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Jean Ames Follett is an architectural historian who has worked in the field of historic preservation for over 30 years. Her work includes advocacy, administration, landmark nominations and helping communities plan for a future that will respect the past. Dr. Follett has been writing National Register nominations and will continue as part of our team.

In addition to her private consulting work, Ms. Follett has worked in staff and administrative positions at preservation organizations of every size and character. Here in Illinois she was responsible for the extensive easement program at the Landmarks Illinois before serving as Acting Executive Director for 12 months. While there she worked on the design review oversight for the redevelopment of the National Historic Landmark district at Fort Sheridan, organized the annual Statewide Preservation Conference, wrote grants and newsletter articles, produced the Annual Report and worked with communities throughout the state on a wide variety of preservation issues. The breadth of her experience in the field of historic preservation has made Ms. Follett an especially effective community advocate.

Ms. Follett spent twenty years in New England where she did private consulting that included landmark nominations, surveys and lecturing. She also worked at various preservation organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She was a Research Associate at the John Nicholas Brown Center for the Study of American Civilization and served as Executive Director of The Heritage Foundation of Rhode Island (now Preserve! Rhode Island). She also did a graduate internship at The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England), one of the most important historic house museum organizations in the country.

Ms. Follett is considered to be one of the country's leading experts on the subject of teardowns and has lectured widely on this topic. She was part of the editorial team for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Protecting America's Historic Neighborhoods: Taming the Teardown Trend.

Ms. Follett has recently served on the Hinsdale Village Board and, before that, as Chair of the Hinsdale Historic Preservation Commission. As part of the Hinsdale Historic Preservation Task Force she assisted in the passage and implementation of Hinsdale's current historic preservation ordinance. She is a past board member of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois. She was recently appointed one of Illinois’ two members of the Board of Advisors to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Ms. Follett holds a B.A. cum laude from Brown University and a Ph.D. in American & New England Studies from Boston University. She has published numerous articles on topics related to architecture and the architectural profession in the 19th and early 20th century.

A. J. Chalom is a historic preservation planning consultant who works on a per project basis for Benjamin Historic Certifications. Her expertise includes local landmark nominations, National Register Nominations, deed research and environmental research. Projects for Benjamin Historic Certifications include the Lake Bluff Uptown Commercial National Register Historic District, assistance on the survey of estate properties in Lake Bluff and a Historic Resource analysis for the Village of Kenilworth.

A. J. has a BA in Geology from Carleton College and a M.S. in Historic Preservation Planning from Eastern Michigan University. Previously she worked as an environmental consultant specializing in soil and groundwater investigations, property investigations and contaminated soil removal. Her historic preservation work prior to working for Benjamin Historic Certifications includes Section 106 evaluations for transportation projects and adaptive reuse assessments for historic buildings, as well as property and deed research in Farmington Michigan and Adrian Michigan.