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ROGERS CITY -- Former Presque Isle County Commissioner Mary Ann Heidemann has been appointed to the State Historic Preservation Review Board by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to a July 23 press release from the Michigan Executive Office of the Governor.
Heidemann is also a former regional planner at the Eastern Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Commission and a former associate professor of architecture at Ball State University.
Heidemann's four-year term on the board will begin on Jan. 1 and expire Dec. 31, 2030.
Heidemann holds a Bachelor of Arts in art history from Reed College, a Master of Public Policy and a Doctor of Philosophy in land resources from the University of Wisconsin, and a Master of Science in historic preservation from Eastern Michigan University, according to the press release.
In 2018, Heidemann was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Planners College of Fellows and was also the recipient of the Governor's Award for Historic Preservation in 2025 for the Rogers City Theater Project, according to the press release.
Heidemann explained that the State Historic Preservation Review Board reviews nominations for historic structures and sites across Michigan to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. She will be a part of that review process, using her expertise as a planner to recommend nominations to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places in Washington if they meet the required criteria. The Keeper then makes the final decision.
Planners work to design and manage the physical, social, and economic growth of communities and balance land use, infrastructure, environmental health, and public welfare.
National Register of Historic Places in Alpena County include the Alpena County Courthouse, the I.O.O.F Centennial Building, the Alpena Light (Little Red), and the Thunder Bay Island lighthouse.
Heidemann said that she applied to be on state boards and commissions and listed the board she was interested in. The historic preservation review board was one of those she listed.
Heidemann said she is currently serving on the Michigan State Parks Advisory Committee, where she helps ensure that the public has a voice in the operations, planning and development of Michigan’s state park system.
In the past, she was a member of the Agricultural Preservation Fund Board, which is charged with managing the distribution of grants to preserve farmland and help conserve Michigan’s agricultural heritage.
Heidemann said she was surprised to be appointed to the historic preservation review board.
"I was quite surprised and pleased," she said. "There are only 12 people on it from all across the state so I was extremely honored to be among them."