About the Conference

The 2022 Local History and Historic Preservation Conference will be held at the Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center in Rothschild. We are excited to develop programs that will be offered simultaneously to those attending in Rothschild as well as online. Conference information will be updated on this website as it becomes available.

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In-Person Experience

Attendees may choose to attend any of the sessions held at the convention center as well as local networking or tour events. Workshops are available and require advanced registration because of limited participants. Your registration fee includes breakfast, snacks, and lunch provided at the convention center. You will also have access to session recordings after the conference for 90 days.

Online Experience

Attendees who prefer to attend online will have access to sessions and keynote presentations through Zoom as well as the session recordings for 90 days after the conference.

Schedule and Program

You can now download the schedule of sessions and workshops and full conference brochure! A schedule and titles of sessions and workshops can also be found on the registration website as you work through the registration process.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

BROCHURE

Keynote Speakers

Sean Kelley

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Sean Kelley

Sean Kelley is a non-profit leader who writes and speaks broadly about the changing role of American museums. He is dedicated to creating engaging and memorable museum experiences for broad audiences.

Mr. Kelley oversees all aspects of the visitor experience—including all exhibits, events, visitor services, and public programs—at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Philadelphia. He visits active prisons and works to bring the voices of currently and formerly incarcerated people into his projects.

Mr. Kelley writes critically about prison museums and sites of detention worldwide. He is focused on the responsibility of museums to engage with controversial or painful subjects that our institutions have often ignored. He has served as adjunct faculty at Rutgers University and at the University of Pennsylvania.

Christy S. Coleman

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Christy S. Coleman

With a career spanning over 35 years, Christy S. Coleman has served as the Chief Executive Officer of some of the nation's most prominent museums. She is a tireless advocate for the power of museums, narrative correction, diversity, and inclusiveness. Ms. Coleman is an innovator and leader in the museum field, having held leadership roles at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the American Civil War Museum. She now serves as the Executive Director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

Ms. Coleman is the recipient of numerous awards for her decades of impact, including three Honorary Doctorates. In 2018, Time Magazine named her one of the "31 People Changing the South" and in 2019, Worth Magazine named her one of "29 Women Changing the World." She has written numerous articles, is an accomplished screenwriter and public speaker, and has appeared on several national news and history programs.

She served as the historical consultant for the award-winning film Harriett and Showtime's Good Lord Bird. She most recently appeared in the award-winning documentaries Grant, Abraham Lincoln, Black Patriots: Civil War Heroes, Neutral Ground, and When the Monuments Came Down.

Funding for Ms. Coleman's keynote has been generously provided by the Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation. Additional funding for the keynote is provided by the James Madison Lectures endowment, which was made possible by a generous bequest from the Estate of John A. Peters and many private donors.

How to Register

Registration Is Now Open!

Deadline to register for In-Person is October 3rd

Deadline to register for Online is October 10th

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IN-PERSON Registration:

Two Day - $140
One Day - $80
Student Two Day - $80
Student One Day - $50

ONLINE Registration - $50

Wisconsin Historical Society Members receive a 10% member discount

Join Today

During registration, attendees can choose to attend one or both days of the conference either in person in Rothschild or online. Workshops have limited seating and are only available at the conference center. You must select your workshops as you purchase your registration to reserve your spot. If attending in person, you will also be asked to RSVP for the meals that are included in your registration. Thank you for helping us reduce food waste!

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AIA Wisconsin Continuing Education Credits

 

AIA Wisconsin is a Registered Provider for the AIA Continuing Education System (CES). AIA members will earn AIA/CES learning unit hours by participating in the designated sessions. Participants must attend full live session to receive AIA/CES credit. 

• Building Facades: Design Ideas for Every Size & Type by Joe Lawniczak, Downtown Design Specialist, Wisconsin Main Street (1 LU)
• Wisconsin Barns and Their Role in Rural Economic Development by Chuck Law, Distinguished Lecturer Emeritus, UW Extension, Bill Tishler, Emeritus Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Don Olson, owner of the Olson family farm in Gilman Township, Pierce County (1 LU)
• Hard Solutions: Demolition by Neglect by Heather Bailey, Preservation Planner, City of Madison (1 LU/HSW)
• Strategies for Dealing with “Problem Property Owners” by Errin Welty, Senior Downtown Development Director, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (1 LU)
• Historic Structure Reports by Royce Yeater, Director, Jeffris Family Foundation (1 LU/HSW)
• The State of Historic Preservation on Main Street Today by Joe Lawniczak, Downtown Design Specialist, Wisconsin Main Street (1 LU/HSW)
• Preservation For All: Creating Affordable Housing in Historic Neighborhoods and Downtowns by Kim Trent, Executive VP for Preservation, Kinkead Housing Foundation (1 LU/HSW)

• Preserving Wisconsin’s Modern Heritage with Docomomo US/Wisconsin by Matthew Amman, Treasurer, Docomomo US/Wisconsin; Eric Vogel, President, Docomomo US/Wisconsin; and Shannon Winterhalter, Vice President, Docomomo US/Wisconsin (1 LU)

 

Hotel Information

The following hotels have reserved room blocks for conference attendees:

Holiday Inn & Suites Wausau-Rothschild

Single rooms are available for $90 per night and double rooms are available for $102 per night plus tax. The discount is available under room block WI Historical Society with group code WHS. Reservations can be made by calling 715-355-1111 or online.

Best Western Plus Wausau-Rothschild

Standard rooms are available for $90 per night and suites are available for $103 per night plus tax. The discount is available under room block WI Historical Society 2022. Reservations can be made by calling 715-355-8900.

Jefferson Street Inn

Rooms are available for $90 for government employees and $109 for non-government employees. The discount is available under room block Wisconsin Historical Society and the group code is WIHAPB. Reservations can be made by calling 866-855-6500 or 715-261-4617 or online.

 

2022 Conference Partners

The Wisconsin Historical Society appreciates the support of our 2022 partners:

AIA Wisconsin