Jennifer Coleman

 

Chair of the
Cleveland Landmarks Commission

 

by Tashja Statham, crew 6

 

 

Jennifer Coleman is the city chair of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, and she is doing her best to make sure people in Cleveland help keep our landmarks in good shape. When people want to fix those buildings up, they come to see her because she is the person in charge. Her work is helping to preserve historic buildings in Cleveland.

 

Jennifer Coleman found her love of architecture at a young age. When Jennifer Coleman was very young she wanted to be a ballerina, but then in 4th grade she realized she had a talent for drawing and art. Jennifer Coleman lived in Cleveland, near the Harvard Lee neighborhood. When Ms. Coleman was a little girl she loved to draw, design Barbie clothes, take pictures, and make gifts for her friends. Around age thirteen she started to look more into architecture. She decided to pursue this field in college, and eventually Jennifer Coleman became the chair of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission and an architect. The things she did when she was younger inspired her to become what she is now.

 

The Cleveland Landmarks Commission is a commission of city hall that administers any type of work on buildings and houses that are designated as landmarks in the city. If people want to nominate any buildings to become historic landmarks they come to see her first. They are the first entity in city hall that reviews the building. They use a certain national criteria, the secretary of the interior federal standards of restoration. Its clearly something that was put together on a national level, and Cleveland has adopted it.

 

Jennifer Coleman has toured many places in Cleveland. Cleveland has a lot of historic buildings and houses, but unfortunately many of them are in disrepair. Jennifer says, “It’s great to see projects coming in and people trying to fix buildings, renovate, restore them, and add 21st century additions to them.” Jennifer also uses City Prowl tours to educate people about historic buildings in Cleveland. City Prowl has five downtown tours, three in eastside neighborhoods and one in Tremont. One of the buildings that Jennifer Coleman thinks is the most interesting in Cleveland is the arcade. She says that it is one of her favorite tours. The arcade is her favorite tour because it has all the games she had liked ever since she was a kid. The children`s museum is also a great place to tour mainly for the citizens that have never been there before. Her hope is that Clevelanders will use these tours to come and learn about the city they live in.  “Cleveland`s buildings are something that we should value and realize they are unique to the city,” she explained.     

 

Jennifer mentioned if she could give advice to herself, it would be to be easier on herself. “There were times when I was not really knowing the right direction, which you`re not supposed to know as a kid,” she said. Jennifer was very serious. When she messed up she was very hard on herself. She has learned that you need to give yourself a little leeway to find out information and the best path for you. She finds that this is especially true in her work at the Cleveland Landmarks Commission. Jennifer thinks that if you stick to your ambition, you can be whatever you want to be in life.