Home News August 18, 2006

SAN JUAN, PR—Bob Young, Regional Director, Atlanta Region, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and former mayor of Augusta, Ga., received the first Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Award for Federal Preserve America Accomplishment today.

“When he represented the nation’s mayors as a member of the ACHP, Bob Young was instrumental in the creation, implementation, and success of the Preserve America program,” said John L. Nau, III, ACHP chairman, in presenting the award. “His expertise in local government was invaluable in creating the Preserve America Community effort, which now includes 400 designated communities nationwide. He continues to champion Preserve America among HUD’s constituent communities in the Southeast, as well as helps the agency institutionalize this most important effort.”

Young also served as Chair of the ACHP’s Preservation Initiatives committee, which in large part helps administer Preserve America in coordination with the White House and other Executive Branch agencies.  President George W. Bush launched the initiative in 2003 with Executive Order 13287, and Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States, serves as Honorary Chair of Preserve America.

Preserve America encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the initiative include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of communities.

The ACHP, an independent federal agency, promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of the nation’s historic resources and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. It also provides a forum for influencing federal activities, programs, and policies that impact historic properties. In addition, the ACHP has a key role in carrying out the administration’s Preserve America program. Visit www.preserveamerica.gov for more information.

Posted August 21, 2006

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