Join us today for another Trades Takeover! Director of The Campaign for Historic Trades (powered by Preservation Maryland) Natalie Henshaw is joined by Abbey Vander Sluis, former member of NPS’ Traditional Trades Advancement Program.

More About Our Guest

Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Abbey Vander Sluis moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology. Abbey originally went to school to become an archaeologist but applied for a myriad of jobs that allowed her to work outdoors, a top priority for her. After finding the Traditional Trades Advancement Program and getting the opportunity to work in a National Park, Abbey became determined to further her career in the National Park Service, finding that preservation was closely tied to archaeology. Abbey currently interns with Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

Related: The National Park Service and private industry need tradespeople with specialized skills to preserve and maintain our country’s valuable historic structures, and The Campaign for Historic Trades is working to meet that need. 2022 positions are open for the Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) and the Historic Stewards Program. The Traditional Trades Advancement Program started in 2018. TTAP members serve in parks across the country. The Historic Stewards Program is a new initiative from the Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC). For this inaugural year, positions are available at the HPTC in Frederick, Maryland, to applicants with prior experience.