Please Note: We will be accepting additional RSVPs for the next few days for our 2015 Awards Ceremony at the CNY Philanthropy Center – but do contact us soon! Reservations can be made at by email: email@pacny.net or by phone: (315) 214-6439

Please join us as we honor those advocates who have made significant contributions to the preservation of Central New York’s historic resources and celebrate the strengthening of our regions historic infrastructure. We are very excited to celebrate the wonderful preservation stories of this past year and hope you will join us in supporting this cause.

Jasena R. Foley Education Award – Michael Stanton

PACNY is proud to present the Jasena R. Foley Education Award to Michael Stanton for his longstanding role as a facilitator of public discourse regarding historic preservation, community planning, and public policy in Central New York.

Mike Stanton has stimulated important discussions while maintaining the PACNY list serve, engaging hundreds of preservationists, architects, planners and the general public in historic preservation and urban issues. As a Board Member for PACNY, Mike also developed the Syracuse Then and Now website, providing easy access to history and historic architecture about historic Syracuse. He has also been an outspoken neighborhood advocate as the longtime leader of the Southeast University Neighborhood Association. His contribution has been essential to the success of the local historic preservation movement over the past fifteen years.

What is perhaps most remarkable about Mike’s contributions is that he has committed all of this time and energy on an entirely volunteer basis. Our community is truly indebted to Mike Stanton.

Wilma T. Auer Award – Elizabeth Crawford

With tremendous appreciation and gratitude, PACNY is pleased to present the Wilma T. Auer Award to Elizabeth Crawford for her service and outstanding contributions to PACNY.

Beth Crawford has been a driving force as a volunteer, Board member and officer of PACNY for nearly 20 years. Beth served many years as the organization’s Vice President and served as Chair or Member on the Preservation, Events, and Awards Committees. Some of her many notable events and contributions included organizing a reenactment of the Jerry Rescue (at Clinton Square) and dramatization of abolitionist themes (at Grace Episcopal Church). In addition, Beth worked many hours as a volunteer on the research and design of the Syracuse Freedom Trail sign project.

Beth completed a term of service on the PACNY Board of Directors this past year. We cannot adequately express our gratitude to Beth for her leadership and contributions over the past 2 decades, and look forward to her ongoing involvement with future PACNY endeavors. Thank you!

Preservation Merit Award – Christine Capella-Peters

PACNY is thrilled to recognize Christine Capella-Peters with a Preservation Merit Award for her significant commitment to and advocacy for preserving historic resources throughout the Central New York community.

Chris Capella-Peters’ career in historic preservation began with a faculty position at SUNY-ESF, during which she helped establish the Urban Design Studio for Landscape Architecture students. She is a nationally renowned expert on Historic Landscape Preservation and was co-editor of “The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes”, published in 1996 by the National Park Service. However, Chris is perhaps best known because of her position at the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, from which she recently retired at the end of last year. In her role at NYSOPRHP, Chris reviewed and provided technical guidance to historic property owners, stewards and managers, landscape architects, preservation planners, architects, contractors and project reviewers on countless projects.

On behalf of the Central New York community, PACNY would like to thank Chris Capella-Peters for her longstanding stewardship and leadership for the historic resources in our community.