I’m happy to introduce you to our newest PA SHPO staffers! We are very excited to have Kristen Walczesky join us as an Environmental Review archaeologist in late 2022 and Marissa Barret as a National Register reviewer and John Wood as the Preservation Incentives manager this year.
I asked each of them to answer a few questions for us to get to know them.
Kristen
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born and raised in Lexington, South Carolina and am an alumna of the University of South Carolina, where I majored in anthropology with a minor in geographic information sciences. After undergrad, I went to Illinois State University to obtain my master’s degree in historical archaeology and then went to the University of Florida where I obtained my PhD in anthropology and a certificate in historic preservation.
Before coming to the PA SHPO I worked with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, first as their Tribal Archaeologist and then as the Museum Curator for their new Cultural Center. I am a zooarchaeologist by training (AKA I study animal bones to gain a better understanding of what people in the past ate), but I enjoy studying and learning about all kinds of archaeological sites and history!
PA SHPO’s Kristen Walczesky.
What you do at the PA SHPO?
I am one of the PA SHPO’s archaeological resources Environmental Review specialists and I review projects in the Western region of the state. I review federally funded/permitted and state funded/permitted projects that occur throughout Western PA to determine what—if any—effects the ground disturbance will have on our important archaeological resources. You can reach me at kwalczesky@pa.gov.
What have you found to be the most exciting/rewarding part of the job so far?
I’d say the most exciting and rewarding part of my job so far has been traveling to various parts of Western PA. I am not originally from Pennsylvania, so I have had to really dive headfirst into the rich and vibrant history of this state. I have really enjoyed learning about PA and meeting all the kind and welcoming Pennsylvanians that I have met so far!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a librarian because I enjoyed reading and loved being able to immerse myself into different worlds just by simply picking up a book. I also really enjoyed digging in the dirt and being outside…so we can see which one of my childhood pastimes won in the end!
What made you choose this as your career path?
The opportunity to hold the tangible parts of history was one of the main reasons for choosing this as a career path. It is pretty cool to be able to hold an artifact in your hands that hasn’t been touched by another person in a very long time! Also getting to have even the tiniest role in preserving history for future generations is an awesome feeling!
What is something fun/quirky that you like to do in your spare time or that others might not know about you?
I really enjoy crafting! I have tried almost everything from stained glass art to making jewelry. I am also an avid beader and love to challenge myself with new patterns and complex stitches.
What is the number one thing you would like people to know about historic preservation or archaeology?
Our archaeological and historic resources are not infinite. It is important for everyone to play an active role in protecting our cultural resources, because once they are gone, we will never get them back.
Marissa
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was raised in Frackville, PA, Schuylkill County. I attended Bloomsburg University for my undergraduate and received a degree in Anthropology with a minor in Latin American Studies and Spanish. During my time as an undergraduate student, I was fortunate to spend two summers in Mexico and one in Spain. I moved to New Mexico where I attended graduate school at both New Mexico Highlands University for Archeology with a concentration in Southwest Studies and the University of New Mexico at the School of Architecture and Planning for a degree in Historic Preservation and Regionalism.
I worked for the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico for seven years as their archaeological liaison and the senior planner for historic preservation. A move back to the east coast led me to a position as a historic preservation specialist in Brookline, Massachusetts. However, the love for my home state brought me back to Pennsylvania.
PA SHPO’s Marissa Barrett.
What you do at the PA SHPO?
My job duties at the PA SHPO include review of determination of eligibility projects and prepare eligibility evaluations. I also prepare, review, edit, and present National Register of Historic Places nominations to the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board and prepare final nominations for the National Park Service.
I also review proposed National Register historic districts, participate in and conduct site visits and survey for historic resources, including use of PA-SHARE Surveyor. I review, update, and maintain National Register and National Historic Landmark related data in PA-SHARE as well as edit PA-SHARE data and mapping when updates are submitted. You can reach me at marisbarre@pa.gov.
What have you found to be the most exciting/rewarding part of the job so far?
I was so excited when the opportunity was presented to join the PA SHPO team. I had always longed to be part of the state proactive team to preserve the historic places of Pennsylvania. I have found it very exciting to learn and navigate the innovative PA-SHARE platform.
I have also found it very rewarding to take a project through the National Register process and see it come to fruition with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It was a particularly rewarding moment to have been the National Register staff member to edit and present the nomination of Fighter’s Heaven, Muhammad Ali’s training camp located in Schuylkill County, to the Preservation Board. To have my first successfully NPS listed property be in my home county was an honor.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Inspired by National Geographic magazines, I wanted to write and research for the Travel Channel and be the star of my own show.
What made you choose this as your career path?
When I was a child, my grandfather had gifted my brothers and I a subscription to National Geographic magazine. It was that gift that inspired me to dream of a life traveling the world and exploring the myriad of places and cultures within it. It was the spark that led me down the career path of archaeology and historic preservation.
What is something fun/quirky that you like to do in your spare time or that others might not know about you?
I have a passion for reading and love a good historical fiction or mystery/thriller book. I was actually the librarian at my sons’ school for two years and worked at a small, independent bookstore in Las Vegas, NM while in graduate school.
What is the number one thing you would like people to know about historic preservation or archaeology?
The one thing I would like people to know about historic preservation and archaeology is that there is always an interesting story to be found through it. That although the National Register process may seem overwhelming and daunting to some that it is worth exploring as it is a way for us to preserve our history for future generations.
John
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania and spent summers in eastern North Carolina and tidewater Virginia. I received my undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s degree from the College of William & Mary. For the early part of my career, I worked as an archaeologist and architectural historian for a cultural resource management firm in central Pennsylvania.
From there I went to work as a Preservation/Restoration Specialist the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office based in the Eastern Regional Field Office in Greenville. In that capacity I managed the Eastern Office’s National Register, survey, tax credit, and technical restoration programs. When not involved in restoration projects, I give demonstrations of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century blacksmithing, woodworking, carpentry, and house joinery at various museum sites.
PA SHPO’s John Wood.
What you do at the PA SHPO?
As the Preservation Incentives Division Manager, I have the pleasure of overseeing the Historic Tax Credit, Keystone Historic Preservation Grants, Historical Marker, and Historic Property Inspection programs.
This is a preservationist’s dream job… who wouldn’t love to incentivize preservation, give money away, look at great old buildings, and highlight significant events in Pennsylvania’s history? You can reach me at jpwood@pa.gov.
What have you found to be the most exciting/rewarding part of the job so far? Most unexpected or challenging?
So far, the most rewarding part of the job has been the total immersion into a group of like-minded people who are passionate about preservation. Everyone exudes positivity and the team spirit is palpable. You could not ask for a more welcoming and helpful group of folks. This ethos extends to the day-to-day interactions with the public.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An archaeologist and someone who restores old buildings.
What made you choose this as your career path?
As a kid I was always exploring abandoned farmhouses and old barns. My parents were avid antique collectors, so from a young age I was always prone to collecting the detritus of past lives.
What is something fun/quirky that you like to do in your spare time or that others might not know about you?
I’m a blacksmith and like to restore antique machinery. One of my recent restorations was an Enterprise sausage stuffer/fruit and lard press. This led to my hobby of making hand-crafted artisanal sausage.
What is the number one thing you would like people to know about historic preservation or archaeology?
We are all stewards of historic places and if we can get them safely to the next generation who will appreciate them, then we have done our part.
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