We are excited to celebrate the people behind this year’s most inspiring preservation projects at the 2025 Preservation Awards. Join us on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at The Caz (2221 Seneca Street) to celebrate the region’s most impactful preservation projects at Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s largest fundraiser of the year.
Please note: The Caz will stay open until 8:30 PM for the Afterparty! Enjoy great company and live music for an extra hour — Thank you, Jake!!
For more information on the Preservation Awards, please click here.
To purchase tickets for the Preservation Awards, please click here.
Honoring a Life of Preservation: Tom Yots Receives the Legacy Award
We are proud to present our Legacy Award to Tom Yots, a tireless advocate, educator, and leader in the field of historic preservation. With decades of dedicated service—both professionally and as a volunteer—Tom has made an indelible impact on the communities he’s served and the preservation movement as a whole.
For Tom, historic buildings are far more than structures; they are storytellers. “Historic buildings are a tangible reminder of a community’s past,” he says. “Their preservation allows us to tell our stories visually and even to be able to touch our history.” This philosophy has guided his work from day one, and it’s inspired generations of preservationists to follow in his footsteps.
Tom has worn many hats in his career: city historian, preservation commission chair, founding board member, and later Executive Director of Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN), and founder of Preservation Studios. His portfolio is as diverse as it is impactful, including standout projects like Carolyn’s House—a transitional home for homeless women and children—and the restoration of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.
But above all, Tom sees himself as an educator. The sign that has sat on his desk for years reads: “So many to educate, so little time.” This motto captures his deep commitment to spreading the message of preservation. “The more that people know about the benefits and rewards of historic preservation,” Tom says, “the more they will want to be a part of it.”
Through every role and every project, Tom Yots has shown what it means to preserve not just buildings, but the stories, people, and purpose behind them. We are honored to recognize his lifelong passion and contributions with this year’s Legacy Award.
“Tom has been a part of my life forever – from the time I was little and I would wander over to the Marshall House that he and Lulu owned… to when he was Executive Director here at PBN, and now today. We spent so much time on saving Trico, dozens of training events together, and he and his firm worked heavily with PBN on several Niagara Falls efforts. Tom has dedicated his life to preservation and community! He is deserving of this award and of this honor.” Bernice Radle, Executive Director, Preservation Buffalo Niagara
Tom’s friendship and wise counsel reaches far and wide including here in Carmel California where he has provided guidance to our non-profit seeking to renovate and preserve the Flanders Mansion. Congratulations on your Legacy Award, Tom!
Scott , thank you for your kind words. Preservation is a part of my life wherever I am and Carmel is a beautiful, historic community. We love our time there in the incomparable landscape and with the charming historic architecture. See you in the winter!