Chris Skelly

Since growing up in central Massachusetts, I have always been fascinated with how our surroundings tell us stories of the past.  While I wasn’t much interested in history class, as reading history out of a textbook wasn’t appealing, experiencing living history captivated me from a young age.  A walk through the woods to experience the reminders of an agricultural past, comparing a historic photo of a building to what I see today or visiting a neighborhood of historic homes all formed an early interest in how historic buildings and environments can benefit us all, by remaining a part of the places we call home.  

As a planner, I want to find ways that our historic buildings and environments can grow, adapt, be economically viable, models of environmental sustainability and, overall, wonderful places to live and work.  

My background includes planning experience in local, regional and state government, with the majority of my experience in preservation planning.  For over 23 years, I was the Director of Local Government Programs at the Massachusetts Historical Commission, working with a wide variety of local communities and preservation commissions across the state.    

Now, as a consultant, I am enthusiastic about how I can support more communities, throughout the northeast and beyond.