Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards recognize individuals, businesses and organizations for outstanding heritage efforts. The nomination process is an opportunity to honor work that goes above and beyond expectations, serves as a model for future work, and inspires others. Special consideration is given to the development of new ideas, approaches, and innovations.
The Sally Donovan Award for Historic Cemetery Preservation is a special category that recognizes outstanding contributions in the preservation of Oregon Historic Cemeteries.
Deadline: January
Timeline: The nomination period opens in early December and closes in late January annually. The contact identified in the application will be notified of the review committee’s decision in February. Award winners are publicly recognized at Oregon Heritage’s annual gathering in April.
Application Process:
- Review criteria
- Complete Cover Sheet and Application Form
- Include supporting documents
Recognition: Awards will be presented at the Oregon Heritage Conference/Summit in April.
2020 Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards announced!
- Astoria YMCA Restoration Project, for excellence in façade restoration of a nearly abandoned building and honoring the building's civic roots in reuse.
- Black Butte Cupola Restoration Project, for a collaborative historic preservation effort between Friends of the Metolius and Deschutes National Forest to restore and preserve the 1922 look-out structure.
- Brookside Pioneer Cemetery, for creating a cemetery preservation plan, documenting conditions, and repairing over 121 headstones to their original upright positions.
- Janice Dilg, scholar, public historian, and history builder who uncovers diverse voices of resistance, particularly related to Oregon's women's history.
- David Ellis, for a distinguished 50-year career preserving Oregon's archaeological, ethnohistoric, and historic resources and encouraging Tribal participation in cultural resources management.
- Eileen Fitzsimons, for dedicated statewide work on heritage projects preserving Oregon's history, including devotion to historic trails, the Oregon Quilt Project, and local history.
- Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project, a grassroots Federal/State/Local partnership in public archaeology helping to rewrite the role of the Chinese diaspora and Chinese Oregonians in the history of the state.
- Don Peting, founder of PNW Field School and central figure at UO Historic Preservation Program for 40 years who has created a ripple effect through those he has taught.
- Racing for Change- The Eugene Story, a partnership between Oregon Black Pioneers and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History that prioritized community outreach and input to tell a local story about race relations in Eugene.
- Phyllis Zegers, a dedicated volunteer who has researched over 3,360 unclaimed cremated remains in the custody of the Oregon State Hospital and assisted in reuniting approximately 573 urns with family members.
Previous Awardees