Gene Morris joins Heritage Nebraska

Heritage Nebraska has hired two preservation field staffers to assist groups and individuals in their efforts to save historic places and revitalize communities.

Laurie Richards of Lincoln and Gene Morris of McCook will begin their new half-time jobs in August, said Heritage Nebraska Executive Director J.L. Schmidt. Field staff will provide assistance in four primary ways: information services; technical assistance; program review and input; and identification of emerging issues.

Richards and Morris were hired as part of a nationwide search that attracted more than 50 applicants, Schmidt said. Preservation field services provided by Heritage Nebraska are assisted by a Partners in the Field challenge grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Schmidt said Morris will cover Western Nebraska, an area defined as everything west of the 100th Meridian which passes through Cozad and Richards will cover Eastern Nebraska from Cozad to the eastern border.

Morris is currently the part-time Executive Director of the Fox Theater in McCook and the retired publisher of the McCook Gazette and the author of three books on McCook's history. Richards is currently the State Film Officer in the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, a part-time job. She is the former host of NET's "Next Exit" television magazine and the writer, producer and director of an award-winning documentary. Schmidt said Morris and Richards will keep their current jobs which will be compatible with the Heritage Nebraska positions.

Heritage Nebraska is an umbrella organization for the Nebraska Main Street Program and a statewide preservation organization celebrating history through education, outreach, preservation and stewardship. Heritage Nebraska is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Statewide and Local Partners. Nebraska Main Street is a member of the National Trust's Main Street Center.

The National Trust is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history -- and the important moments of everyday life -- took place, the National Trust helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. Headquarters are in Washington, DC, with nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states. For more information visit http://www.PreservationNation.org.