The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) has announced the appointments of Martha Ballman and David Sibray to its board of directors, according to its executive director, Danielle LaPresta.
A statewide nonprofit dedicated to encouraging preservation in the Mountain State, the PAWV provides advice and technical assistance for groups and individuals and may best be known for publishing an annual list of endangered properties.
LaPresta said the appointments of both new and tenured board members provide a fresh, balanced energy.
“The appointments are ideally blended,” she said.
“Mrs. Ballman has long been a member of the alliance, and Mr. Sibray arrives as a strong new voice for preservation in West Virginia after many years in the practice of public relations and marketing.”
Ballman has remained active in community preservation since retiring as the executive director of the PAWV in 2011. She is currently a member of the Kanawha Valley Historical & Preservation Society, which is working to manage development in the historic Kanawha Boulevard area of west Charleston.
“I am pleased to once again be involved with PAWV and look forward to assisting with their efforts, especially in regard to heritage tourism,” she said.
Ballman and her husband, Steve, also serve on the board of “Friends of Old Time Music and Dance” or FOOTMAD, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and presentation of traditional music and dance in the Kanawha Valley region.
FOOTMAD sponsors a concert series that features traditional music and hosts vocal and instrumental sessions for the community to come together to share heritage music. The Ballmans are also are dance callers for Civil War balls, squares and contra dances.
Sibray is a longtime promoter of travel and heritage tourism in West Virginia and brings a wealth of expertise in marketing and public relations to the table. He is publisher of the online travel guide West Virginia Explorer and executive director of Sibray Public Relations.
Sibray said he hopes to benefit the board as a fundraiser and by emphasizing preservation as a key to solid economic development in West Virginia.
“I never tire of talking about the value of our historical resources, and I think many West Virginians are interested in re-investing in their communities in this way.”
Before embarking on a career in publishing and public relations, Sibray studied Cultural Resource Management and Appalachian Studies at West Virginia University. He has served as chair of landmark commissions in Beckley and Raleigh County.
