Erin Doherty

About: Erin Doherty is a Senior Planner at Epsilon Associates, Inc. with over 10 years of professional experience in cultural resource management and historic preservation planning. Erin provides guidance to project teams navigating regulatory requirements affecting historic properties, working to secure approvals from agencies such as local historical commissions, State Historic Preservation Offices, and the National Park Service. Having spent much of her career in the public sector, Erin has an intimate familiarity with environmental laws, regulations, and guidelines affecting historic resources at the local, state, and federal levels. Erin also has extensive experience in state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credit applications. Prior to joining Epsilon, Erin worked at the Massachusetts Historical Commission as a tax credit reviewer and at the Boston Landmarks Commission overseeing the administration of three of the City’s historic districts.

1) What have you been doing since you graduated from BU? Details about your current and past employment? Accomplishments you’re proud of? 

After graduating from BU, I first worked in the public sector, which was a great opportunity to understand firsthand how preservation regulations are applied at the local and state level. At the Boston Landmarks Commission, I oversaw the administration of the City’s Beacon Hill, Fort Point Channel, and Aberdeen local historic districts, which involved everything from design review to running public meetings. Later, I worked at the Massachusetts Historical Commission as a reviewer for the state and federal tax credit programs, evaluating a multitude of historic rehabilitation projects across the Commonwealth. Today as a Senior Preservation Planner at Epsilon, I work to guide project teams through local, state, and federal regulations related to the maintenance and redevelopment of historic properties across the Northeast, using much of the expertise I gained from working in the public sector.

2) How has your time in the Preservation Studies Program shaped your professional and personal lives? 

My coursework and degree at BU well prepared me to enter the preservation field. I was equipped with skills in all the building blocks of preservation, from preservation regulations to field surveys, writing architectural descriptions, and undertaking archival research. From this base I’ve been able to pursue work first in the public sector, and now in the private sector as a historic preservation consultant. While in the preservation field so much is learned on the job, BU gave me the preparation I needed to pursue a rewarding career in the field. It also gave me a network of alumni with whom I interact with personally and professionally, all of whom are willing to support each other in our daily work.

3) What advice would you give students in the program looking for careers in preservation? What do you wish you had known when you were first entering the field?

I would say that in addition to technical skills, mastering your people skills is critical to succeeding in the field. No matter where you end up in the field, you are going to be working with people as much as you are working with buildings. Being able to effectively present information on a building or project, argue for preservation of a resource, network with peers, or communicate clearly with clients and coworkers is just as important as knowing your architectural styles and where to find Sanborn maps!