January 29, 2026

Webinar Recording: Mapping Stories, Managing Places, Connecting Communities

GIS for Historic Preservation

On January 28, 2026, Preservation Leadership Forum hosted a webinar focusing on how organizations can leverage GIS in historic preservation. Participants heard several case studies highlighting how GIS platforms can empower communities and preservation professionals to manage and visualize their unique histories.

Presentations included (with key takeaways):

  • The City of Little Rock MacArthur Park Local Historic District Viewer, a pioneering digital mapping tool that supports the stewardship of Little Rock’s sole local historic district;
  • Latinos in Heritage Conservation Abuelas Project, a story-driven, map-based online platform functioning as a grassroots and people’s Latinx historical registry;
  • The National Trust for Historic Preservation geospatial efforts contributing to the preservation of places and stories along Route 66;
  • Additional GIS examples from Esri and resources available for continued learning.

Mapping Stories, Managing Places, Connecting Communities

Introduction: Priya Chhaya, Associate Director of Content, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Moderator: Kate Lenzer, Senior GIS Project Manager, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Speakers:
Hannah Ratzlaff, Planning Manager, City of Little Rock, Arkansas
Karina Amalbert, Geospatial Project Manager, Latinos in Heritage Conservation
Allison Lehn, GIS Analyst, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Andres Vazquez, Nonprofit Account Manager, Esri
Lydia Troup, Solution Engineer, Esri

Speaker Bios

Kate Lenzer is the Senior GIS Manager at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In this role she works with a talented team to leverage geospatial technology to analyze data and create map-driven stories for preservation topics such as historic tax credits and cultural heritage. Prior to joining the National Trust, Kate worked extensively as a consultant in land and water conservation, providing GIS analysis and cartography for local, national, and international organizations. She currently lives in Maryland.

Hannah Ratzlaff is the Planning Manager for the City of Little Rock, where she leads the division responsible for long-range planning, historic preservation, and geographic information systems. She previously served as Urban Designer and staff liaison to the Historic District Commission from 2021 to 2025, and as an Architectural Designer for Main Street Arkansas with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program from 2019 to 2021. Hannah holds a B.A. in History from John Brown University and a postgraduate degree in Urban Strategies and Design from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her dedication to preserving Arkansas’s historic places has been recognized with three Preserve Arkansas awards.

Karina Amalbert is the Geospatial Project Manager at Latinos in Heritage Conservation, where she leads the Abuelas Project’s GIS platform, oversees a growing living digital archive, mentors emerging fellows, and builds sustained partnerships with communities. Trained in urban planning, with interdisciplinary interests in sociology, economics, and cultural geography, Karina uses geospatial tools to document, preserve, and elevate Latino heritage. Her work sits at the intersection of technology, memory, and the built environment, grounded in place and guided by community knowledge. Karina is also a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Planning, researching radical planning practices and grassroots movements in Puerto Rico. She brings a critical, creative, and community-centered perspective to geospatial storytelling.

Allison Lehn is a Boston-based GIS Analyst at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She's worked extensively as a part of the Preserve Route 66 Initiative, supporting digital documentation and spatial storytelling in advance of the road's centennial year. She also helps build geospatial tools and data for use across the National Trust at large.

Lydia Troup is a GIS professional working with nonprofit organizations at Esri. She attended the College of William & Mary and has a degree in Data Science and Public Health. When she's not busy teaching nonprofits about GIS, you can find her in a yoga studio or on a bike ride.

Andres Vazquez brainstorms and develops geospatial solutions with a plethora of nonprofit organizations. He holds a degree in Sociology from UCLA, with a minor in Global Studies. Outside of work he enjoys visiting museums, protected parks, and relaxing at home with his dog, Woody.

“Historic Preservation doesn't only live in registers or archives. Historic Preservation lives in people. Especially the people who are keeping those memories alive. GIS gives a way to visualize this, but it is our responsibility to make sure the community is first in that process.”

Karina Amalbert, Latinos in Heritage Conservation

Resources

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Donate Today to Help Save the Places Where Our History Happened.

Donate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation today and you'll help preserve places that tell our stories, reflect our culture, and shape our shared American experience.

While her day job is the associate director of content at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Priya spends other waking moments musing, writing, and learning about how the public engages and embraces history.

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Now is the time for preservation advocates to engage directly with your members of Congress and elevate the importance of historic preservation in your communities.

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