Giving Thanks for Donna Hole

Years to come, when I reflect upon the many losses that defined 2020 for me, one that will come often to my mind is the passing of Donna Hole.

"Her service to the Annapolis community, passion for historic preservation and commitment to education combine to create Donna’s legacy of excellence."

Donna was a preservation role model, an educator, a dedicated wife and sponsor mom, and a good friend. Professionally, she is most widely known for her role as the first Chief of Historic Preservation for the City of Annapolis. Over her record fifteen-year tenure, the program grew into the model that we know today. I firmly believe that the Annapolis Historic District has become an internationally recognized heritage destination due in large part to Donna’s unflagging efforts and attention to detail during her time as Chief.

I first met Donna in 2002, when I was appointed to the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). As Chief, she served as a liaison between the HPC and property owners, contractors, and architects, and she advocated for adherence to the commission's guidelines in order to preserve the character of the historic district. She held countless pre-application meetings with property owners, conducted hundreds of administrative reviews to streamline the application process, and coordinated a series of roundtable discussions with the public — all with the goal of improving the Commission’s service to the community and its perception in the eyes of the public. Donna was an excellent asset to the HPC. As a commissioner, I relied heavily on her professional evaluation of a given project. The Annapolis preservation program, built upon the foundation she created, continues to serve as a model for other municipalities across the state.

Respect for Donna’s professional evaluations was exceeded only by the admiration of many for her extensive knowledge of Annapolis history, related municipal codes, and institutional memory. She drew from her years of experience teaching in Maryland and overseas in Germany, and loved to play architectural 'detective' to discover new information about historic properties in the district (Historic Annapolis President & CEO Robert Clark remembers, with a twinkle in his eye, "...when we bought our home on South Street, I called her inquiring if she knew what was on my property when Thomas Jefferson was in Annapolis. She laughed and said no research was necessary because at that time my lot was water..."). She came to Annapolis from Florida with a strong background in Architectural History, but later admitted that as an outsider, she needed to prove herself in order for the program to succeed. She told me once that by earning the respect of Orlando Ridout V, she and the program she was building would be regarded as credible. That she succeeded in gaining that respect was very important to her.

Donna’s accomplishments as Chief were many, but one that stands out is the ‘Ask First’ campaign. She was an approachable educator and was adept at teaching the public the nuances of preservation. Donna truly enjoyed her lifetime’s work, which she approached with grace and humor.

On a personal level, I respected Donna for her integrity and for the beautiful relationship she enjoyed with her husband. Doug shares her generous spirit and is good natured as well; I have fond memories of Doug running his extensive model train set for my boys, exercising the utmost patience, while Donna and I rambled on about vernacular architecture.

Years ago, Historic Annapolis granted Donna a Community Service award for being a “strong directional beacon for its city and its residents.” Her service to the Annapolis community, passion for historic preservation and commitment to education combine to create Donna’s legacy of excellence. Thank you, Donna, for all that you have done for our City, and for all that you have taught me.

Karen Theimer Brown Vice President, Preservation