We’re proud to introduce the newest staff member of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation: Jonelle McCoy!

Starting January 1, Jonelle will join the team as our new Main Street Specialist, working alongside Washington Main Street Director Breanne Durham to support communities across Washington State as they revitalize their historic downtown districts. She will be based in Walla Walla, adding an east side field office in addition to our Seattle headquarters.

Jonelle caught the revitalization bug in her hometown of Lewiston, Idaho, where she served as a board and committee member for the local Main Street program. She has experience in multiple aspects of community building, beginning with her service as an AmeriCorps member at WSU in Pullman to her most recent economic and human development work with the Northwest nonprofit Rural Development Initiatives. This broad experience allows her to bring a background in civic engagement, human rights and social justice, relationship building, and systems thinking. Drawing on her degrees in psychology and educational leadership, Jonelle is especially interested in empowering local leaders to strengthen their hometowns with the Main Street Approach. Her rural roots include being the daughter of a miner, which may explain her ability to find hidden gems in communities – be it unique people, heritage stories, or historic buildings!

As Main Street Specialist, Jonelle will be helping us to grow the Washington State Main Street Program, increasing services to our 34 Main Street Communities and 31 Affiliates and developing key statewide and regional partnerships. Please join us in welcoming Jonelle!