Havre de Grace Main Street Inc. Hires Matthew Kriegl as New Main Street Manager

From Havre de Grace Main Street Inc.:

Dear Havre de Grace Main Street Members:

Havre de Grace Main Street is happy to announce that we have hired Matthew Kriegl as our new Main Street Manager. Matthew will begin his position as manager on March 12. Our board is very excited about what Matt brings to our organization. Please join us in welcoming Matt. We will be introducing him around town and know you will share our enthusiasm. Please read below for Matthew’s Bio.

Matt was born and raised in New Jersey and has degrees in geography and anthropology from the State University of New York-College at Plattsburgh in Upstate New York. In 2011, he received a Master of Science degree in historic preservation from Ball State University in Indiana. Matt has worked as an environmental technician and later spent several years working as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist for Hunterdon County, New Jersey, where he created and updated county maps and worked on several projects involving local history and historic cemeteries. He spent a summer working as an intern with the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation concentrating on the State Main Street Program in which he visited several Main Street communities and participated in their meetings and brainstorming sessions. He also worked with the Louisiana state historic preservation tax credit and National Register programs, writing architectural descriptions and doing related research. While attending Ball State University, Matt worked in the Drawings + Documents Archive in the College of Architecture and Planning. Here, he helped catalog and organize the collection containing thousands of architectural drawings, sketches, books, documents, photographs, and artifacts. Since graduating in May, Matt has spent his time with a local New Jersey historic preservation non-profit, the 1759 Vought House: A Revolutionary War Loyalist Homestead. Recently, this group took ownership of the historic property and hopes to restore the structure through their ‘Save the Serpent’ fundraising campaign (a name derived from the structure’s intricate serpentine ceiling plaster ornamentation). Matt has a strong interest in downtown revitalization and believes that it is one of the most stable, effective and tangible ways to save and retain historic downtowns and local identities. He also believes strongly that historic preservation should be community-oriented and a community-wide goal. He looks forward to meeting and working with the people, businesses, and visitors who live, work, and enjoy Havre de Grace, Maryland.

As you can see from Matt’s bio, he has a passion for Historic Preservation & Revitalization and we are so excited to have the opportunity to have him work with our organization.

Thank you for your patience during our search and please know that we appreciate our membership and look forward to what this next year has to offer. Lots of new energy and focus and exciting plans for First Friday’s, Farmer’s Market 2012, the 100th Anniversary of the Graw – Graw Days Celebration, Haunted History Tours, Historic Walking Tours and so much more. Looking forward to working together with you as we are currently looking for volunteers to work with our A&E committee as they are planning our events. There is lots to do and so many opportunities this year. Please give Matt a call and introduce yourself and let him know how you would like to help this year.

On behalf of the Havre de Grace Main Street Board of Directors

Billee J. Smith
President
Havre de Grace Main Street Inc.
3/2/2012