Szcodronski has served as Interim director since September, when Ernest Dollar resigned to become the executive director of the Raleigh City Museum.

She had served as the preservation coordinator since October 2011, and as a volunteer before that.

“Although we miss Ernie, we are excited to have new leadership and a new enthusiasm in the organization,” Matt Pohlman, incoming president of the board of directors, said in a news release.

“I look forward to working with Cheri to engage community leadership and help those leaders to understand the importance of preservation and the positive economic and cultural impact a strong preservation organization can have in our community.”

Szcodronski has a strong background in historic preservation. She is a graduate of the nationally renowned Public History Masters program at Middle Tennessee State University, and she is experienced in architectural surveys, heritage education and tourism, cultural resource identification, and the National Register of Historic Places.

“I’m looking forward to working with our community to protect the places that make Chapel Hill so special,” Szcodronski said.

The preservation society celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012. The group hosted a celebration at the Horace Williams House in September, opened a Retrospective Art Exhibition in November, and returned to its roots for the Holiday House Tour this December.

Szcodronski said she plans to take a more active role in the economic development of Chapel Hill.

“Growth doesn’t have to mean losing our history, and historic preservation isn’t an obstacle to moving forward,” she said. “We hope to be a voice for balance between what we have and what we need, and to show our community that historic preservation can be an economically viable option with positive impacts on quality of life.”

Evan Rodewald, co-president of Preservation Chapel Hill, says Szcodronski will help the organization pursue its ambitious goals.

“For Chapel Hill to retain its beauty and quality of life, we need to be more aggressive in protecting our historic structures, neighborhoods, and landscapes,” he said. “Cheri’s energy, passion, and organizational skills are precisely what we need at a critical time.”