Heritage Consulting Inc.

About Heritage Consulting Inc.

Donna Ann Harris is the principal of Heritage Consulting Inc., a Philadelphia, PA-based consulting firm. The firm provides training, research, coaching, and consulting on historic preservation, audience development, volunteer management, heritage tourism, program planning, and organizational development nationwide. See her current vita here

Before founding her firm 20 years ago, Ms. Harris was the State Coordinator for the Illinois Main Street program for two years and managed the Illinois suburban Main Street program for four years. She served 56 Illinois communities, led twelve staff, and managed a $1.1 million budget.

Since 2002, Ms. Harris has worked with Main Street programs in twenty-eight states. She has made standout presentations at the Main Street America annual conference every year since 2004 and at the International Downtown Association annual meetings. She has published six feature articles in the National Main Street Center’s quarterly journal, Main Street Now, covering topics such as board myths, membership strategies, and BID feasibility.

Ms. Harris actively contributed to the Main Street Center’s blog and recorded an online seminar on Year-End Giving. She has also been a featured instructor at the Main Street America Institute.

Prior to her Main Street career, Ms. Harris spent 15 years as an Executive Director for various historic preservation organizations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. She led membership drives, strategic planning, conferences, public relations efforts, and a capital campaign, raising over $3.75 million in grants and sponsorships. She managed staff and budgets up to $2.6 million.

With over 35 years of experience as a preservation planner, Ms. Harris has helped identify reuses for historic properties to ensure their preservation. She has consulted with landmark house museums on alternative uses and stewardship responsibilities, providing reuse plans, feasibility studies, case studies, and business plans.

Her book, New Solutions for House Museums: Ensuring the Long-Term Preservation of America’s Historic Houses, was published in 2007 and a second edition in 2020. It has been the bestselling title for the American Association for State and Local History since 2007. Ms. Harris has also published articles on reusing historic house museums and has spoken at over fifty conferences on her research. She contributed a chapter to the book Reimagining Historic House Museums: New Approaches and Proven Solutions published in 2019.

Ms. Harris holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in American Studies and Art History from SUNY Albany. She is a Certified Main Street Manager and meets the professional qualifications of an architectural historian as defined in 36 CFR 61, Appendix A Recent work.

Over the past five years, Heritage Consulting Inc. has been involved in numerous impactful projects and received several prestigious awards. The firm won the Preservation Education Award for the City of Camden Heritage Tourism Interactive Touch Screen Display Wall and the Grand Jury Award for Preservation Education for the Haddon Heights, NJ, Design Guidelines from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. Ms. Harris is currently chairing the Revolving Loan Fund Committee for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. She has contributed to feasibility studies for homeowner revolving loan funds in various cities, including Denver, CO, Joplin, MO, and Columbus, OH.

More recently, Heritage Consulting Inc. provided strategic planning services for organizations like the Gloucester County NJ Historical Society and offered numerous presentations at historic preservation conferences. The firm has also authored several key publications, including handbooks and guidelines for Main Street organizations. Heritage Consulting Inc. has been instrumental in creating new easement programs and adaptive reuse feasibility studies. These projects and accolades highlight the firm’s dedication to preserving historic sites and supporting downtown revitalization efforts nationwide.

See Ms. Harris’ complete vita here. Connect with Donna on LinkedIn.

AWARDS, HONORS, AND PUBLICATIONS

Throughout our 20 years, we have been fortunate to serve organizations in various capacities, continue to be asked to participate as an industry leader in providing insight and guidance through multiple publications, and have been recognized for our work for our clients through numerous awards. 

Awards

  • Won the Preservation Education Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for the City of Camden Heritage Tourism Interactive Touch Screen Display Wall, 2024
  • Won the David Knights New Preservation Initiative Award from Preservation New Jersey for the City of Camden Heritage Tourism Interactive Touch Screen Display Wall, 2023
  • Won the Grand Jury Award for Preservation Education, Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, for Haddon Heights NJ Design Guidelines 2022
  • Won the Historic Preservation Commission Award from Preservation New Jersey for the Haddon Heights NJ Design Guidelines, 2021
  • Won the Grand Jury Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for Camden County Heritage Tourism Plan, 2019
  • Won the Grand Jury Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for its yearlong project, Delaware County (PA) Public History Feasibility Study and Implementation Plan ,2011
  • Won the Preservation Award for Individual Service, from the Lower Merion Historical Architectural Review Board, Township of Lower Merion, PA, 1994

Board Service, Honors, and Certifications

  • Main Street America Institute Revitalization Professional, National Main Street Center, 2019
  • Chair, Revolving Loan Fund Committee, Member Executive Committee, and Member of the Board of Directors of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia 2023-present.
  • Mid-Career Fellowship, James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation, NYC, 2003
  • Certified Main Street Manager, National Main Street Center, 2007

Publications

  • “Main Street Policies and Procedures Manual,” for Oregon Main Street, June 2023
  • “Haddon Heights NJ Design Guidelines” for Haddon Heights Historic Preservation Commission, 2021
  • “Handbook for Main Street Financial Sustainability: Turning Supporters into Donors” for Oregon Main Street, 2021
  • “Operational Sustainability: How Innovative Programming Can Strengthen and Sustain Historic Sites” co-author of the article for the Fall 2021 Proceedings of the Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums with Heidi Glatfelter Schlag, former Director of Marketing and Communications, C&O Canal Trust, Hagerstown, MD 2021
  • Second Edition, New Solutions for House Museums: Ensuring the Long-Term Preservation of America’s Historic Houses, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers/AASLH, November 2020
  • “The Essential Role of Boards in Reimaging Historic House Museums,” Chapter author in Reimagining Historic House Museums: New Approaches and Proven Solutions, Kenneth C. Turino, and Max Van Balgooy, 2019
  • “A Bakers Dozen: Thirteen Myths about Main Street Board Service” feature article, National Main Street Center, Main Street Now, winter 2015
  • “The Power of Thank You,” Main Street Story of the Week, National Main Street Center, July 25, 2014
  • “Recruiting New Board Members: 13 Documents Every Main Street Organization Should Give to Potential Candidates,” Main Street Story of the Week, National Main Street Center, February 27, 2014
  • “Ten Tips for Networking at the Main Street Conference,” a Blog Post for the National Main Street Conference blog, January 14, 2014
  • Commentary piece in The Art Newspaper, “Historic Houses Take Note:  Innovate or Die,” December 5, 2013
  • “Procrastinators Guide to Year-End Gifts, Part 1 and 2” Main Street Story of the Week, National Main Street Center, December 5 and 12, 2013. 
  • Six Steps to a Successful Year-End Giving Campaign” article fall 2013 issue of Saving Land, the quarterly magazine of the Land Trust Alliance, Washington DC.
  • “Ten Things Board Members Can Do to Improve Manager Retention” in Main Street Story of the Week, National Main Street Center, March 4, 2013 
  • “Make More Money from Members,” article in Main Street News, National Main Street Center, August 2008 
  • New Solutions for House Museums: Ensuring the Long-Term Preservation of America’s Historic Houses, AltaMira Press, 2007
  • “Is a BID Feasible in Your Town? Ten Questions to Ponder,” in Main Street News, National Main Street Center, June 2007
  • “A Valiant Effort” and “What You Can Do and Lessons from Illinois Main Street,” two articles for Main Street News, National Main Street Center, January 2005.