National Park Service’s Loether to head RIHPHC

PROVIDENCE – J. Paul Loether has been named executive director for the R.I. Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, commission chairman Ruth S. Taylor announced Tuesday.

Loether joins RIHPHC from Silver Springs, Md. He has worked as chief of the National Register for Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program for the National Park Service.

“Paul Loether is an experienced historian and nationally recognized historic preservation expert who will be an outstanding leader for Rhode Island,” said Ted Sanderson, who retired last year after 33 years as RIHPHC’s executive director.

Loether will move to Rhode Island and begin work in June.

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Jeffrey D. Emidy had been serving as acting executive director of the RIHPHC.

“We were very pleased to find Paul’s application to lead our state’s preservation office. He is surely among the most qualified people in America for this job. This will be important, since he must follow the tenure of Ted Sanderson, who has been in the forefront of preservation efforts in Rhode Island for many years. We look forward now to a good transition and continued leadership from Paul,” said Taylor.

The commission said that it had evaluated 57 candidates for the position in a five-month search.

RIHPHC also announced the Gov. Gina M. Raimondo intended to name Loether as the next state historic preservation officer.

Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.