Alumni Updates
Dr. Kyra Lucas, an alumnus of UF’s Historic Preservation Master’s Program (2017) and UF’s Historic Preservation Doctoral Program (2021), has recently accepted a position as lead Historic Preservationist for the Florida State Historic Preservation Office in Tallahassee. Her main role is to oversee the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit program for the state of Florida. She helps applicants navigate the process and reviews them for strict compliance to the Secretary of Interior Standards of Design. The Tax Credit program offers a 20% tax credit to National Register listed commercial properties, which helps restore economic centers and historic downtowns. In addition to this, Dr. Lucas’s responsibilities also include ADA reviews, ad valorem tax reviews, tax easement reviews, section 106 reviews, and grant reviews. Her unique insight into roadside architecture and mid-century architecture, provided by UF educators past and present Morris Hylton III, Dr. Linda Stevenson, and Christine Madrid French, has been invaluable as more recent past structures pass through the Florida SHPO office. In addition to her responsibilities Dr. Lucas uses her spare time to explore and advocate for preservation education, roadside architecture, and intangible culture preservation.
Congratulations, Dr. Lucas!