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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
October 10, 2023




*MEDIA CONTACTS:
*Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957
Neil Thompson, Ohio History Connection: 614-917-9348






Governor DeWine Appoints Welling as Ohio's State Historic Preservation Officer

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)? Gov. Mike DeWine today announced the appointment of Diana Welling as Ohio?s State Historic Preservation Officer.

"I am pleased to appoint Diana Welling as Ohio's State Historic Preservation Officer," said Governor DeWine. "Ohio has so many treasured historic places - including the recent designation of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a UNESCO World Heritage Site - that are part of what makes Ohio the heart of it all."

A State Historic Preservation Officer is an appointed official in each of the 59 states, territories and the District of Columbia who is responsible for overseeing preservation offices and programs in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act. In the states, this individual is appointed by the chief elected official, usually a governor.

Ohio?s previous State Historic Preservation Officer was Burt Logan, a former Executive Director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection who retired earlier this year.

Megan Wood, Logan?s successor and Ohio History Connection's Executive Director and CEO, also promoted Welling to Director of the State Historic Preservation Office, effective Oct. 9.

?I am excited to have Diana leading the State Historic Preservation Office as both its Director and the State Historic Preservation Officer,? Wood said. ?Diana was selected to lead the Preservation Office after an extensive national search, and the positive leadership she has displayed during her seven years with the Ohio History Connection will be asset to all Ohioans as she oversees preservation efforts on behalf of the state.?

The State Historic Preservation Office is Ohio?s official historic preservation agency. It identifies historic places in Ohio; nominates properties to the National Register of Historic Places; reviews federally assisted projects for effects on historic, architectural and archaeological resources in Ohio; consults on conservation of older buildings and sites; offers educational programs and publications; and works with owners of eligible historic properties to help them qualify for federal and state tax credits available for substantial rehabilitation projects.

Prior to her current role and appointment, Welling oversaw the Resource Protection and Review Department at the State Historic Preservation Office as the Department Head and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer since 2016. She has worked with state and federal agencies, as well as residents throughout Ohio, to advocate for the preservation of significant cultural resources.

Welling has worked in historic preservation for more than 20 years in Ohio.

Before joining the Ohio History Connection, she was an Architectural Historian and Project Manager for Lawhon & Associates, Inc. and owned her own historic preservation consulting firm. Her community involvement has included Leadership Ohio, the Childhood League, Columbus School for Girls Alumnae Board and the Uptown Westerville Review Board.

Welling has a bachelor?s degree from Ohio University and a Master?s of Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. A Columbus native, she lives in Westerville with her husband, Mark, and their three children.

*About the Ohio History Connection:*

The Ohio History Connection is a statewide history organization with the mission to spark discovery of Ohio?s stories. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered in 1885, the Ohio History Connection carries out history services for Ohio and its citizens. This includes housing the State Historic Preservation Office and the official state archives and managing more than 50 sites and museums across Ohio. For more information, go to ohiohistory.org [ [link removed] ]. The Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Columbus Foundation provide support for Ohio History Connection programs

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