2024 Annual Meeting + Elections
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
COMMODORE PERRY ESTATE CHAPEL AND TERRACE | 4100 RED RIVER ST
Preservation Austin’s 2024 Annual Meeting is just around the corner! Please join us on Thursday, August 22 for our Annual Meeting and Elections at the stunning Commodore Perry Estate, just blocks away from the McFarland House, PA’s future home. This year’s celebration will take place at the 1949 Gothic Revival Chapel and Terrace, and will feature drinks, revelry, and tours of the Estate’s exquisite grounds. Connect with fellow preservationists, elect our 2024-2025 Board of Directors, and be part of a special announcement about our vision for PA’s future. We’ll see you there!
Many thanks to our hosts at the Commodore Perry Estate, a 2020 Preservation Merit Award Winner, for sharing their historic space for this special membership event.
This event has reached capacity and RSVPs are now closed.
Event Support Provided By:
Incoming Directors and Ex Officio
2024-2027 New Directors - 1st Term
ATIF AHMAD
Atif Ahmad is the founder of Adelo Mortgage. He has been in Austin for 30 years and founded the company in 2004 to provide a personal and catered experience centered around wealth building for his clients and referral partners. Prior to being in the mortgage business, Atif was a state certified real estate appraiser. Atif also manages a small real estate portfolio for himself and his family. These days he focuses most of his time around helping his clients build wealth, manage his team and referral partners with their growth.
Atif is a University of Texas graduate with a degree in Economics. He uses his degree daily to help his clients make the best financial decision. He supports many local Austin charities and is excited to join the Preservation Austin Board. Fun Facts: In his spare time, Atif enjoys playing golf, exercising, and spending time with his two children and his wife (who is a local artist).
LEAH DERTON
Leah Derton is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Freedom Solar Power, a renewable energy company based here in Austin. A native of the city, Leah is looking forward to bringing her nearly 20 years of experience in marketing and brand building to the Preservation Austin board. Over the course of her career thus far, Leah has held positions with Austin-based companies YETI and GSD&M; Portland, OR-based Wieden + Kennedy; and most recently, prior to her current role, William Chris Wine Company, located in the Texas Hill Country. Leah is a graduate of Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School and lives in Southwest Austin with her young daughter and two dogs.
RYAN GUGENHEIM
Ryan is a largely self-taught preservationist and creative. Having grown up in Houston, Texas, he was heavily influenced by mid-century architecture and design at a young age. The turning point in his path toward preservation happened while attending college in Baltimore. All starting in the attic apartment of an 1887 rowhouse. It is the story of five layers of linoleum and the 130 plus year old pine floors that lay underneath. From then on, he has continuously worked in and around vintage and historic buildings. Residing in Austin since 2017, he possesses an intimate knowledge of the city’s neighborhoods and historic fabric. He is involved in running a local architectural salvage business in town and firmly believes in reuse over waste. His primary focus is the redevelopment of endangered and underutilized historic commercial property. Through all this, Ryan is deeply committed to preserving our city’s architectural and cultural heritage and maintaining the best of “Austin Americana” for generations to come.
NORA KEANE
Nora has over 15 years of experience in the affordable housing industry, working in finance, development, and operations. At BWE, Nora is part of the leadership team: directing a team of analysts, overseeing all aspects of initial loan structuring for multifamily affordable housing transactions, and maintaining relationships with both internal and external clients. Prior to joining BWE in 2023, Nora was the Affordable Production Manager for Agency Finance at PNC Real Estate. Before joining PNC's Agency Finance group in 2015, Nora spent 5 years with PNC’s Tax Credit Solutions group, supporting the origination of equity investments and debt financing for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties located primarily in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. Before joining PNC, Nora was the Director of Institutional Giving at non-profit housing organization Foundation Communities and was a Project Coordinator at DMA Development Company, both located in Austin, TX. Nora is a two-time (and 3rd generation) Longhorn, holding both a BA in Humanities and a Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin.
CARLOS MENCHACA
Artist, activist, and dog enthusiast, Carlos is an Austin local who has worked across various civic organizations, while being a commercial artist in the creative industry. He has served various positions on many boards including city public arts programs, animal rescue, Latino employee resource groups, and local creative communities. With Preservation Austin, Carlos hopes to create spaces for folks of all walks to come together, create community, and possibly make a new friend.
When not in the office, Carlos enjoys making art, taking dance lessons, being active and outdoors, over-indulging on bbq + pecan pie, and long walks with his dog, Frida.
2024-2025 Incoming Ex Officio - 1st Term
JULIANA M. FELKNER
Juliana M. Felkner serves as an Assistant Professor at UT Austin’s School of Architecture in Community and Regional Planning and the graduate program for Sustainable Design. Dr. Felkner’s research and teaching addresses the societal and architectural challenges that come with increasing urbanization of the world, with a particular interest in preserving, adapting, and reusing existing buildings and materials.
KELLEY RUSSELL
Kelley is an almost life-long Texan having grown up in Houston and a resident of Austin for over 25 years. She has a BA in Archeology and an MSHP in Historic Preservation, both from the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked in cultural resource management for over 20 years and currently oversees a team of archeologists and historians at a large civil engineering firm. Kelley serves on the Travis County Historical Commission and was previously a board member of several organizations including Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. In addition to advocating for historic places and buildings, and promoting Austin’s diverse cultural history, she loves cemeteries, big mutts, and tacos.
2024-2025 Board Slate
2024-2025 OFFICERS
Melissa Barry, President
Miriam Conner, President-Elect
Elisha Perez, Vice President
JuanRaymon Rubio, Vice President
Kelly Little, Secretary
Perry Lorenz, Treasurer
2024-2027 NEW DIRECTORS
Atif Ahmad
Leah Derton
Ryan Gugenheim
Nora Keane
Carlos Menchaca
2024-2027 RENEWING DIRECTORS
Yung-Ju Kim
Mueni Rudd
2024-2025 EX OFFICIO
Juliana Felkner, University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture
Charles Peveto, Austin History Center Association
Kelley Russell, Travis County Historical Commission
2024-2025 ADVISOR
Cyndee Lake