Michael Devonshire is an architectural conservator and materials expert in the field of historic preservation. He is the Director of Conservation at Jan Hird Pokorny Associates and was a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner. He received HDC’s Landmarks Lion Award in 2023.
Anne Maxwell Foster has more than 15 years of experience in the design, restoration, and stewardship of the built environment and is the co-founder of New York–based interior design firm Tilton Fenwick, where she leads residential projects nationwide. Anne earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Boston College and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. While at Columbia, she received the Onera Prize for Historic Preservation for her research on the decarbonization potential of traditional window awnings as a passive cooling strategy for older and historic buildings in New York City. She has also served as a Fellow with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Columbia Climate School’s Adapting the Existing Built Environment Earth Network, further advancing her work at the intersection of preservation and climate resilience.
Tamer Mahmoud: Born and raised in the St. George section of Staten Island, Tamer has been involved in preservation advocacy since 2022. His first experience consisted of collaborating with the Friends of Lower West Side on preserving the last remaining tenement building that side of Manhattan and the former Downtown Community House. Through that experience, Tamer developed a greater understanding and appreciation of landmarking and the preservation of New York City history. Tamer also played a collaborating role on bringing the Little Syria walking tour to life with Asad Dandia, Friends of Lower West Side, and the Washington Street Historical Society. Tamer continues to advocate for the preservation of our city’s historical legacy through his roles as Board Member with the Washington Street Historical Society and the Preservation League of Staten Island. Tamer has a BBA in Finance from Baruch College and an MBA in International Business from Wagner College and over a dozen years of experience in the marketing/advertising industry.
Cory Trembath Rouillard is a Preservation Architect at Henson Architecture and an active advocate for climate leadership through preservation. In her award-winning work, she promotes technical guidance for the appropriate care of existing buildings to both protect our cultural heritage and meet our carbon mitigation targets. She is a frequent speaker on topics including tools for sustainable preservation, the wisdom of vernacular design, and the urgent need for the continued use of our built heritage.
Laura Sewell is a long-time neighborhood resident and leader in the East Village community. As Executive Director of the East Village Community Coalition (since 2017), Laura has consistently used facts and data to support the organization’s positions on sustainability, retail diversity, and preservation in a highly dynamic neighborhood. Laura is a key collaborator for organizers in the community, and is a vital source of information for residents and businesses throughout emerging issues.
Jason Zakai, a native New Yorker, is a litigation attorney with over 17 years of experience and is currently a Member of the boutique law firm Hiller, PC based in Manhattan. Jason’s legal practice consists of commercial litigation in a wide variety of business disputes, as well as land-use, preservation and zoning law. Jason regularly represents organizations, community groups and non-profits in matters before community boards and city agencies, such as the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and litigates Article 78 proceedings challenging governmental agency decisions relating to land-use issues.