Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission

Eric Carle Museum, Amherst, MA

Media Release

CONTACT: James M. Mazik, PVPC Deputy Director for Operations (413) 781-6045
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2010

PVPC Historic Preservation Planner Nominated

Bonnie Parsons, Principal Planner and Manager of Historic Preservation Programs at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, has been nominated for a new award for her work in historic preservation efforts.

Parsons was recently notified of the nomination by Boston-based Preservation Massachusetts, which is commemorating its 25th anniversary by inaugurating the Paul E. Tsongas Profiles in Preservation award to acknowledge individuals who have made a difference in the landscape of historic preservation in Massachusetts since the mid-twentieth century. Parsons and other nominees will be honored at the organization’s annual dinner and awards ceremony May 5 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston.

Parsons, who joined PVPC in 1991, has been working in the region helping to identify and preserve historic resources through inventory, research, and planning. Notably, she has been responsible for the nomination of thousands of properties to the National Register of Historic Places. While at PVPC, she has also worked with a number of developers on obtaining historic tax credits for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. She was instrumental in the creation of western Massachusetts’ first scenic byway, Jacob’s Ladder Trail, and is a founding member of the Barn Task Force of Preservation Massachusetts. Parsons has presented programs to many of the region’s rural communities on the history and significance of barns, and has written two booklets on the architectural history of the Highland Communities and their barns. She has also made numerous presentations to various organizations and historic commissions on a variety of preservation-related topics.

Preservation Massachusetts is the statewide non-profit historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving the commonwealth’s historic and cultural heritage. Established in 1985, the organization works in partnership with national, state, and local preservation organizations and individuals across the commonwealth.