Meet James C. Giresi – one of the newer members of the Preservation NJ Board of Trustees. James holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in infrastructure planning from NJIT. He is a licensed architect and works for Clarke Caton Hintz in Trenton. In 2013, James was designated the Student Award Winner from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). In 2023, James won the annual NJ Preservation Award for Young Preservationist.
While James has his “preservation” side, he also has his “sustainability” side. The joining of these two interests makes him a diverse and exciting person to work in the preservation field. Growing up with an interest in older buildings, his work in renovation led to his interest in the history and backstory of those structures. At the same time, James understood the importance of adaptive reuse. By taking the “energy” of the existing structure the site can be a part of the future and not lose its potential for use.
In a small state such as New Jersey, James believes in the importance of preserving the variety of historic structures that help keep New Jersey history alive. “There is such an evolution of architectural design throughout the state that is still intact and preserving those structures helps to maintain the diverse identity of New Jersey. It makes the state a place of its own, not just a pass through between New York City and Philadelphia.”
James admits it is challenging to be a younger individual in the preservation community. The “under 40” group has little representation, and so the perspective of a younger voice may not be heard or noticed. James hopes that serving on the Preservation New Jersey board will allow him to bring a fresher perspective to our initiatives. He notes that one of the other challenges he would like to see addressed is equal representation of preservation advocacy throughout the entire state. He hopes that one day PNJ can expand to include all 21 counties participating in our mission.
When not working or volunteering, James enjoys cooking, BBQ, and gardening. We welcome James to Preservation New Jersey and look forward to his continued enthusiasm and insight.
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