WASHINGTON, D.C. – As requested by the President, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Chairman Aimee Jorjani announced her resignation, effective today.

Per the statute, Vice Chairman Rick Gonzalez will carry out the functions of the Chairman while the position of Chairman is vacant.

Jorjani was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on June 27, 2019.

In a note to ACHP members today, she said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served in this capacity in my 20-year-long career. Leading the ACHP has been a career highlight for me. Most of all, I will value the personal connections I have made here, with you, the members, our incredible expert staff, and the people I met across the country doing the real hands-on work.”

Jorjani said she was especially proud of the many accomplishments during her19-month tenure, as the agency’s first Senate-confirmed, full-time chairman, and navigating these unprecedented times, including the following:

• Continuing to seamlessly serve our constituents while the ACHP transitioned to telework in the face of an unforeseen pandemic.
• Developing a dynamic strategic plan that sets the course for the ACHP into the future with a cross-cutting objective instilling the agency to “ensure that the national historic preservation program reflects the full American story, engages all constituencies, and benefits the public.”
• Establishing an all-star preservation trades training task force that resulted in the ACHP policy statement on ways to provide opportunities to train the next generation of skilled craft preservation trades workers (https://www.achp.gov/digital-library-section-106-landing/achp-policy-statement-promotion-and-value-traditional-trades).
• Continuing to expand the Preservation in Practice program and encourage more diversity in preservation by partnering with HBCU architecture programs.
• Encouraging federal agencies to repurpose their historically significant buildings through the efforts of the Leveraging Federal Historic Buildings Working Group.
• Examining the use of Section 106 program alternatives.
• Adopting the Army Program Comment that will improve living conditions for soldiers and their families.
• Bringing forth the Digital Information Task Force Recommendations and Action Plan.

Jorjani was the first full-time ACHP chairman following enactment of the National Park Service Centennial Act, which contained amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act converting the current part-time chairman to a full-time position.

Jorjani pursued the position of ACHP chairman with the goal of maintaining the agency’s mission to promote the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of the nation’s diverse historic resources, as well as the integrity of the independent nature of the agency to advise both the executive and legislative branches on matters related to preservation.

Jorjani has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of government and cultural resources from a variety of perspectives including both executive and legislative branches, as well as the nonprofit sector. Her career began on Capitol Hill working as a legislative aide to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). She later moved to the U.S. Department of the Interior and had several positions, including serving as the Deputy Secretary’s Special Assistant for Historic Preservation and as the first Department-wide Historic Preservation Officer. She has a Masters in Historic Preservation from Goucher College.