HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/7/2020 Item 08, Armour-Avant
From:Armour-Avant, Aimee <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Full support for the firing of James Papp
Dear Council,
I would like to express my appreciation for your removal of James Papp from the SLO Cultural Committee. This has been
a long time coming. His behavior is not only inappropriate and aggressive; it is not professional in any sense of the word.
Below are the qualifications for the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for an architectural historian
that James claims to meet. James misrepresents his qualifications. His degrees and experience are in English. His
"architectural historian" experience is as a volunteer, significantly as a docent or tour guide, and his writings are
essentially self-published.
"Architectural History: The minimum professional qualifications in architectural history are a graduate degree in
architectural history, art history, historic preservation, or closely related field, with coursework in American architectural
history, or a bachelor's degree in architectural history, art history, historic preservation or closely related field plus one
of the following: At least two years of full-time experience in research, writing, or teaching in American architectural
history or restoration architecture with an academic institution, historical organization or agency, museum, or other
professional institution; or Substantial contribution through research and publication to the body of scholarly knowledge
in the field of American architectural history."
https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_9.htm
James has undoubtedly spent many hours volunteering for important causes, but it comes at a cost to those around him.
I encourage you to review his behavior at the Jack House and the History Center. While James appears knowledgable on
many topics, his ability to talk faster, louder, and more convolutedly aggressively at you can prohibit a thorough
examination of the information.
Sincerely,
Aimee Armour-Avant
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