Preservation Austin Supports BIPOC Representation on Historic Landmark Commission
Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program (CAMP) trainees, October 2022
Preservation Austin is proud to announce the appointment of Roxanne Evans and Jaime Alvarez to the City of Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission (HLC). In 2022, our organization hosted preservation commission training for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Austinites with the goal of increasing racial and ethnic representation on the HLC and among advocates at meetings.
Supporting diverse perspectives in these crucial leadership roles is more important now than ever, as demolitions and cultural displacement forever change historic Black and Mexican American East Austin communities. This work is core to Preservation Austin's mission of empowering Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation.
Preservation Austin serves as a resource to City Council to recommend qualified individuals to serve on the HLC. This year, our organization successfully recommended Evans and Alvarez, both of whom completed the training, for positions on the commission. Journalist and advocate Roxanne Evans serves as the appointee of Mayor Kirk Watson. She is the first Black commissioner to serve on the HLC since 2014. Jaime Alvarez, Associate Project Architect at Lord Aeck Sargent, serves as Council Member Leslie Pool’s commissioner for District 7. Complete bios below.
The training was provided by the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) through its Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program (CAMP). Support for this training was provided by a National Preservation Fund Grant through the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Preservation Austin congratulates Ms. Evans and Mr. Alvarez on their much-deserved appointments, and thanks them for their service to our community.
Roxanne Evans
Roxanne Evans is a public education and historic preservation advocate and long-time Austin resident. She served as Tri-Chair of the AISD Facilities and Bond Planning Advisory Committee, which helped the school district successfully pass a $1B bond program in 2017. She is currently a member of the Travis County Citizens Bond Advisory Committee. During her journalism career, Roxanne has written extensively about African American history in Texas. She has served on the Advocacy Committee of Preservation Austin, is currently First Vice President of the Austin History Center Association, and assisted in the formation of the Travis County African American Cultural and Historic Commission. A graduate of Drake University, she began her journalism career at the Des Moines Register and Tribune. She spent 10 years at the Austin American-Statesman, beginning as a reporter and later making history by becoming the first African American editorial writer and member of the Editorial Board. She also served as a Deputy Press Secretary for Texas Governor Ann Richards. She is a regular guest contributor to several blogs, community radio programs, and news publications and has made presentations to colleges, universities, and historical associations on the history of desegregation in AISD.
Jaime Alvarez, AIA, LEED AP
Jaime Alvarez is a Mexican American historic preservation architect with over 15 years of professional experience. Some of his projects include renovations and restorations of Austin’s most noteworthy buildings, such as the new Travis County Probate Courts, the Austin History Center, and the former Faulk Central Library. He also serves on the local chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology. He is committed to helping preserve the unique buildings and places associated with the compelling history of Austin and all its citizens. In his free time, Jaime enjoys experiencing all the outdoor opportunities Austin has to offer through hiking, gardening, running, and cycling.