Announcing the 2025 African American Fellows Program at Preservation Virginia
The third cohort of community preservationists will study best practices in historic preservation and research projects throughout the Commonwealth.
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Dr. Lisa Winn Bryan, lwinnbryan@preservationvirginia.org
(804) 573-9676
Richmond, Va. (June 9, 2025). – Three community preservationists received fellowships through the African American Fellows Program as part of the Voices Remembered initiative at Preservation Virginia. Over the summer, the Fellows will work with Preservation Virginia staff, learn from mentors and continue research projects in their communities. Planning for the Fellows program began in 2021, guided by an advisory committee of Black leaders and scholars with the goal of helping preserve more African American historic sites in Virginia. The curriculum includes “Preservation 101,” networking with historic preservation groups and professionals, experiential learning through visits to historic sites and identifying pathways to careers in historic preservation. The program is made possible through a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Dr. Lisa Winn Bryan, Community Outreach Manager, leads this initiative at Preservation Virginia. “It has been another phenomenal season of incredible response for the third year of the fellowship, applications representing preservation projects throughout Virginia,” said Dr. Winn Bryan. “Each year, it is more and more difficult to make the selection of summer scholars; these three participants in the third cohort were chosen because of their previous partnerships with Preservation Virginia and overwhelming commitment to their communities.”
“This year’s selection is about partnership and research related to African American history in three historic communities in Virginia,” said Will Glasco, Preservation Virginia CEO. “We are grateful for the support of the Mellon Foundation in this final cycle of funding from this generous organization, which has allowed us to continue this work.”
The 2025 Cohort of Fellows include:
Karice Luck-Brimmer, Historian and Genealogist, Pittsylvania County, Danville, VA
Karice Luck-Brimmer served as an Education and Community Initiatives Program Associate for Virginia Humanities, with a primary focus on the Dan River region. In her role, she collaborated with local community members to maintain a robust network of cultural organizations dedicated to fostering positive change. She also oversees the General Assembly African American Cultural Resources Task Force. With over 20 years of experience as a genealogist and public historian, she has conducted extensive genealogical research in the Pittsylvania County area.
Karice’s research will highlight the critical need to conserve sacred burial grounds, historic sites and the oral traditions of our shared heritage among Black churches in Pittsylvania County. One of her ongoing initiatives that closely aligns with Karice’s research topic is the establishment of the Danville Research Center for African American History and Culture. She served with distinction on the Virginia Board of Historic Resources from 2019 to 2023. She was featured in the Washington Post, People Magazine and 60 Minutes.
Dr. Sheila K. Wilson Elliott, Tribal Historian, Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, Capron, VA
Sheila K. Wilson Elliott, Pharm.D., MBA, joins the Preservation Virginia African American Fellowship Program with over 40 years of experience in pharmacy services. Nearing the end of her career in the medical field and being a citizen of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia, she is interested in exploring a second career in preservation.
Sheila has been an active citizen of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia for over 10 years. She is currently the Chair of the non-profit arm of the tribe, the Virginia Nottoway Indian Circle & Square Foundation. In addition, she has served as Chair of the Citizenship-Genealogy Committee.
Her research project, “Nottoway Native American Ancestry: The African Connection,” will trace the lineages of a sample of Nottoway Native American descendants, place these lineages in an American historical context, and explore the historical importance of the merging familial relationships between the Nottoway Indians and the Africans; slaves, free Black or “mulattoes.” She will demonstrate that this unique merging was rooted in survival for both groups, thereby playing a crucial role in the longevity of both distinct cultures. She hopes to share the information gained in a way that encourages and excites the current generation and those to come to delve deeper into their family history and to see the person behind the name on the genealogical chart.
Her education and life’s work have been primarily quantitative. She hopes to merge these experiences to expand the knowledge base of Native and African cultural and historic preservation through study in the 2025 African American Fellowship Program curriculum.
Marlo Green, Community Activist, Jarratt House on Pocahontas Island, Petersburg, VA
Marlo Green is a Certified Public Accountant and currently serves as the Director of Financial Operations at Virginia State University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing my MBA at Virginia State University.
She grew up in public housing and never imagined that one day she would lead projects focused on historic preservation and community revitalization. She has called Petersburg home since 2016, but it wasn’t until 2021 that she discovered the Pocahontas Island Historic District after watching a video featuring Richard Stewart. Inspired by the island’s rich history and cultural significance, she immediately began researching properties, knowing she needed to build her home there.
“I’m honored to be a Preservation Virginia Fellow, where I have the opportunity to research the historic Jarratt House on Pocahontas Island,” said Green. “This fellowship enables me to contribute to the documentation and preservation of a vital aspect of Petersburg’s cultural heritage, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to support this important work.”
About Preservation Virginia
Voices Remembered is an initiative of Preservation Virginia (PVA) to mine our past for the Black voices that have fallen silent: the voices of the first Black preachers in Virginia, the voices of a family in a rural Virginia shack, newly freed and pondering the future, and the voices of long-forgotten ancestors who still have lessons to teach. Across Virginia, we aim to bring these voices to life, connect them to modern communities, and build capacity in local communities to ensure these historic places remain an integral part of the American story.
Preservation Virginia is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and engaging the public in fostering, supporting and sustaining Virginia’s historic places through leadership in advocacy, education, revitalization and stewardship. Read more at www.preservationvirginia.org.