Featured Speakers: Katie Fitzhugh, Director of Deconstruction & Kate Hilliker, Operations Manager | Re:Purpose Savannah | Check out their Powerpoint presentation here
Katie Fitzhugh leads our deconstruction team in the field. Her passion for architectural history drew her to a career in material preservation through deconstruction with Re:Purpose Savannah. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Architectural History from the Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and a Bachelor of Arts in History (emphasis in colonial American studies) from the University of Montana, where she also minored in African American studies. Prior to joining our organization, she worked as an interpretive ranger at the Wormsloe State Historic site for two years. She is chairwoman of the Friends of Wormsloe Volunteer Group and a member of the Leadership Council of the National Small Business Administration (NSBA), a small-business advocacy organization working to support small business interests nationwide. Katie is a historic document research buff who can put together a family tree all the way back to a King’s Grant without breaking a sweat.***
Kate Hilliker has been the Operations Manager at Re:Purpose Savannah for the past two years, managing logistics and inventory at the lumberyard. Kate has a BA in communications from the University of New Hampshire. Her professional experience includes brand strategy and business development for both non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companies. Kate’s family relocated to Savannah three years ago, they enjoy exploring the city and supporting local businesses.***
Kate & Katie shared how much impact our support this year had on the organization. Funds raised by our chapter went towards major electrical upgrades and a “Rotary Resaw” which will make their work much easier and drive the reuse process. They discussed the difference between deconstruction versus demolition and that they have managed to keep over 475 tons of materials out of landfills! The deconstruction process (“carefully building a structure”) takes longer and costs more, but it’s worth it. Especially considering ⅓ of the world’s waste comes from construction and demolition.
Metro's service hours have covered over $2000 worth of labor costs and have truly been a game changer for the organization. This has helped them stay true to their process of stacking and provenance, which includes tracking all of the materials they process via architectural surveys, building scans, and tagging each piece they deconstruct with the project name.
PSA: If you or your friends/neighbors have any current or upcoming remodeling projects, let your contractor know that your preference is for any “historic materials” (anything 50 years or older) be given to Re:Purpose Savannah.
Re:Purpose Savannah is a women-led 501(c)3 nonprofit establishing a sustainable future through the deconstruction, salvage, and reuse of historic buildings.