Outstanding Career Achievement – Linda Haglund, Chelan County

Dr. Allyson Brooks, Washington State Historic preservation officer (SHPO) has announced the 2023 award recipients for Outstanding Achievements in Historic Preservation. Each year, the Washington SHPO recognizes people, projects, and organizations throughout the state that have achieved distinction in the field of historic preservation. The 2023 awardees come from Grant, Spokane, Skagit, King, Lincoln, Pacific, Stevens, Clark, Chelan, and Kitsap counties.

Linda Haglund is a culture-builder and, over more than a decade in Main Street, has contributed almost as much to the positive culture of the Washington State Main Street Program network as she has to the culture of her own beloved Main Street community in Wenatchee, which she served as Executive Director of the Wenatchee Downtown Association from 2011 to 2022. She boldly uses words like “family” and “heart” and “cheerleader” to refer to her work. She is the first one to say “welcome”, to take someone under her wing, or to send a message out of the blue that lets you know that she sees you and appreciates you. Linda will tell you that she’s usually not the most qualified person at the table, and yet she’s moved mountains through her ability to highlight opportunities and convene the right players. She is the ultimate champion for her hometown and its beloved small businesses, property owners, and for her “Main Street family” near and far. Linda’s mix of tenacity, encouragement, and unrelenting optimism made her a critical leader in her hometown and throughout the state. Her work reflects her beliefs – that everybody has gifts they can share, and that we make a difference one person at a time.