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American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.

P.O. Box 565

Rockland, Maine 04841

Phone: 207-594-4174

info@lighthousefoundation.org

The American Lighthouse Foundation is a Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization dedicated to the preservation of America's historic lighthouses.

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ALF Participates in

Conference Hosted by the

Maine Lighthouse Museum

As we all know, lighthouse preservation is becoming more complex with each passing year. The ever-increasing challenges of fundraising in the highly competitive nonprofit sector and the demands to facilitate multifaceted lighthouse restoration with the added responsibilities of mandates such as the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation

"Restoration & Preservation" session

Photo by Tim Harrison

"Restoration & Preservation" session

(L to R) Ted Panayotoff (at podium), Christopher Glass, BMC Charles Petronis, Mark DeMichele, Amy Cole-Ives &

Warren Kincaid

Act is changing the way organizations look at how they care for their historic light station. The status quo and the “going it alone” mentality simply will not sustain lighthouse preservation beyond the present. Working together for the long-term protection of our lighthouse heritage is the key to success.

In an effort to address the concept of working together for the common good of preserving the state of Maine’s historic lighthouses, as well as establishing a platform to discuss pertinent issues that are affecting lighthouse organizations today, the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, sponsored the first-ever Maine lighthouse conference on

Participants Rusty Nelson & Joe Lebherz

Photo by Tim Harrison

(L to R) Participants Rusty Nelson & Joe Lebherz take advantage of the networking opportunities afforded by the conference

October 29, 2005. According to Bob Hastings, Managing Director for the Maine Lighthouse Museum, “One of our missions is to reach out to the many stewards of Maine and New Hampshire lighthouses, and support their excellent efforts to restore and preserve these historic structures.”

Ted Panayotoff, conference organizer and chairperson of the Education and Outreach Committee for the Maine Lighthouse Museum, stated, “I felt the conference was something that the Maine Lighthouse Museum (MLM) needed to get started to satisfy a commitment to Maine and New Hampshire lighthouse organizations, and to help them meet the challenges that go with lighthouse stewardship.” Panayotoff went on to say, “Lighthouse groups sometimes take a narrow view on preservation and tend to only focus on “their” lighthouse. I believe the conference was the first step in a process to work together more in a cooperative manner.”

The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF), which serves as the steward for 22 historic lighthouses throughout New England – 11 of them

located in the state of Maine, shares the Maine Lighthouse Museum’s desire to enhance the teamwork within the lighthouse preservation community. Tim Harrison, president of ALF, has long spoken about the fragmentation that exists with lighthouse groups and how the movement to save

Bob Trapani

Photo by Tim Harrison

Bob Trapani, Executive Director for the American Lighthouse Foundation

Maine’s lighthouses would benefit greatly from a team approach. Therefore, ALF was proud to participate in the Maine Lighthouse Museum’s “Lighthouse Preservation & Restoration” conference. ALF Executive Director Bob Trapani served as the key note speaker for the conference’s working lunch. Trapani’s PowerPoint presentation – Lighthouse Preservation…A Process, Not a Moment, touched on building a sustainable effort within nonprofit organizations, and highlighted the pillars of long-term preservation, which include Education, Fundraising, Restoration & Vision for the Future.

The conference brought together leaders from lighthouse organizations throughout the state, as well as representatives from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Maine Department of Transportation, Maine Preservation, United States Coast Guard, architects and contractors and lighthouse volunteers. Presenters varied in their topics that ranged from highlighting specific operations at lighthouses to best practices and recommendations to discussing the importance of integrating the Standards for Preservation with nonprofit restoration and preservation.

“I believe the most useful thing was to introduce the various groups to one another so that they know that the others exist and therefore are a

Ted Panayotoff

Photo by Tim Harrison

Maine Lighthouse Museum volunteer

Ted Panayotoff (right) conducts a tour of

the museum during the conference

potential resource for help if needed,” said conference organizer Ted Panayotoff. “The conference also served to help establish a better understanding by the MLM of the state’s lighthouse groups and open a dialogue with the organizations and other entities like SHPO, MDOT, USCG and Maine Preservation.”

In addition to Bob Trapani’s presentation, other American Lighthouse Foundation members also played key roles in the MLM lighthouse conference. Dot Black, President of the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, - chapter of ALF, assisted Ted Panayotoff with organizing the conference. In addition, Linda Muth, Publicity & Communications for the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, served as a panelist during the “Funding & Grants” session, and Warren Kincaid, Project Manager for the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, served as a panelist during the “Restoration & Preservation” session. American Lighthouse Foundation President Tim Harrison also addressed the conference participants on the need to work together with upcoming Maine lighthouse events in 2006 & 2007.

Other ALF chapter representatives present were Dr. Jane Beaulieu, co-Chair for the Friends of Perkins Island Lighthouse, and Sharon Mills, Secretary for the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, along with her husband Bob. Ken Black, “Mr. Lighthouse” – founder of the Maine Lighthouse Museum and Honorary Chairman for ALF, was also in attendance.

Photos from the 2005 “Lighthouse Preservation & Restoration Conference” held at the Maine Lighthouse Museum…

Ken Black, "Mr. Lighthouse"