Historic Santa Fe Foundation's mission is to preserve, protect and promote the historic properties and diverse cultural heritage of the Santa Fe area, and to educate the public about Santa Fe's history and the importance of preservation.
Staff, Board of Directors, and Volunteers
Staff
Melanie McWhorter, Executive Director
melanie@historicsantafe.org
Giulia Caporuscio, Education Center and Programs Director
giulia@historicsantafe.org
Story Coleman, Community Liaison
story@historicsantafe.org
Anne Kelly, Gallery and Shop Director
anne@historicsantafe.org
Jacob Sisneros, Preservation Projects and Programs Manager
jacob@historicsantafe.org
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Nicholas Wirth, Board Chair
Nicholas Wirth is a retired educator who spent the last two and a half decades teaching in the Santa Fe Public Schools, Desert Academy and Santa Fe Prep. His focus was in American and Middle Eastern history. He holds degrees from Colorado College, the College of Santa Fe, and is currently working on a degree through the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Throughout his tenure as a teacher, he collaborated with a number of national and local nonprofit organizations. Nicholas lives in a Meem house, is passionate about New Mexico history and historic preservation. He has three wonderful children.
Greg Walke, Vice Chair
Greg Walke is a Santa Fe architect and a former board chairman and current member of the property committee of The Historic Santa Fe Foundation. His professional interests and volunteer activities have involved him in Santa Fe’s unique historic preservation, community planning, affordable housing, and art worlds. He has led tours for hundreds of Santa Fe visitors, including walking tours of downtown for the Museum of New Mexico, Canyon Road for the National Trust, children’s tours for the Foundation, and various historic home tours.
Tim Sweeney, Secretary
Tim Sweeney moved to Taos in 2022 after many years as a fascinated visitor from Denver. Tim’s career as a lawyer included advising Colorado and New Mexico land trusts (including Taos Land Trust) in a wide range of conservation easement transactions and stewardship matters. Tim has more than 30 years’ experience representing real estate investors, developers, lenders, shopping center tenants and landlords and global media companies in complex real estate and corporate transactions. As in-house attorney and corporate secretary at a publicly traded company, Tim advised a corporate board of directors in financial reporting, corporate governance, legal compliance and executive compensation. After retiring as a lawyer, Tim was appointed Secretary and member of the board of directors of Taos Land Trust. Tim also stays busy as a grateful steward of his home orchard and acequia, taking advantage of ski days and local hiking and cycling trips whenever time permits.
Michael Casey, Treasurer
Michael Casey Michael Casey is a banking industry executive with over 50 years of experience in community bank operations, management, executive leadership, finance, and strategic planning. Throughout his career, Mike has held senior management and board positions at several Dallas banks, culminating in the purchase of Grand Bank of Texas in 1987. Mike served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Grand Bank until 2019 when the bank was purchased by Bancorp South (now Cadence Bank). He served as Area Chairman for Bancorp South until 2022, at which time he joined the board of Oakwood Bank, Dallas, and has served as President and Chief Lending Officer. Mike has served on the board of Texas Bankers Association, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, American Bank of Texas, Harold’s Stores, and Lone Star Park Charitable Foundation. In post 9/11, Mike was selected to attend the FBI Citizens Academy. He is a former trustee for The Kessler School in Dallas and served as a trustee and Treasurer for Texas Can Academies and Texas Cars for Kids, a Texas statewide nonprofit organization serving approximately 5,000 underprivileged youth. He was awarded the Dallas Business Journal Outstanding Director Award for his work with Texas Can Academies. Currently Mike sits on the board of Visiting Nurses Association/Meal on Wheels of North Texas and is a member of the Methodist Hospital of Dallas Advisory Board. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Becky, maintain residences in both Dallas and Santa Fe.
Board Directors
Lisa Nordstrum, Board Director
Lisa Nordstrum currently teaches seventh grade New Mexico history at Santa Fe Preparatory School, as well as an Upper School elective course she created, “Southwestern Women: Conviction, Culture and Change”. She graduated from Colorado College with a major in Southwest Studies and a minor in Women's Studies, earned her NM K-12 teaching certification at the University of New Mexico, and has completed many graduate level courses in a variety of Southwestern topics. A native Santa Fean from a family of educators, Lisa has taught and tutored in local public and private schools for 25 years. Lisa worked in the museum world as well: as a field researcher in northern New Mexico with the School for Advanced Research; as an educator at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture; and in the development of educational programs for the New Mexico History Museum. Through funding from the New Mexico State Legislature, Lisa developed and authored a K-12 NM State Standards aligned curriculum for the New Mexico Historic Women Marker Program. This ongoing educational endeavor to educate students throughout the state about significant female historical figures recently received an additional three years of funding from the state. One of Lisa’s primary goals as an educator is to create meaningful learning experiences for students to discover the significance of multiple perspectives and narratives in the telling of a comprehensive story of New Mexico, while developing a personal sense of stewardship and preservation.
Becca Snyder, Member at Large
Becca Snyder, born and raised in Ohio, was drawn to the Southwest by its sunshine, landscape, and rich culture. In 2012, during a co-op placement in graduate school, Becca moved to Santa Fe to work with Barbara Felix Architecture + Design on the guestroom renovation of La Fonda on the Plaza. She was captivated by the stories, research, and creativity involved in renovating that iconic and historic building. Becca moved to Santa Fe in 2017 after finishing graduate school, earning her architect license, and gaining professional experience practicing architecture in Ohio. Barbara Felix welcomed her in as a partner in the coming years and changed the company name to Woven Architecture, a firm known for experiential design, cultural resonance, curiosity, and genuine tradition. In addition to work with La Fonda, Becca has experience providing building conditions assessments, preservation plans, and architectural design work for a myriad of clients including the Santa Fe Train Depot, Indian Arts Research Center at the School for Advanced Research, Yonan An Cultural Complex at the Pueblo of Isleta, Main Library Branch and City Hall for the City of Santa Fe, the New Mexico History Museum, and at our very own El Zaguán.
Cathy Campbell, Board Director
Cathy grew up in the Texas Panhandle near Amarillo. After graduating from Texas Tech University, she moved to Houston, where she spent many years working as a legal assistant in the Public Finance Area, specializing in municipal utility districts. Having frequently visited Santa Fe with her family during her youth, Cathy developed a lifelong love for the city. When the time came to retire, she knew where she wanted to go and made the move to New Mexico. Since becoming a Santa Fe resident, Cathy has supported the local arts, culture, and community: She is a past Chair and board member of the Friends of Folk Art, an organization that supports the Museum of International Folk Art. She is a board member of the Patricia Arscott La Farge Foundation for Folk Art. She is a docent at both the Museum of Art (Plaza) and the Vladem Contemporary Museum. Previously, she served as a docent for the School for Advanced Research, conducting campus tours. She is a member of the Santa Fe Garden Club. Cathy is deeply committed to preserving Santa Fe’s historic architecture and unique culture. She received an award for Best Compatible New Construction in the Historic District from the 2023 Heritage Preservation Awards for construction of a garage/studio on her property.
Honorary Director
Randy Bell, President, Old Santa Fe Association
Volunteers
Santa Fe Extension MasterGardeners, Garden Volunteers
Office volunteers: Pam Austin, Shelley Robinson, David Roe, Irene Sadler, Cam Kattell, and Debra Trammell
Property volunteers: Tom Collet, John Gregory, and Willie Lambert
Docents: Jan Collett and Jenifer Kirtland
Committees
Executive Committee
Nick Wirth, Chair
Greg Walke, Vice Chair
Tim Sweeney, Secretary
Michael Casey, Treasurer
Becca Snyder
Melanie McWhorter, HSFF Executive Director, ex officio
Finance Committee - Annual Budget, bank correspondence, 1099
Michael Casey, Chair
Nick Wirth, Volunteer
Melanie McWhorter, HSFF Executive Director, ex officio
Nominating Committee -Generate slate of officers; generate new board directors, review board membership expertise
All Board Directors are on this committee.
Education, Research, and Archives Committee - Education: Youth education, child workbooks, salon talks, preservation workshops. Research: HSFF Register of Historic Places (with Property Comm); El Zaguán Interpretation Gallery, Mac Watson Fellow, Old Santa Fe Today (with Development Committee). Archives: Organization and determination of location of archives.
Nick Wirth, Board Director, Chair
Lisa Nordstrum, Board Director
Tim Maxwell, Board Director
Anne McDonald Culp, Volunteer
Mac Watson, Volunteer
Audra Bellmore, Volunteer
Michael Reid, Volunteer
Melanie McWhorter, Executive Director, ex officio
Giulia Caporuscio, HSFF Education Center and Programs Director
Jacob Sisneros, HSFF Preservation Projects and Programs Manager, as needed.
Development Committee - Fundraising, El Zaguán Capital Campaign, Memberships, Stewards – membership and four events a year, Events, Old Santa Fe Today (also under ERA)
Michael Casey, Volunteer
Larry Good, Volunteer
Jenifer Kirtland, Volunteer
Anthony Penner, Volunteer
Cathy Campbell, Volunteer
Melanie McWhorter, Executive HSFF Director, ex officio
Property Committee - El Zaguán Master Plan Renovations, Endangered Properties, John Gaw Meem Preservation Trades Internship, Preservation Easements, and HSFF Register of Historic Properties (also under ERA)
Greg Walke, Board Director, Chair
Larry Good, Board Director
Becca Snyder, Board Director
Graciela Tomé, volunteer
Mac Watson, volunteer
Melanie McWhorter, Executive Director, ex officio
Jacob Sisneros, HSFF Preservation Projects and Programs Manager Giulia Caporuscio, Giulia Caporuscio, HSFF Education Center and Programs Director
El Zaguan Property Maintenance Partners
Evelyn Lambert Landscaping
Santa Fe Extension Master Gardeners
MGM Roofing
Building Adventures Unlimited
Woven Architecture
JS Landscaping
Kimberley & Silvia Arroyo