During Charter Week 2007, a breakfast was held in the State Museum for the Penn Ambassadors. Nominated by state legislators, these guests were welcomed by Barbara Franco, PHMC executive director.

Goal 1
Partner with state agencies, non-profits and other private and public entities to make history an asset in support of economic development, education and quality of life for Pennsylvanians.

In partnership with other state and local agencies and private organizations, the Bureau for Historic Preservation continued the development of historic contexts, guidance and resource materials and local and regional comprehensive surveys.

• In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania State University, the Bureau for Historic Preservation finalized the documentation for Northern Tier historic farming resources and completed the study of resources in the northwestern part of the state. The study will facilitate the identification and evaluation of historic farming resources for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and for compliance reviews connected with federally funded projects.
• In partnership with the Northern Tier Local Development District and the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Bureau for Historic Preservation is developing a pilot survey project to identify significant historic and cultural resources in the region. The results will be incorporated in a regional transportation planning process that will consider the preservation issues, problems and opportunities associated with the identified resources; explore the possibility of county-wide and regional approaches to the management of important resources; develop goals, policies and strategies for the appropriate use, conservation, preservation and protection of historic and cultural resources that are consistent with those established for other regional plan elements; and increase regional and local capacity for protecting and developing important resources for heritage, community and economic development opportunities.
  

• Howard Pollman, PHMC marketing director; Lenwood Sloan, DCED tourism director; Barbara Franco, PHMC executive director; and J. Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary of DCED for tourism, economic development and film present one of six gateway signs for Pennsylvania?s Civil War Trails in Harrisburg, at the corner of Second and Market Streets.

  In May 2007, six gateway signs were placed in key Civil War Trails communities in Central Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Chambersburg, York, Carlisle and Columbia. These signs introduce visitors to the region's rich Civil War heritage and stories beyond the battlefield. With the assistance of PHMC, these signs are part of a the larger Pennsylvania Civil War Trails Initiative, carried out in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and local communities. This initiative includes a major interpretive signage program scheduled to be in place by spring 2008, a living history company and a strategic marketing campaign designed to attract visitors for overnight packages and driving/walking tours. Additionally, PHMC co-published Pennsylvania Civil War Trails: The Guide to Battle Sites, Monuments, Museums and Towns, a Civil War Trails guidebook, inviting visitors to explore central Pennsylvania's Civil War communities.

Goal 2
Create a unified identity for PHMC in order to improve its visibility and increase participation in its programs.

• Established a style guide to provide logo uniformity for consistent branding of the agency.
  
• Deployed a new PHMC Web portal site using the commonwealth's new Web standard.
  
• Promoted and marketed historic sites and museums through a billboard and media campaign for Ephrata Cloister, new design for site entrance signs and a new concept, design and format for site brochures and the Pennsylvania Trails of History.
  
• State historical marker dedication ceremonies attracted print and broadcast publicity for the program and the PHMC in general. The marker for playwright August Wilson, for example, drew hundreds of attendees, including representatives from the media in Pittsburgh.
  
• PHMC is working in partnership with First Lady Judge Marjorie O. Rendell and the Pennsylvania Coalition for Representative Democracy (PennCORD) to engage young people in civic education ventures. PHMC offers a number of resources that can be used to challenge youth to learn about William Penn's vision, democracy and how to become civically engaged.

New Web site look

Goal 3 
Expand and diversify financial resources, including fundraising and revenue-generating initiatives to support PHMC's mission.

• Friends of Drake Well raised nearly $700,000 to enhance the $5 million museum renovation and new exhibitions currently in design.
  
• New board members of the Pennsylvania Heritage Society met in June 2007 and established new leadership and committees to assist the organization in its mission to support PHMC programs.
  
• The State Bookstore processed more than 3,000 transactions through online, mail-order and over-the-counter sales.

Goal 4
Develop a more collegial and creative institutional culture that encourages and celebrates excellence, collaboration, productivity and public service.

• The brown-bag lunch series continues to provide opportunities for PHMC staff to share research and expertise in informal presentations with other staff members.
  
• Posted thank you letters received by PHMC staff on the Intranet to acknowledge the excellent service they provide to the public.
  
• Conducted classification reviews to insure parity among similar positions.
  
• PHMC staff generously contributed to the 2006 State Employee Combined Appeal campaign to meet our goal.
  
• Hosted seven scholars in residence and facilitated the placement of thirteen Keystone interns and two Minority interns at the State Archives, the State Museum, and the PHMC sites and museums.

Keeping up with many orders and sales, Susan Lindeman, bookstore manager, replenishes shelf inventory in the Commonwealth Keystone Building's store.

Goal 5
Provide leadership in state and local history by committing to excellence in all we do.

• A National Endowment for the Humanities consultation grant to the Pennsylvania Heritage Society provided funds to support consultants who took part in regional and statewide meetings to begin planning for the Civil War sesquicentennial.
  
• PHMC is participating in the newly appointed Pennsylvania Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission based at Gettysburg College and chaired by Gordon A. Haaland, PHMC commissioner. Barbara Franco, PHMC executive director, serves as the state liaison to the national commission.
  
• The Bureau for Historic Preservation developed and presented Historical Society Leadership Forums at the Historical Society of Montgomery County, the Cumberland County Historical Society and the Jefferson County Historical Society. More than 200 participants were energized by discussions and presentations about the commission's annual themes, historic preservation and Pennsylvania's architecture, with how to effectively engage teachers and students in local history topics and by archival techniques and resources for funding projects.
  
• PHMC is developing a new program titled "The Penn Legacy Project: Engaging People for Better Communities." The goal is to develop model programs for use at the regional, state and national levels to engage individuals in civic education and practice. Focus will be placed on PHMC programs, specifically exhibitions.