Historic Ketchikan, a nonprofit organization that promotes efforts to preserve historic buildings and sites, has hired Stephen Reeve as its new executive director.
Reeve will replace Dave Kiffer, who was the public face of Historic Ketchikan for about 13 years. Kiffer, also the borough mayor, has taken a new job as the education coordinator at Ketchikan Correctional Center.
Historic Ketchikan focuses on economic development through “heritage tourism,” which is a niche market for visitors interested in history.
The organization produces a walking tour map for visitors each year in cooperation with the Ketchikan Daily News. It also provides reimbursement to property owners who fix up their buildings, and promotes the preservation of buildings that are not only historic, but still can be useful. Those include the water warehouse downtown, White Cliff school on the West End, and Clover Pass School off North Tongass Highway.
According to Historic Ketchikan, Reeve was one of the organization’s co-founders when it was established in 1990. Reeve also is a local planner and architect, specializing in urban and tourism development, and historic preservation.
