Our speakers in the Mansion during History Day in the Park have a theme. It’s one I call Restore, don’t bulldoze. Renovating, repurposing, and fighting to save the flavor of Sarasota are the topics these experts will address. Each talk will be about 45 minutes and will include a question-and-answer opportunity. When you enter the Mansion, turn left into the Edson Keith Dining Room.
Here’s our lineup for the day:
11am – Kelly Caldwell of Caldwell Trust Company: The Way It’s Meant To Be/ Mansion
[Lunch Break]
1pm – Ronald Kashden and Lorrie Muldowney, Past, Present, and Future of the Van Wezel / Mansion
2pm – Tony Souza, Ins & Outs of Historic Preservation/ Mansion
3pm – Brian Leaver on restoring a 1874 Sarasota house/ Mansion
4pm– Erin DiFazio, Preservation’s Power Tool/ Mansion
At 11am, setting the tone for our series, Kelly Caldwell will talk about Caldwell Trust’s journey taking a beloved local building and proving that it can be repurposed for the 21st century. Caldwell Trust is also a sponsor of History Day in the Park and celebrating its 30th anniversary serving the area, so you know they are earnest about preserving local history.
At 1pm, a most-pressing discussion on the Past, Present, and Future of the Van Wezel by Ronald Kashden and Lorrie Muldowney. Ron Kashden is uniquely qualified to talk about the theater business: the former auditor of New York’s Shubert Theatre Group, which operates most of the Broadway theaters. Ron served as CFO of a private equity investment group, and he has three decades of experience in fund accounting, business valuation, and economic modelling. He moved to Sarasota in 2012, and owns a historic home in downtown Sarasota. And Lorrie has been a preservationist in our area for many years, serving multiple offices including as General Manager of the Sarasota County Department of Historical Resources and is currently a leader at the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation.
At 2pm, Tony Souza will talk about the Ins & Outs of Historic Preservation. He’s been a passionate lover of preservation, so much so that his hobby, painting, sometimes focuses on the beauties of interior decotr, historically speaking. These beauties were spotted at the Members Show at Art Center Sarasota recently. The Art Center itself is an example of historic preservation that serves us today.
At 3pm, Brian Leaver, a local businessman, will take you on a journey he and his wife Katherine took, restoring a 1874 Sarasota house. You will be amazed at how they did it all while honoring the original look of this home.
Thinking of restoring a home or commercial building? At 4pm, Erin DiFazio will address an exciting new program that the Sarasota Alliance has begun. Easements can be Preservation’s Power Tool, says Erin, and she invites you to learn more on the SAHP website and looks forward to answering your questions on the process.
History Day in the Park 