its vision, capacity, and impact. Based on site visits, research, benchmarking, and interviews with senior staff and program managers, I developed new messaging and materials for internal and external use.
The new materials convey the organization’s deep expertise in ending homelessness through permanent supportive housing. The collateral also speaks to the diverse needs of communities and partners, as well as clarifying the subtle distinction between PATH Ventures and its parent organization, People Assisting the Homeless.
Video Interviews
As part of its fortieth-anniversary celebration, the Los Angeles Conservancy asked me to conduct video oral history interviews with two key figures in the organization’s early history.
I managed the project, conducted the interviews, and worked with the videographer to produce full-length videos and brief clips. Filled with personal anecdotes and lessons learned, the histories capture the birth and emergence of the Conservancy as a leading voice for historic preservation.
With preservation pioneer Ruthann Lehrer at our interview about her vast experience, including serving as the first executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy. Photo by co-producer and videographer Tom Davies.
Editorial Assistance
In addition to decades of editing all types of materials, I’ve provided editorial assistance on a number of projects for Angel City Press, which specializes in Los Angeles history and architecture.
Among other projects, I had the great honor of working on An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles, by David Gebhard, Robert Winter, and Robert Inman. So much historic rehabilitation (and demolition) had taken place since the previous edition, I added an accurate preservation voice to this “bible” of L.A. architecture.
“Every book needs a pair of eyes like Cindy’s. Her attention to detail and her masterful command of the language combine to improve everything she works on.”