Ken Kocher is a native Illinoisan who now calls Madison, Georgia his home. Mr. Kocher received a Bachelors Degree in History from the University of Illinois and completed the Masters program in Historic Preservation at the University of Georgia. Ken has served as the Design Coordinator for Main Street Louisiana and the Certified Local Government Coordinator for the State of Mississippi. He is currently the principal of Piedmont Preservation, a historic preservation consulting firm. Ken’s work with Piedmont focuses on local historic preservation commissions including surveys, district designations, design guidelines, and design review assistance. Mr. Kocher serves as staff for several local commissions. This month-to-month interaction between commissions, citizens, and staff continually informs the firm’s approach and philosophy for the creation of effective and usable design guidelines. He currently serves as a board member of the Georgia Alliance of Preservation Commissions and is a frequent speaker at conferences and training sessions.

Ramona Bartos is Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer and Administrator of the State Historic Preservation Office for the State of North Carolina. She is an alumna of the joint Juris Doctor / Master of Historic Preservation Program at the University of Georgia, and Emory University (BA History and International Studies). Prior to her position in state public service, Ramona practiced law for nearly a decade in Georgia as an attorney in private practice for both private and local government clients, and served as a city attorney.

Jennifer Martin Lewis serves as the Public Service Projects Coordinator for the Center for Community Design & Preservation, the Public Service and Outreach arm of the UGA College of Environment and Design. She coordinates the College's community design charrettes and matches Georgia's needs with the resources of CED faculty, staff and students. Jennifer was most recently the Certified Local Government Coordinator for the state of Georgia in conjunction with the Historic Preservation Division. Prior to this, she worked for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs as the Design Specialist for the Better Hometown Program – a small town revitalization effort in Georgia based on the National Main Street model. Her experience lies in historic preservation commission activities and design review programs in historic districts, downtown revitalization programs and community design charrettes – all tools that assist communities in protecting what is significant from their past and managing future growth. She holds a B.A. in Art History and Studio Art from the College of Charleston and a Master of Historic Preservation from The University of Georgia, having completed her thesis on the reuse of historic school buildings as schools.