Susan Olsen, Director of Historical Services at Woodlawn Cemetery, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Preservation Leadership Award by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. The award recognizes her lifelong dedication to cultural resource management and preservation education.
The Preservation Leadership Award is a key honor presented during the annual Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards, the highest distinction for preservation excellence awarded by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Olsen and other awardees will be celebrated at a ceremony on Tuesday, April 22, at the Edison Ballroom at 240 W. 47th St. in Manhattan.
For more than two decades, Olsen has played a vital role in preserving and promoting Woodlawn Cemetery, one of the Bronx’s most significant historic sites. She has developed extensive expertise in the cemetery’s renowned monuments and the notable figures interred there. Her efforts have transformed Woodlawn into an outdoor learning environment, benefiting both the cemetery and the broader preservation community.
Olsen was instrumental in securing Woodlawn Cemetery’s designation as a National Historic Landmark, highlighting its rich architectural history. The cemetery is home to mausolea and monuments designed by celebrated architects such as McKim, Mead & White, John Russell Pope, Cass Gilbert, and Carrère & Hastings, as well as stained glass by Tiffany Studios. Through guided tours, documentary appearances, and educational initiatives, Olsen has worked to ensure the cemetery’s long-term preservation.
Beyond her work at Woodlawn, Olsen has helped train the next generation of preservationists. She co-founded a Columbia University program with preservation expert Andrew Dolkart, where graduate students research and document the cemetery’s historic structures. In 2015, she launched the Bridge to Careers Program in partnership with the World Monuments Fund and the International Masonry Institute.
This workforce development initiative has provided hands-on training in masonry and landscape restoration, with graduates securing jobs at NYC Parks and historic sites like the Waldorf Astoria.
Before joining Woodlawn, Olsen held leadership roles at several historic institutions, including Woodlawn Plantation and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Pope-Leighey House, as well as the Key West Art and Historical Society. Her decades of work continue to leave a lasting impact on historic preservation in New York and beyond.
