About us
The Lake Oswego Preservation Society is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.



All-Volunteer
The Lake Oswego Preservation Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission: To preserve, protect and advocate on behalf of Lake Oswego’s built environment and historic assets.
Advocacy
We firmly believe that if we don’t advocate on behalf of threatened landmark properties we are not doing our job as a non-profit with a mission of historic preservation.
Education
It is our aim to share the knowledge we’ve acquired through exhibits, events, lectures, books and online resources.
All-volunteer
We are an all volunteer organization with a focus on the social, economic and environmental benefits of preserving our built heritage.
Board of Directors
We are a very active all-volunteer Board of Directors from varied professions and interests in historic preservation and cultural heritage.
Board Meetings are held monthly and active committees meet as necessary.
Denise Bartelt, Board President
In 2006 Denise and her partner Drew bought a mostly intact 1907 Craftsman Foursquare in NE Portland and were almost immediately immersed in the world of historic preservation through the Architectural Heritage Center. Since then Denise has volunteered at the AHC, worked on the initial phases of their library project through a grant, and spent six and half years as the Digital Media Specialist and Operations Administrator for Restore Oregon, the statewide historic preservation organization. While at Restore Oregon she was responsible for a large part of organizing the annual Mid-Century Modern home tour and three Rummer tours. In 2016 She and Drew found their own mid-century home in Lake Oswego, and sold every Arts & Crafts item they owned. They’re loving their new lifestyle and their new community.
Rachel Verdick, Board Vice President
Rachel Verdick, an Oregon native, moved to Lake Oswego in 2001 with her husband Jonathan Puskas. She earned her B.A. in Sociology from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. After designing a second story addition to her own home, Rachel decided to exit her corporate management career to pursue her dream of architecture. She enrolled in the Architectural Design and Drafting program at Portland Community College where she completed her AAS in Architectural Design in 2010. Immediately thereafter, she opened Verdick Residential Designs. Currently, Rachel earned her Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from Boston Architectural College. She also serves on the City of Lake Oswego Historic Resources Advisory Board and Lake Oswego Arts Council Gallery Without Walls Selection Committee.
Craig Prosser, Treasurer
Craig has lived in Lake Oswego since 1991, He holds a BA in Political Science from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from American University in Washington DC. He had a 30 year career in state and local government finance and finished his career as City Manager of Tigard Oregon. Along the way, he served as a Lake Oswego City Councilor and a member of the Board of Directors of the Three Rivers Land Conservancy. Since retiring from Tigard in 2011, he has served on the Board of Directors for TriMet, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Ride Connection, a not-for-profit organization providing and promoting transit services to the elderly, disabled, and low income citizens of the TriMet service area.
Gail Toft-Vizzini, Secretary
Gail and her husband Dan moved to Oregon from New Jersey in 1979; they settled with their family in Lake Oswego in 1987. Gail has a degree in journalism from Suffolk University in Boston, Mass. She had a career in technical communications and project management and worked for U.S.Bank, Tektronix, ADP, McAfee and Intel. She completed the Lake Oswego Leadership program, was a charter board member of the Lake Oswego Asset Builders Coalition, which fostered community engagement in developmental assets for youth, and she currently is a volunteer with the West Linn- Lake Oswego Village, which offers support to seniors so they can remain in their homes.
Randy Arthur
Randy Arthur, his wife Katie, and their 16-year old dog, “Pugsley,” live in the Lakewood Neighborhood of Lake Oswego. Randy is a civil litigation attorney in private practice and is “Of Counsel” at a Portland Law Firm (with offices in Seattle and San Francisco). Randy is active in our local community. He presently serves as a Commissioner on the Lake Oswego Development Review Commission. Previously, he served as a Commissioner and as 2014-2016 Chair of the Lake Oswego Planning Commission and Commission for Citizen Involvement. Randy is a 12- year resident of Lake Oswego.
Jack Bookwalter
Jack has been involved with architectural history nearly all of his life. As a child in Chicago Jack was precociously interested in all things “old.” He grew up in Chicago, exposed to some of the best architecture that America has ever produced. The history of Chicago is, in many ways, a history of architecture.
His background in higher education has reflected his dual interests in history and architecture, and the effort to combine the two. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Illinois in 1969, Masters of Urban Planning from San Jose State in 1976, and M.A. in History from Sonoma State University in 1988. Before relocating to Portland, most of Jack’s professional life was spent in and around Sonoma County, California, working as a Preservation Planner for various governmental entities.
Jack has volunteered as an architectural historian and educator for numerous preservation oriented nonprofits. And currently works with Restore Oregon on its Mid-Century Modern Tour. He has researched, created, and presented numerous lectures and walking tours on Portland’s historic architecture, including Terra Cotta buildings, Art Deco buildings, Storybook homes, Colonial and Greek Revivals, and on the legacy of specific local architects such as Pietro Belluschi, Saul Zaik, Van Evera Bailey, and builder/designers Kenneth Birkemeier and Robert Rummer.
In 2021 Jack moved to Lake Oswego after purchasing the Bondell House. We immediately recruited hims for the board.
Joan Moore
Joan moved to Lake Oswego with her husband and three children in 1978 and is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College. During her professional career, Joan worked for Congressman and then Senator Ron Wyden running both his political and congressional offices. As a volunteer, Joan devotes her time to the issues and people she believes in. She served on the Board of the National Friends of Public Broadcasting and has been involved in numerous political campaigns in Lake Oswego. As a Board member of the Lake Oswego Preservation Society, she is able to combine community activism with her strong support for historic preservation and a sustainable environment.
Larry Snyder
Larry Snyder relocated to Oregon from Philadelphia in 2001, together with his wife Lee Ann Meserve Snyder, a native Oregonian. After graduating from the University of Illinois, and a tour as an army officer, Larry spent 20 years in higher education administration, first at the University of Illinois then the University of Vermont. Earning a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont in 1980, he left higher education for a second career in historic preservation. While in Vermont, Larry was the Chairman of the Burlington City Historic Advisory Board. He became the President of Middle States Historic Preservation in Wayne, PA, developing historic re-use projects. His projects included the Kennedy-Suplee Mansion in Valley Forge National Park. Leaving the for-profit sector, Larry became the first Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust of Philadelphia. Initially funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the William Penn Foundation, the Trust undertook from the City of Philadelphia, the preservation and adaptive re-use of nearly 70 significant historic properties, spanning the late 1600’s through the 1820’s. Larry retired from the trust in 1998, and worked as a consulting construction manager until his relocation to Oregon in 2001. He is currently a member of the Historic Resources Advisory Board of the City of Lake Oswego.
Emogene Waggoner
Emogene Waggoner has lived in Lake Oswego since 1980 and has served as a Board Member of the Preservation Society since its inception. As a City Counselor she served on the Task Force for Infill Development and Affordable Housing. As a Realtor for 31 years, she saw first hand the demise of Lake Oswego’s historical homes. She is also on the Board of Tryon Creek State Park. Prior to moving to Lake Oswego Emogene and her husband were founders of Save Old Steilacoom. SOS was successful in preserving much of Steilacoom, the first incorporated town in Washington, and placing it on the National Register of Historic Places.
Valerie Whelan
Valerie grew up in California and Hawaii. She received her BS from Seattle University, School of Engineering in Health information Technology. Her son was born one day after she moved to Lake Oswego. He attended LO schools until leaving to attend the University of Colorado. Valerie held various health care positions including Vice President of Emanuel Hospital and Health Services Administrator for Multnomah County Health Department. At Emanuel she was responsible for the Departments of Medical Records, Admitting and Patient Accounts. It was there that she met her future husband Frank,
who was a San Francisco architect working on a new wing of the hospital. At Multnomah County Health Department Valerie was responsible for Medical Records, Policies and Procedures, Printing and Distribution, and the medical hotline. She also was the manager for a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She gave two presentations at The Annual NADR National Meetings and was a published author in Public Health Reports. Valerie attended the NW College of Art for three years. During that time, she painted numerous views of the Oswego Cement factory. After leaving the health care field she was a Real Estate Broker fulfilling her interest in residential architecture. She also continues to be a very active Lake Oswego volunteer having served on Board of the Lakewood Center Associates, organized an historic home tour for the Oswego Heritage Council and now enthusiastically joining the Board of the Lake Oswego Preservation Society.
Volunteer with us
Docent at the Iron Workers Museum, help out at events, write for our blog, research Lake Oswego’s built heritage or join our marketing team and help with mailings and outreach. Let’s build something together!
Volunteer Opportunities
- Are you interested in joining our board? Do you like working with people? And are you comfortable working with a user friendly database? We’re looking to add a new board member to work with our membership database and help us communicate better with our members.
- Love retail and e-commerce? We need a tech savvy volunteer to assist our gift shop manager.
- Are events your thing? Join the committees for our Spring Event or the Boat Tour!
- Do you have a preservation story to tell? Be a guest blogger. We’re always looking for new stories to share!
- We also need docents to staff the Iron Workers Museum. Learn about Oswego’s iron history and, when it’s slow, you can peruse our collection of architectural history books.
Contact us
We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!
Lake Oswego Preservation Society
PO Box 502
Marylhurst, OR 97036
Email: 4lohistory@lakeoswegopreservationsociety.org
Phone: 503-481-2479
The Lake Oswego Preservation Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in 2011.





Affiliations
The Lake Oswego Preservation Society builds partnerships with, and supports like-minded organizations.
- Architectural Heritage Center/Bosco-Milligan Foundation
- Belluschi Pavillion at Marylhurst
- Clackamas County Heritage Council
- Friends of the Lake Oswego Public Library
- Friends of Tryon Creek State Park
- Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Oswego Hunt
- Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation
- Lake Oswego Public Library
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Oregon Cultural Trust
- Oregon Encyclopedia
- Oregon Historical Society
- Oswego Pioneer Cemetery
- Nonprofit Association of Oregon
- Restore Oregon
- Willamette Falls Heritage Area Coalition
- Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation
Supporting local history through the Lake Oswego Public Library.
The Society is a frequent contributor to the Lake Oswego Public Library’s local history collection. By enriching this collection, we enrich our community. For more information about this resource, please watch this video.