MEET THE TEAM

Katie Fitzhugh

DIRECTOR OF DECONSTRUCTION
katie@repurposesavannah.org

Katie Fitzhugh leads our deconstruction team in the field. Her passion for architectural history drew her to a career in material preservation through deconstruction with Re:Purpose Savannah. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Architectural History from the Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and a Bachelor of Arts in History (emphasis in colonial American studies) from the University of Montana, where she also minored in African American studies.

Prior to joining our organization, she worked as an interpretive ranger at the Wormsloe State Historic site for two years. She is chairwoman of the Friends of Wormsloe Volunteer Group and a member of the Leadership Council of the National Small Business Administration (NSBA), a small-business advocacy organization working to support small business interests nationwide. 

Katie is a historic document research buff who can put together a family tree all the way back to a King’s Grant without breaking a sweat.

Kelley Lowe

DIRECTOR OF SALVAGE
kelley@repurposesavannah.org

Kelley Lowe is a passionate environmentalist. Her interest in creating a sustainable future for material culture drew her to the work of Re:Purpose Savannah, where she is helping to build a regional market for reclaimed lumber.

Kelley has experience directing sales for national brands. She has also worked in fine art production and conservation as well as administration for arts-based institutions. She holds a Master of Science in Conservation Studies from University College London and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Kelley will eagerly trade French or Italian lessons for old-growth wood.

MAE BOWLEY

PAST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
mae@repurposesavannah.org

Mae moved to Savannah in 2015 and became enamored of the city's historic buildings and romantic tree canopies. When she enrolled in Historic Preservation courses at Savannah Technical College (just for fun) her interest in buildings turned into a passion for building materials. Now, in her role as ED for Re:Purpose, she is professionally obsessed with old-growth lumber.

Before she got bit by the historic building bug, she was creative director for a manufacturing firm, market manager for an urban farm, and principal in her own marketing consultancy for creative startups, Bowley Creative. Mae holds a Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Art in Classical Archaeology from Florida State University along with a Master of Art in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

On any given day you can check Mae’s shirt pocket for a cute piece of heart pine, a cut nail, or a ceramic insulator.

CLARA FISHEL
PRESIDENT/ PROPERTY CHAIR

Ms. Clara Fishel is a commercial real estate broker specializing in women-owned businesses, infill development, and the food & beverage industry with a geographic focus on Savannah’s city center. She has a B.S. in Community and Regional Development from University of California, Davis. Clara is an Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panelist and holds Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) designations. 

ERIN WESSLING
VICE-PRESIDENT/ PR MARKETING CHAIR

 Ms. Erin Wessling is the founder of W Projects, a full-service marketing firm. She is active in several community organizations, including NAWIC (National Women in Construction) of Coastal Georgia, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Savannah and the Society of Women Engineers of the Coastal Empire. 

TIA ROSS
PAST PRESIDENT/ GRANTS CHAIR

Ms. Tia Ross holds an MFA in Historic Preservation from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and a BA in English from George Mason University. As director of the proposals department for a multinational travel management company, she has over 27 years of experience in proposal development for corporate, military and government clients. She began her relationship with Re:Purpose Savannah as the organization’s volunteer grant writer in 2018.

KASSANDRA BOSWELL
TREASURER

Ms. Kassandra Boswell currently works as a Capital Planning Consultant for an Ireland-based construction consultancy firm that services a global technology client building data centers. She holds a BS in Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She previously worked in project controls and project management in heavy industrial and civil construction; most notably working on site during construction of one of the largest coal-fired power plants on the African continent. 

KIERSTEN CONNOR
SECRETARY/ PRESERVATION CHAIR

Ms. Kiersten Connor holds a BA in Business and an MA in Preservation Design from SCAD. She began working for Re:Purpose Savannah in 2018 as a volunteer and became the first graduate of its apprenticeship program in 2019. Kiersten currently works as a Project Manager for Ethos Preservation and serves on the Historic Preservation Commission for the City of Savannah. 

ROB RINKER
SALVAGE AND SALES ADVISOR

Mr. Rob Rinker is the operations manager of Wilmington Woodworking. Previously he served as operations manager of Guerry Lumber in Savannah, and Brick + Board, a non-profit organization reclaiming historical building materials in Baltimore, MD. During this time Rob helped lead the organization to salvage materials from 300 rowhouses in Baltimore and dozens of historic structures on the East Coast. 

RIDLEY STALLINGS
FUNDRAISING CHAIR

Ridley is a top-producing real estate agent with creative flare and a diverse background in both historic preservation and fundraising. A Savannah resident for the last 13 years, she’s been licensed for seven, achieving sales records in the last four. In 2021, she established the Rowan Stallings Group with her Corcoran Austin Hill Realty colleague and business partner Melissa Rowan. An accomplished mix-medium artist, Ridley enjoys working with reclaimed wood and upcycled materials from old homes to create modern wall sculptures. Her work can be seen in many private residences and popular restaurants in Savannah and across the country. Ridley loves hosting parties and spending time outdoors with her dogs Cava and Cash. In 2017, she co-founded the nonprofit, For the Love of Paws. As Creative Chair, she leads the charge every year in planning their main fundraising event—a big soirée that benefits a rotation of local animal rescue organizations.

RYAN JARLES
COMMUNITY LIASON CHAIR

Ryan Jarles holds a BFA in Historic Preservation from SCAD and is currently the Property and Development Coordinator for Tran Capital Management here in Savannah, GA. He has held a diverse portfolio of full-time positions in hands-on preservation work, including Historic House Museums and the National Park Service (Fort Pulaski National Monument). He also has a background in preservation planning with the Chatham County – Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission, and the Landmark Society of Western New York. Most recently, prior to his current position, he was the Director of Preservation and Historic Properties for Historic Savannah Foundation. He sits on the Advisory Board for Savannah Tech’s preservation department and is a member of countless other organizations outside of also owning his own very small (just him) consulting business.

TOMMY LINSTROTH
SUSTAINABILITY CHAIR

For nearly 20 years, Tommy Linstroth (LEED Fellow) has been dedicated to improving sustainable design and construction across private, academic, and non-profit sectors. As founder and CEO of Green Badger, the leading SaaS developer for managing sustainable construction, Tommy is setting new standards for the built industry and accelerating environmentally responsible construction worldwide. Ignited by Tommy’s experience fighting antiquated processes entrenched in the construction process, Green Badger simplifies and automates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) tracking and managing green building certification processes, like LEED. Tommy supports hundreds of project teams around the world, and is a frequent speaker and writer on sustainability in construction.

GEORGE SUTHER
SAFETY/OSHA COMPLIANCE CHAIR

George Suther served as a U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Officer for 28 years. He has private-sector experience in strategic planning, facility construction, and maintenance, real estate, utilities, environmental and program management.

SAM SEAMAN
LEGAL - HUNTER MACLEAN

NICK DEFFLEY
SUSTAINABILITY/GRANTS - SOUTHEAST SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTORS NETWORK