about The PSAA
In 2018, a group of dedicated preservationists and futurists got together and conceived an idea to form an alliance of organizations that would work together to get projects accomplished that are important to our community. PSAA is the result of that dream.
The Palm Springs Architectural Alliance is a project of the Palm Springs Center for Creativity, a 501c3 tax-exempt organization, EIN 83-2444190
Meet The founders
Dick Burkett
Dick’s career blends interior design, entrepreneurship and hotel management. After a career in business, and becoming increasingly interested in interior design and architecture, he began studying at Corcoran Art Institute in Washington, D.C. and the University of Maryland.
Upon moving to Palm Springs he joined every architecture and preservation organization, PS Art Museum Legacy Circle, served on the PS Modern Committee board and the Historic Site Preservation Board and co-founded the Palm Springs Architectural Alliance.
760-774-5795
Debra Hovel
After a long design career in snowy Minneapolis, Debra moved with her husband to sunny Palm Springs. Being surrounded by such amazing examples of architecture and natural beauty led her to join every conceivable preservation and art organizations and immerse herself in the arts community.
After years of active preservation and arts involvement she joined with the other PSAA founders to create a consortium of local organizations devoted to the future of Palm Springs built environment, and education.
612-483-0993
Sidney Williams
Sidney Williams was director of education and public programs before becoming curator of architecture and design at the Palm Springs Art Museum from 2003 to 2016. She was the founding curator of the Architecture and Design Center after an historic rehabilitation of a 1961 bank building which opened in 2014.
Currently, she lectures on modern architecture and is active in the Palm Springs Architectural Alliance that focuses on fostering the legacy of Palm Springs’s architectural excellence into the future.
760-219-1661
Richard Hovel
Richard Hovel had a successful career as a retail store designer and content developer. After moving with his wife to Palm Springs he became excited at the idea of expanding on the legacy of great and innovative architecture of Palm Springs.
A dedicated futurist, PSAA was borne of his interest in the future, technology, design and education for young people in the Coachella Valley.
612-483-0994
Our volunteer teams
PSAA focuses its efforts on various projects that support the mission, and each project is assigned a Task Force team based on their expertise, experience, and interests. Many of these team members are also active in our allied organizations. We rely on these tireless volunteers to work in various capacities on behalf of the PSAA.
Task Force
Marina Acosta
Stefane Barbeau
Bert Bitanga
Dick Burkett
Tom Dolle
Debra Hovel
Richard Hovel
Duane Smith
Sidney Williams
Future Ideation
AIA
CVP
Modernism Week
Preservation Mirage
PS Historical Society
PS ModCom
PS Museum
PS Preservation Foundation
PS Historic Site Preservation Board
Development
& Events
Kitty Mahon
Carol Munro
Kim Zakowski
Joe Zakowski
Graphics & Marketing
Tom Dolle
Richard Hovel
The Book
Dick Burkett
Alan Hess
Debra Hovel
Janice Lyle
Sidney Williams
College of the Desert
Dick Burkett
Debra Hovel
Richard Hovel
Sidney Williams
Design Guidelines
Robin Abrahams
Dick Burkett
Debra Hovel
Sidney Williams
our allied organizations
AIA California
American Institute of Architects California (AIA California) is committed to harnessing the transformative power of architecture and design to address the greatest economic, environmental, and social challenges of our time. We provide over 11,000 AIA members in California with practice resources and professional continuing education. We advocate for sound public policies that support livable, sustainable communities.
COACHELLA VALLEY PRESERVATIONists
Coachella Valley Preservationists is a consortium of representatives that reaches across the valley's eight different cities. Its focus includes sharing preservation issues, updates from the represented cities, preservation events, site visits, and presentations from invited guests and members. The group meets quarterly, with a focus on raising preservation awareness and communication across the Coachella Valley.
Historic Site Preservation Board
The seven-member Board identifies, nominates, and recommends potential historic sites and districts to the City Council. It’s goals are to stabilize and improve buildings, structures or areas which are considered to be of historical, architectural, archaeological or ecological value, to foster civic beauty, to strengthen the local economy and to promote the use of specific buildings for the education and welfare of the citizens of Palm Springs.
Modernism Week
The mission of Modernism Week is to celebrate and foster appreciation of midcentury architecture and design, as well as contemporary thinking in these fields, by encouraging education, preservation and sustainable modern living as represented in the greater Palm Springs area.
Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs Art Museum creates transformative experiences that expand our understanding of ourselves and the world. The museum is committed to harnessing the rich legacy, diverse creative opportunities, and philanthropic support that is shaping our museum’s future and make an impact upon the evolving cultural landscape of our region.
Palm Springs Historical Society
The Palm Springs Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1955 by Melba Berry Bennett. The Society operates two museums and a Research Center.
Palm Springs Modern Committee
PS ModCom) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of Desert Modern architecture and design. We accomplish this through education, advocacy for threatened buildings, promotion of heritage tourism, and the celebration of successes in preservation and adaptive reuse.
Palm Springs Preservation Foundation
The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to educate and promote public awareness of the importance of preserving the historical resources and architecture of the city of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley area.”
Preservation Mirage
Preservation Mirage celebrates the architectural history of Rancho Mirage by promoting its protection and appreciation.
We advocate for the protection of significant architecture while providing a path for those seeking historic designations. We raise awareness of the city's historic architecture by offering educational opportunities that enhance its appreciation.
Sunnylands
For more than 40 years, Ambassadors Walter and Leonore Annenberg welcomed political, business, educational, and entertainment leaders to Sunnylands, their 200-acre winter home in Rancho Mirage, California. In 2001, the couple established The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands to preserve the estate as a place where world leaders could meet to discuss issues of national and international importance.
US Modernist
USModernist is America’s largest open digital archive of Modernist houses, an award-winning nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational archive for the documentation, preservation, and promotion of residential Modernist architecture.