The Atlanta Preservation Center this week announced that David Mitchell is the organization’s new executive director. He is taking over for Boyd Coons, who led the center for 21 years and decided to step down over a year ago.
Mitchell most recently served as the director of education and operations at APC, which was started over 40 years ago with the mission of preserving historically significant buildings and neighborhoods in Atlanta.
“My goals include building on 40 years of preservation efforts by expanding our advocacy to be more thoughtful with cultural identity components of spaces to further enhance what preservation can offer for our entire city,” Mitchell said in a statement. He previously served on the Board of Directors at APC.
Credit: Courtesy/Atlanta Preservation Center
Credit: Courtesy/Atlanta Preservation Center
During Coon’s tenure, the center bought and restored the historic Grant Mansion in Grant Park, which is now its headquarters. It also fought to prevent the demolition of some of the Fairlie-Poplar district downtown, the Paschal’s complex and the building that housed the headquarters of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper.
The center also co-founded an initiative that protected dozens of buildings with historic easements.
“David has the experience, energy and vision to guide the Atlanta Preservation Center as it enters its fifth decade,” Coons said in a statement. “He understands the challenges and the opportunities.”
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