Patrick W. Ciccone

Patrick W. Ciccone is a New York City-based preservationist who has led major historic rehabilitation projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn, upstate New York, and Pennsylvania. Patrick is Co-author, along with the late Charles Lockwood, of the updated edition of Bricks & Brownstone: The New York Row House, a reissue of the classic with all-new and updated text and new color photography. The classic book Bricks & Brownstone, the first and still the only volume to examine in depth the changing form and varied architectural styles of the much-loved New York City row house, or brownstone, was first published in 1972.

Patrick currently serves as Chair on the League Board of Trustees.

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E. Frits Abell

Frits is fortunate to split his time among NYC, the Hudson Valley and Buffalo, his hometown. Frits is an entrepreneur and angel investor, and has helped found a number of start-up businesses in Boston, New York City, and Buffalo over the past 20 years, serving as an advisor, investor, and operator. He focuses on social venture start-ups, which are for-profit businesses that have an underlying social mission. Frits currently operates materialsIN, which is an AI/data-driven software venture that helps companies with their materials usage, deployment and selection. He is also a micro-developer, and has spearheaded a number of projects in the Five Points Neighborhood of Buffalo and Catskill, NY. Frits has been deeply engaged in the revitalization of Buffalo over the last 12 years, and has founded, or sat on the Board of, a number of community organizations, including Preservation Buffalo Niagara.

Frits was elected to the League Board in December 2025.

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Angel Ayón, AIA

An award-winning citizen architect and preservationist, Angel Ayón has dedicated his 26-year career to not only preserving significant historic architecture but improving it—using contemporary technologies, more sustainable approaches, and resilient strategies. Committed to professional advocacy in practice, he leads AYON Studio, a values-driven, MBE-certified firm founded on this mission.

Angel co-authored the award-winning book Reglazing Modernism - Intervention Strategies for 20th Century Icons, influenced and supported by his international project work and research. Locally, his continued advocacy work with Save Harlem Now! and the Historic Districts Council has achieved meaningful influence at the neighborhood scale. He also is a member of the NY State Commission on the Restoration of the Capitol and currently serves on the boards of The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS), the Preservation League of NYS, and the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation.

Angel currently serves as Vice Chair on the League Board of Trustees.

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Phillip G. Borelli

Phillip G. Borrelli is a Rochester, New York-based attorney and concentrates his practice on nonprofit organizations, affordable housing, commercial real estate, and tax credit financing, specifically low-income housing tax credit and historic tax credit transactions.

Phil works with nonprofits, developers, and lenders on transactional matters relating to affordable housing, historic rehabilitation and other community development projects. He is admitted to practice in New York and received his J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law. He is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law. Phil lives in Rochester with his wife, Andrea, and sons, Daniel, Dominic, and Lucas.

Phillip was elected to the League Board in December 2024.

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Andrew Capitman

With five decades of experience, Andrew currently serves as a corporate finance Managing Director at Duff & Phelps, a Kroll, Inc. business. Prior to Duff & Phelps, he served as a managing director in The Bank of New York’s Merchant Banking Group, head of corporate finance at Fieldstone, Inc., and as a managing director at Bankers Trust Company in the bank’s New York and London M&A teams.

Andrew has pursued a lifelong passion for decorative arts and historic preservation. With his mother, Barbara Baer Capitman, he was a Founding Director of The Miami Design Preservation League which led the successful movement to designate Miami Beach’s Art Deco District as a National Register Historic District. Andrew also served as director, treasurer, and for three years, along with his wife, Margaret Anne Doyle, co-president of Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center. Andrew attended Groton School, received his B.A., cum laude, from Yale University and his M.A. with honors, from the University of Miami School of Business and Economics. After growing up in New York’s Putnam Valley, Andrew and Margaret spend most of their time in Millbrook, New York, in the 1825 farmhouse they have owned for 30 years.

Andrew was elected to the League Board in early 2021.

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Benjamin Q. Davidson

Benjamin Davidson is Lead Designer of Quittner. Founded in 2018 by Benjamin and his wife Pippa Biddle as a small antique store, Quittner is a lighting and homewares design practice rooted in historic forms. Ben learned the art of restoration in and around Philadelphia, where he worked on historic homes alongside expert craftsmen. His perspective on design is deeply informed by his time working with forms that have lasted for centuries. Pippa and Ben live in the Hudson Valley of New York with their son and an ever-evolving cast of animals. They also co-write the Object Lesson feature for The Magazine ANTIQUES. Ben serves on the Board of Friends of Historic Germantown and the Preservation League of New York State. Ben is also a member of the fourth generation of the J.M. Kaplan Fund. He says, "elegance is the ability to go unnoticed, and yet change everything."

Benjamin was elected to the League Board in December 2023.

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Bret Garwood

Bret Garwood currently serves as Senior Advisor to the CEO at Community Preservation Corporation. Before joining CPC, Bret was the Chief Executive Officer at Home Leasing, a role he held from 2017-2025.  Before Home Leasing, Bret served as Senior Vice President for Multifamily Programs for New York State Homes and Community Renewal where he oversaw the development and implementation of affordable housing finance and development programs. Bret previously served as Director of Business and Housing Development for the City of Rochester from 2007-2013. He directed the planning and implementation of the City’s economic development, housing and real estate functions under a mission to enhance Rochester through real estate development, neighborhood revitalization, business attraction, housing production and rehabilitation, and workforce development. Bret holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from Lehigh University and a Master of Science in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.

Bret currently serves as Vice Chair on the League Board of Trustees.

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Anne Holford-Smith

Anne Holford-Smith brings over 30 years of experience practicing architecture and has been with PBDW since 1992. She directed the firm’s award-winning restoration work on the Cooper Union Foundation Building, the New York Appellate Division Courthouse and Green-Wood’s Fort Hamilton Gatehouses. Other restoration projects include the cast iron 462 Broadway and the Knox Building.  Additions to existing buildings include new offices for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and expansion of the Green-Wood Modern Chapel.

Her recently completed projects include the new Net-Zero energy Fellows Hall residence at Williams College, the 2022 Architizer A+ Award recipient in Architecture and Sustainability, and the Moise Safra Center, the 2022 American Architecture Award recipient in Religious Buildings.

Ms. Holford-Smith received her Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute. She is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and served as a Commissioner on the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission from 2018 to 2024.

Anne currently serves as Vice Chair on the League Board of Trustees.

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William A. Hurst

With over two decades of experience in environmental, energy, land use, civil rights, and commercial litigation, Bill is a highly qualified attorney with a proven track record of success in representing corporate and individual clients in complex legal matters. In addition to his professional work, Bill is deeply committed to pro bono service. He has represented displaced persons before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and has been recognized by the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York for his work as pro bono trial counsel to indigent, and, at times, incarcerated civil rights plaintiffs proceeding in forma pauperis.

Before joining Young/Sommer, Bill spent nearly a decade as a commercial litigator at an international law firm, with a particular emphasis on Media Defense/First Amendment Law.

William was elected to the League Board in December 2020.

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Thomas Jayne

Thomas Jayne and Jayne Design Studio are widely recognized for preservation and furthering of traditional design. Over the past 30 years, Jayne and the Studio have developed a reputation for creating rooms that are traditionally inspired, but modern in spirit, with a strong connection to history and place. Their work draws upon the past for inspiration, seeking details that will deepen and enhance their decoration.

In addition to his well-regarded international practice, Jayne has written three books published by the Monacelli Press: The Finest Rooms in America (2010), a monograph of his own work, American Decoration (2012), and in January 2018, Classical Principles for Modern Design: Lessons from Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman’s The Decoration of Houses. His work has been published in numerous shelter publications and won multiple awards including an Arthur Ross Award and two Stanford White Awards from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art and the England based Georgian Group Architectural Award for Interior Restoration. Prior to joining the League’s Board, in 2014 he was recognized with the organization’s prestigious Pillar of New York Award.

Regular updates of his latest work and travels can be seen on Instagram @thomasjayne.

Thomas joined the League Board in 2019.

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Esperanza León

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in East Hampton, New York, Esperanza León studied in Toronto, Canada (University of Toronto, BA Specialist Art History, 1995) before relocating to Venezuela where she held curatorial and administrative positions at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Caracas, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Maracay, Teatro de la Opera de Maracay, and ultimately as director of the Teatro Ateneo de Maracay. She returned to East Hampton in 2001 to open a gallery, Solar Latin American Art & Design.

Throughout her career, Esperanza has consistently worked to connect with her community through art and culture, including as a founding member of OLA of Eastern Long Island and as Trustee of the Board at Guild Hall of East Hampton. In 2019, Esperanza was appointed to the Town of East Hampton’s Architectural Review Board, serving as vice-chair from 2021-2023. She co-founded Wainscott Heritage Project in 2021 to help preserve and protect this historic East Hampton hamlet; she is co-host of the Our Hamptons Podcast since 2022; and since 2024 serves as co-president of Brooks-Park Arts and Nature Center, formed to support the restoration of the East Hampton Town-owned Brooks-Park Home and Studios historic site. She currently heads Education and Community Engagement at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton and lives with her family in Wainscott.

Esperanza was elected to the League Board in December 2025.

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Melissa McCormack

Melissa McCormack is an Executive Director in the Historic Tax Credit Group at JPMorgan Chase, based in New York City. She has more than 20 years’ experience in commercial real estate finance, development, and design. Her previous experience includes equity and debt structuring for market rate multifamily, LIHTC, HTC and ITC (solar) developments; and project management of commercial real estate and historic rehabilitation projects. She has served as a historic preservation professional for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Egypt, for the National Park Service, and at various architectural and archaeological sites in the Middle East, Europe and throughout the US. Melissa has her MBA from George Washington University, MS in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, and BA from Villanova University.

Melissa was elected to the League Board in March 2025.

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Liz McEnaney

Liz McEnaney is an award-winning cultural heritage practitioner, educator and executive. She collaborates with organizations and institutions in the US and the Middle East on education, storytelling, and program development. Examples of recent work includes the design and implementation of preservation-related curricula to build organizational capacity, the launch of an annual architecture festival, developing interpretation strategies for heritage sites, and identifying financial resources to make projects possible.

She is a founding trustee of Awesome Newburgh and is on the board of The Preservation League of New York State, The Fullerton Center, The South Street Seaport Museum,. The Hudson River Maritime Museum, and Project Hello World. She is a two-time recipient of an Architecture + Design Independent Projects Grant from The New York State Council on the Arts, and has received grants from the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

She holds an M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and an B.A. from Wellesley College. 

Liz currently serves as Vice Chair on the League Board of Trustees.

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Caroline C. Pasion

Caroline Pasion has served as the Senior Landmarks Preservationist for the NYC Landmarks Commission since 2007 where she reviews proposed alterations to landmarks within NYC’s historic districts. She also provides technical preservation assistance to residents and assistants applicants with their presentations to the Commission. Caroline also serves as the Grant Coordinator at LPC where she reviews grant applications and presents to various community groups. She is a volunteer for Bakás Pilipinas, Inc., an organization that protects and promotes Philippine historic architecture and sites. She has a Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University.

Caroline currently serves as Vice Chair on the League Board of Trustees and has acted as Chair of the Excellence Awards Jury since 2023.

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Ruth Pierpont

Ruth Pierpont served as the Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation and the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, retiring in 2016. Under her supervision, Pierpont grew the Historic Tax Credit program into one of New York State’s signature economic development tools, undertook a comprehensive assessment of the state’s Historic Site system, and maintained New York’s role as the national leader of listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Through her efforts, the state has emerged as a trailblazer in recognizing new and formerly under-represented historic resources, including buildings associated with the recent past and properties significant to LGBT Americans. She also served on the national level for many years as a board member and board president (2009-2013) of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers. Prior to joining the State Historic Preservation Office staff in 1993, Ruth worked for the City of Troy Department of Planning & Community Development for 16 years, serving as Commissioner of that department from 1991 to 1993. She was an adjunct professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the building conservation program from 2002-2007.

Ruth currently serves as Secretary on the League Board of Trustees.

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David Stutzman

David E. Stutzman is a partner in the Private Clients/Trusts and Estates Group at Seward & Kissel LLP.  For over 30 years, David has specialized in complex estate, trust and charitable planning and administration for high-net-worth individuals and families.

David is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and serves on its Estate and Gift Taxation Committee. From 2019 to 2022, he was Chair of the Estate and Gift Taxation Committee of the New York City Bar Association. He remains an affiliate member of that committee and is an affiliate member of the Art Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association.

David received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. (with distinction) from the University of Virginia.  He is admitted to practice in New York State, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, and the United States Tax Court. David has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating – AV Preeminent – recognizing the highest level of professional excellence, and for many years has been recognized in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate in New York Super Lawyers.

David is a Member of the Board of Directors of The Historic House Trust of New York City, and serves on its Acquisitions and Development Committees, as well as a longstanding member of the Professional Advisory Council of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

David currently serves as Treasurer on the League Board of Trustees.

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Stephen Michael Wilder, NYCOBA/NOMA, RA, AIA

Stephen Michael Wilder is an Architect and Entrepreneur hailing from the vibrant streets of Harlem, NY, boasting over two decades of profound expertise in shaping the built environment. Renowned for his unwavering commitment to community enrichment, Stephen harnesses his stature, resources, and influence to catalyze positive change within his own neighborhood and beyond.

As the Principal Architect of Think Wilder Architecture, Stephen leads a practice dedicated to thoughtful, community-rooted design that balances innovation with cultural context. His firm is currently supporting the United Order of Tents in the restoration of their historic Brooklyn headquarters — an effort that blends architectural preservation with cultural legacy.

Stephen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the prestigious Howard University and a Master’s Degree in the Science of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.

Stephen maintains professional affiliations with esteemed organizations such as the AIA and the National Organization of Minority Architects, and currently serves as President of its local chapter, the New York Coalition of Black Architects. In addition to serving on the League’s Board of Trustees, Stephen is also a Commissioner for the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Stephen was elected to the League Board in December 2021.

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Kate Wood

Based in the Hudson Valley, Kate is an award-winning preservationist, real estate broker, author, and founder of Worth Preserving, whose mission is to support owners and their teams on historic rehabilitation projects that bring their homes into the 21st century while honoring the character that makes them unique. Preservation is Kate’s passion, rooted in her childhood spent exploring historic sites, her education in archaeology and anthropology, and over 15 years' experience as the CEO of Landmark West! advocating for New York City landmarks. She taught preservation planning, advocacy and law at Columbia University and co-authored the book, Interior Landmarks: Treasures of New York, published in two editions by Monacelli Press.

Kate was elected to the League Board in December 2025.

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Shelley Worrell

Shelley V. Worrell is a cultural futurist, creative economy leader, and founder of Caribbeing, Little Caribbean NYC, and Worrell Media Group (WMG) — an award-winning agency specializing in cultural storytelling, production, and digital marketing. She spearheaded the historic designation and development of Little Caribbean NYC, the first cultural district of its kind in the United States, transforming Brooklyn into a global hub for Caribbean culture, cuisine, and commerce.

From 2018–2020, Worrell served as Head of Caribbean Partnerships for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s 2020 Census, leading Northeast engagement initiatives to expand representation of the Caribbean diaspora in federal data and public policy.

She has produced more than 400 immersive experiences and bespoke content in collaboration with leading corporations and cultural institutions including the James Beard Foundation, Google Arts & Culture, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Vox Media, and others. Her multi-platform, cross-cultural activations have been featured by Black Enterprise, NBC, National Geographic and Hyperallergic, and she has been personally profiled by The New York Times and Good Morning America. Recognized by The Webby Awards, Airbnb, the Caribbean Tourism Organization and others Worrell’s work sits at the intersection of culture, commerce, and community — exploring how diasporic narratives are redefining the global food, travel, and creative economy landscapes.

Shelley was elected to the League Board in December 2025.

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