About Michel R. Lefèvre, AICP

Michel (in red jacket) with "The Heights" Historic District preservation advocates in Reading, Pennsylvania

Michel R. Lefèvre, AICP, was born in France and immigrated with his family to the United States at the age of twelve.  Four years later he joined the merchant marine as a deck hand and traveled throughout the world. Until his late twenties Lefèvre was employed in a variety of occupations, but ultimately found his life’s calling as a planner, public administrator, and advocate for the conservation of our cultural heritage and environment.

He received a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and a Master of Public Administration from the Pennsylvania State University, Capital Campus, Middletown, Pennsylvania. He is certified as a planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners and meets National Park Service Professional Qualification Standards.

He was employed as the historic preservation specialist for the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, from 1978 to 1989 and was instrumental in establishing one of the most successful municipal historic preservation programs in the commonwealth. Subsequently he was hired in 1989 as a community and historic preservation planner by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) because of his highly successful administration of the city’s historic preservation program, and for his expertise in implementing historic preservation at the municipal level, and in part due to increasing requests by the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs as an instructor in the relatively new field of historic preservation administration.

After 22 years of service to the Commonwealth he retired from the agency in March 2011. Lefèvre has written magazine and newsletter articles for state and federal government publications. Two of his publications Historic District Designation in Pennsylvania and A Manual for Historical Architectural Review Boards and Historical Commissions published by PHMC continue to be used by historic preservation professionals and advocates.

Lefèvre has developed, coordinated, and produced hundreds of workshops, seminars, and conferences with great success. He is a member of the American Planning Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Pennsylvania, Preservation Action, the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, and several other historic preservation and cultural organizations.