This September, the Jaybird Foundation was proud to take the stage at two statewide conferences, sharing our work in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and community partnerships with leaders from across Pennsylvania.
At the 2026 Preservation Pennsylvania Conference in York, Jaybird presented “Sharing the Helm: How Municipalities, Nonprofits, and Universities Can Co-Lead Preservation-Driven Revitalization.” Using the historic Derrick Casselberry Property as a case study, we highlighted our partnerships with Lower Providence Township and Thomas Jefferson University and shared how municipalities, nonprofits, universities, businesses, and community members can work together toward a shared preservation goal.
Just days later, Jaybird traveled to State College for the 2026 Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) Annual Conference to present “Rooted in History, Rising Through Partnership: Adaptive Reuse as Community Development.”
Through this interactive workshop, we explored how adaptive reuse can connect historic preservation with nonprofit services, small businesses, education, workforce development, arts and culture, and other community needs. Participants also worked through practical strategies for identifying partners, sharing resources, and building collaborations in their own communities.
Both conferences gave our team the opportunity to learn from other nonprofit and preservation leaders, tour successful projects, exchange ideas, and build new relationships throughout Pennsylvania. Being invited to present at both conferences was an exciting milestone for Jaybird and reinforced a principle that has guided our work from the beginning: preservation does not happen in isolation.
We are grateful to Preservation Pennsylvania and PANO for the opportunity to share our work and look forward to continuing to build partnerships that connect Pennsylvania’s historic places with their future!