An active preservationist for as long as she can remember, our President, Robin Reed, was drawn to the unique historical past St. Pete has to offer. Since moving to our city twenty years ago, Robin has served two terms on the St. Petersburg Preservation Commission, currently serves on the board of her neighborhood association, and was named as Preservationist of the Year in 2019. In addition to community-based preservation projects, Robin and her husband landmarked their own Mediterranean Revival Style home in 2010.
Upon moving to St. Pete, Robin was particularly impressed by the way Preserve The ‘Burg handled the challenges they were facing throughout St. Pete as the city was growing—which, at the time, were not all that different from the advocacy efforts Preserve The ‘Burg leads today. Advocating for the preservation of St. Pete’s past is incredibly important to Robin and she wants others to realize that saving and reusing historic spaces is an important aspect of what makes our city a special place to live.
In addition to leading our organization as President, Robin is actively involved with Sunken Gardens, one of the few original roadside attractions left to experience in the state of Florida. As President of the Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation, Robin promotes preservation projects at the Gardens, and recently helped bring the iconic Sunken Garden flamingos back to their St. Pete home.
Robin’s vision for the future of Preserve The ‘Burg includes a diverse group of members and partners that can come together to protect the city we all know and love as it continues to grow. As preservationists, it’s important for us to understand and appreciate the architectural and cultural background of St. Pete in order to keep it alive and share it with generations to come.
