Alumni Profile; M.A., 1981
About
Historian and architectural historian Charlene Roise was a founding principal of Hess, Roise and Company in 1990. She was president of the historical consulting firm from 1997 until selling the business in 2020 and continues to work in the field. Charlene has experience with a broad spectrum of cultural resources ranging from designed landscapes and high-style buildings to bridges and aircraft hangars. Among her many projects are Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation studies of the Hungry Horse and Grand Coulee dams and power plants in Montana and Washington and National Register nominations for Amhoist Tower (1983) in Saint Paul, Saint George Serbian Orthodox Church (1924) in Duluth, and the Hiawatha Golf Course (1952–1972) and Peavey Plaza (1985) in Minneapolis. After serving for many years on the board of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, she is now a member of the foundation’s Stewardship Council. She lives in Minneapolis and Duluth.
What have you been doing since you graduated from BU? Details about your current and past employment? Accomplishments you’re proud of? Challenges you’ve encountered?
Following a brief stint at the Rhode Island State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), I returned to Minnesota to help with a family company. After learning useful business skills, I sold commercial real estate and started Hess Roise. In my spare time, I have been active in Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (now Rethos), the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Board of Advisors), and The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Trying to make a living as a preservation professional was the biggest challenge, but I proved it is possible!
How has your time in the Preservation Studies Program shaped your professional and personal lives?
Getting the degree was essential to gaining credibility in the field. But a lot of learning came after grad school.
What advice would you give to students in the program looking for careers in preservation? What do you wish you had known when you were first entering the field?
Network, network, network. Volunteer. Show your passion for the field.
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