THC Staff News
Last summer, Holly Barnett took over as coordinator of the Historic Tax Credit program. She supervises Federal Program staff and previously also served as the National Register coordinator. Since taking over the program, Holly has rebranded a bit.
The program was previously known at the state level as the Investment Tax Credit program, which is now associated with tax credits for solar energy. The Historic Tax Credit program is a 20% federal tax credit for completing a certified rehabilitation of a historic building. The program is administered by THC with guidance and certification completed by the National Park Service.
Please contact Holly Barnett if you have a project that could take advantage of this program.
Four New Staff Members Join THC
Claire Meyer joined the THC staff in July as a Historic Preservation Specialist in Survey and GIS before transitioning to Section 106 in January 2020. Ms. Meyer, who grew up in Cincinnati, OH, comes to the position from the city of Covington, KY, where she had been working as their Historic Preservation Planner. Her MA in Historic Preservation Planning is from Cornell University. She also holds a BA in Anthropology from Miami University in Oxford, OH. Her research interests include mid-20th century resources, the lasting impacts of urban renewal, the intersection of community development and public health, and making preservation accessible and beneficial to all. In her free time, Claire runs an Etsy shop as a way to focus her energy and continue her practice of traditionally women’s crafts such as knitting, needlepoint, and cross-stitching.
Christopher Kinder joined the THC staff in September as co-coordinator for the National Register Program. Chris is native to southeast Missouri, but comes to the position from the Alabama Historical Commission, where he served as a Section 106 reviewer and architectural historian. Chris earned his B.S. in Historic Preservation (2012) and his M.A. in Public History (2014) from Southeast Missouri State University. Chris has an academic interest in African American, southern, religious, and cultural history (especially mortuary customs, foodways and music). He is also an avid taphophile and will never turn down an opportunity to walk through a cemetery. Chris is married with three children.
Graham Perry came to the THC staff in October as the Historic Preservation Specialist for the newly created Cemetery Preservation Program. He lived 15 years in Memphis, but is a native Nashvillian, having spent almost 11 years at the Tennessee State Museum as the Curator of Social History. Graham earned his B.A. in Music Industry (1988) at Belmont University, an M.A. in US History (1997) from The University of Memphis, an M.A. in Education (1999) from Christian Brothers University, and is A.B.D. in the fields of US History and Urban Anthropology. His academic interests include African-American history and the Modern Civil Rights Movement, plus southern, military, and cultural history. Married with two sons, Graham is an avid songwriter, recording artist, and war gamer.
Susan McClamroch joined the THC staff in October as the Historic Preservation Specialist in the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act and to manage outreach for the Commission. Born in Atlanta, her formative years were spent in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. She comes to Nashville from New Orleans, where she served as director for the Louisiana Landmarks Society. Currently an Urban Studies PhD Candidate at the University of New Orleans, she holds three masters degrees: Preservation Studies MA from Tulane University (2009), plus an Art History MA (2004) and a Southern Studies MA (2001) from the University of Mississippi. Her undergraduate degree is in Art Business (1998) from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. Married to a bassist who was born in Houma, Louisiana, she is an advocate for artistic expression in the performing, visual, and culinary arts, as well as architecture.