Staff
Steven L. McClain
President
Steve McClain is the co-founder and president of the Trust for Architectural Easements. His duties include working with the Trust’s Board of Directors to develop policy and programs. He reviews work of independent contractors to implement the Trust’s initiatives. He is responsible for government relations and the stewardship fund.
Steve received a B.A. in philosophy with general honors from the University of Georgia. He received an M.A. in political science and completed the course work for a Ph.D. in political science at the University of Massachusetts.
Steve is the author of Federal Tax Incentives for Historic Preservation and has written articles about preservation and related topics for the Washington Business Journal, the Journal of Financial Planning and other publications. He has also given numerous speeches, seminars and workshops in different cities about tax-advantaged preservation of historic buildings.
Prior to coming to the Trust, Steve was Senior Partner at McClain-Dewey Real Estate, Inc. He managed real estate brokers and agents. The company provided real estate marketing, management, and development services to private clients, foreign governments and the U.S. government. Steve was responsible for directing the firm’s rehabilitation and restoration of historic properties in the Washington area.
Steve’s professional affiliations include memberships in the Society of Architectural Historians, The Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Association of Realtors.
Steve’s involvement in community service organizations include the following: Member of the Corporate Committee of the Lab School of Washington; Member of the National Eagle Scout Association; Member of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation; Founder of the Triangle Park Association, a neighborhood beautification organization; Founding sponsor of the Washington National Cathedral Center for Pilgrimage and Prayer; Volunteer for Martha’s Table, providing food and shelter for homeless children; Volunteer for March of Dimes National Campaign; and Assistant Scout Master for Boy Scouts of America.
Heather M. Bratland
Director of Operations and Stewardship
Heather Bratland is the Trust’s Director of Operations and Stewardship, overseeing the donation and stewardship of easements, as well as the Trust’s National Register and grants programs. She also edits the Trust’s newsletters. Prior to joining the Trust in 2004, Heather received her master’s degree in architectural history and a certificate in historic preservation from the University of Virginia. She received an A.B. in history with general honors from The University of Chicago in 1998. Coming to architectural history by way of many Gilded Age historic house tours and trips to Colonial Williamsburg during childhood, she changed directions at Virginia, focusing on American modernism. Her thesis explored the architectural production of Reynolds Metals Company, including the construction of its Richmond headquarters and promotion of aluminum as a modern building material. Heather is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Action, and the Society of Architectural Historians.
Katherine A. Neuner
Stewardship Manager
Kate Neuner is the Trust’s Stewardship Manager, serving as a donor relations contact, reviewing alteration projects for easement donors, coordinating the Trust’s annual monitoring process, as well as contributing to the Trust’s newsletters. Kate holds a J.D. from Tulane Law School and a B.A. in Art History and English, with honors, from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Introduced to historic preservation by way of a seminar at Tulane, Kate was inspired by the positive social and environmental consequences of preservation. Committed to the retention of historic architecture and to fostering awareness of its benefits, she entered the field in 2006, first as a Preservation Planner for the City of Boston’s Landmarks Commission and later as a Cultural Resources Specialist with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. She joined the Trust in 2010.
Julie D. Epperly
Outside General Counsel
Julie Epperly has worked closely with the Trust since 2004, first on its team of outside attorneys at Venable LLP followed by several years on staff as General Counsel, and since the fall of 2011 as Outside General Counsel with the solo practice Julie D. Epperly, P.C. Julie has a thorough understanding of the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations and Tax Court decisions regarding the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program. She oversees drafting historic preservation deeds of easement, manages violation enforcement actions on behalf of the Trust, and provides general advice to the Trust regarding various compliance and operational matters. Julie’s experience in private practice includes over five years at Venable LLP, providing legal counseling to and advocacy for trade and professional associations and other non-profit organizations. Julie also provided legal counsel to public and private corporations within Venable’s corporate transactions practice, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, Securities and Exchange Commission regulatory matters and general corporate matters. Prior to joining Venable LLP, she was with the firm Pillsbury (f/k/a Pillsbury Madison & Sutro), first in its San Francisco office and later in its Washington-area offices, providing legal counsel to private and public corporations. Julie received a J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1996, and a LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in 1998.