Milton Historical Society Elects New President

MILTON, GA — The Milton Historical Society Board of Directors has elected Jeff Dufresne Ppresident of the organization, effective Jan. 1. Dufresne succeeds Bill Lusk, who will remain on the board of directors as vice president. Also, re-elected to the board in their current officer positions are Karen Thurman, treasurer, and Joan Borzilleri, cecretary.

Dufresne is a lifelong student of history starting with his teenage years in historic Deerfield, Massachusetts. He is a recognized authority on “placemaking,” the science of planning, designing and managing public spaces to promote the overall well-being of residents of neighborhoods, cities and regions.

“It is a tool that inspires people to create and enhance their public places,” Dufresne said, who served as Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute in Atlanta for nine years before moving to Milton.

“A community’s sense of place relies in large measure on its history and traditions,” Dufresne said. “Milton is blessed with an exciting, but little known, history which our outstanding board of directors and I will build upon through education, research and document preservation. I encourage anyone interested in volunteering to contact me or any member of our board. We want to involve the community in many creative ways.”

The Milton Historical Society officially began operations in June 2018 with former Milton City Councilman Bill Lusk as president. In little more than a year, the society has already made a noticeable imprint on the city, by first, working with the City of Milton, researching and installing 28 historical markers in key locations throughout Milton. The society has begun to collect and catalog a significant number of historical documents and artifacts pertaining to the area and hosts monthly presentations on a range of subjects at the Milton Library.

“We are off to a good start, and I am pleased to turn the reigns over to such a highly qualified and enthusiastic leader as Jeff Dufresne,” Lusk said.

Dufresne also serves on Milton’s Design Review Board and the Milton Trail Advisory Committee.
The Milton Historical Society is a 501c3 non-profit organization established by a group of local citizens who want to share their love of history with the community. For further information about the society, contact Dufresne at miltonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com or at 404-550-1414.