Maggie Stier
Neo-preservationist
Maggie Stier, born in Exeter as Margaret Moody, was the first director of The Fells and helped put that Newbury site on the map among historic sites and public gardens in America. Now she is working for the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to put the whole state on the map for innovative historic preservation. Her plans to convert some historic buildings into hospitality resources — places to meet, eat and even spend the night — has raised a few eyebrows, but with dwindling funds for upkeep of aging structures, many are ready to give the idea a try. It’s a successful model of preservation in Europe, she notes.
“I’m really passionate about preserving the character of New Hampshire,” she says, “and about opening people’s eyes to the beauty and wonder of both the natural and the built environments.”
New Hampshire Magazine knows where “It” is at. Each November, we identify the state’s most happening people and publish their names and profiles in our annual “It List.”
So what defines an “It” Person?
How about buzz, panache, je ne sais quoi, currency, a person whose time has come, a person of tomorrow, a timeless person, noteworthy, below the radar, in the news, in the know, hot, cool, high impact, slippery, a mover and shaker, a humble saint, a behind-the-scenes operator, a scenery chewer, an unsung hero, a hero who knows how to sing.
It’s a quality that’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.
Above is one member of the 2006 It List.
