The Greater Portland Landmarks board of trustees announced Thursday that Sarah Hansen will serve as the organization’s next executive director.

Hansen, who has preservation experience on the local, state and national levels, previously worked for Maine Preservation. She will replace Hilary Bassett, who is retiring June 30 after leading the organization for 19 years.

Hansen is joining the organization during a critical time, as the city faces intense pressure from builders seeking to tear down or alter historic properties or construct new buildings that threaten the character of the city and its neighborhoods.

Jane Batzell, chairwoman of the search committee, said the organization is “ecstatic that Sarah will be (Greater Portland) Landmark’s next leader. Throughout the interview process she shared an invigorating passion for preservation and community engagement that was infectious.”

Hansen’s preservation career started with an internship at the Portland Observatory in 2000 before she earned a master’s degree in preservation studies from Boston University. She worked in the preservation field in Colorado, Washington and Arkansas before moving to Maine in 2017 to work for Maine Preservation. She previously worked at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Denver.

She currently serves on the Maine Downtown Center’s Main Street Advisory Board, the Economic Vitality Committee of Discover Downtown Westbrook and the Maine Alliance for Smart Growth.

Hansen said she is “thrilled” to join Greater Portland Landmarks.

“I am a big believer in creative collaboration and am looking forward to working with the Greater Portland region to advance preservation-minded solutions to economic, environmental and community revitalization challenges,” she said in a statement.

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