Emma Rudd: Conference Keynote Spotlight

Thursday Keynote Speaker

Emma Rudd, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, has been announced as the Thursday Keynote Speaker for the 20th Annual Local History & Historic Preservation Conference, to be held at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee from October 14–16, 2026. Her presentation is entitled, “What Makes an Advocate?”

Rudd earned her bachelor's degree in history and business from University of St. Thomas, MN, and her Master of Architecture with certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Over the years, she has worked for the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (now Rethos), Historic Ard Godfrey House, the City of Milwaukee Historic Preservation Office, and various architectural firms throughout Milwaukee. 

Her passion for history and preservation advocacy stems from lifelong exposure to historic sites across the country, including her first tour of the Pabst Mansion at age 8.