Donovan Rypkema, president of Heritage Strategies International and an expert on the economics of historic preservation, will present a talk entitled "Historic Preservation in Times of Economic Chaos" at 7:30 PM on Thursday, February 12.  The talk, which will be free and open to the public, will be held in the auditorium of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies on the campus of Shepherd University.

Rypkema is principal of Place Economics, a Washington, DC-based real estate and economic development consulting firm. He has traveled extensively, working as a consultant and presenting at conferences in numerous countries ranging from Thailand to Canada. His publications on the economic benefits of historic preservation are widely used by preservation educators, community organizers, and preservation professionals.

Rypkema's presentation is made possible by a remarkable example of town-gown cooperation.  Organized by Dr. Keith Alexander, coordinator of the Historic Preservation Program of Shepherd University, the event is co-sponsored by the Institute for Environmental Studies, the Department of Economics, the Corporation of Shepherdstown, the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies, and the Friends of the Shepherdstown Riverfront.  "Having so many different groups come together to help bring Donovan Rypkema to Shepherdstown is testimony to the importance of historic preservation to our region," Alexander noted.