Welcome Aboard, Dena Tasse-Winter
Today we welcome Dena Tasse-Winter as Village Preservation’s Director of Research and Preservation. A native New Yorker, Dena joins us with a background in architectural and landscape history, archival research and writing expertise, and extensive experience within the governmental and cultural non-profit sectors in both New York City and Washington, D.C.
Prior to joining Village Preservation, Dena was a Senior Landmarks Preservationist at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). In her more than four years with LPC, she guided countless homeowners, small business owners, architects, and other practitioners through the permitting and LPC public hearing processes for a diverse array of projects in all five boroughs. She also worked on special projects such as the “open office hours” initiative, to bring transparency to historic district regulations.
Dena holds an M.A. in Historic Preservation and Cultural Heritage Management from the University of York, U.K., and a B.A. in Music History from the University of Rochester. During her graduate studies abroad, she had the unique opportunity to spend a summer working at Çatalhöyük, an active archaeological dig and UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern Turkey, as a member of the university’s visualization team. She was subsequently a project manager, writer, and editor for The Cultural Landscape Foundation, and along with their president and CEO, co-edited the volume Experiencing Olmsted: The Enduring Legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’s North American Landscapes, published by Timber Press in 2022.
Dena is also a musician, and has performed in or produced concerts at many of our neighborhoods’ storied venues, including Le Poisson Rouge, The Bowery Electric, and NYU’s Frederick Loewe Theatre, among others (not to mention having spent her formative years studying at Third Street Music School, which is located across the street from our offices). She grew up in the Far West Village, and currently resides in the South Village Historic District. On commencing her work with Village Preservation, she shares:
“The Village is my home, and it’s where I first fell in love with architectural and cultural history and cultivated a desire to make sure that these histories are retained and celebrated for generations to come. I have been so impressed by the work of Village Preservation for many years, and am honored to join the team in this capacity.”
You can reach Dena at dena@villagepreservation.org.