Drew Gruber
James City County resident Drew Gruber has been named to Virginia’s Board of Historic Resources by Gov. Bob McDonnell.
Gruber grew up in Southern New Jersey. He said he watched the historic resources in that area disappear as rampant development came to define the area. He then moved to Virginia to study historic preservation and planning “to make sure the same thing didn’t happen to Virginia as to where I grew up.”
The civic-minded Gruber has previously served on the City of Williamsburg’s Board of Zoning Appeals, a body that considers requests from property owners related to the city’s zoning ordinance. His new board oversees the designation of historic landmarks such as buildings, structures, districts, objects and sites.
The board also oversees the text and authorization for highway historical markers, reviews the programs and services from the state’s Department of Historic Resources, promotes awareness of the importance of historic resources and the benefits of their preservation and more.
He said the board’s mission matches his goal to work closely with the management and preservation of historic resources. He will serve a four-year term.
“To be appointed by the governor to be exactly what I set out to do 20 years ago is amazing,” Gruber said.
For Gruber, civil service is paramount.
“Whether it be a school board, zoning board, planning commission, local or state, everybody should be involved in civic activity,” he said. “It’s where the action actually happens and people can be involved with their government.”
The board meets quarterly in Richmond to carry out its business.
Gruber is currently the administrative specialist for the Department of Public History at Colonial Williamsburg. That job has him managing resources used in CW’s Revolutionary City program. He has also worked for nonprofit group Preservation Virginia as a contractor.
He lives in James City County with his wife, Kate.