Staff

Samantha joined the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation in 2008. Under her leadership, the Foundation completed a four-year, $750,000 restoration of the Spirit of Life and Spencer Trask Memorial in partnership with the City of Saratoga Springs; undertook a comprehensive cultural resource inventory of the Saratoga Race Course and successfully advocated for the Foundation to review capital improvement projects to ensure the preservation of the historic character of the oldest sports venue in the country; and assisted the small congregation of the 1855 First Baptist Church raise nearly $50,000 towards the first phase of restoration of the stained glass windows. Most recently under her leadership, the Foundation acquired the long-neglected 1851 Alexander A. Patterson House at 65 Phila Street and undertaken its stabilization and exterior restoration. She regularly advocates for best preservation practices before the land use boards of the City of Saratoga Springs and provides technical assistance to property owners. During her tenure with the Foundation, she has written more than 150 articles about Saratoga Springs’ architecture, history, and preservation efforts for various local publications.

Samantha currently is the Chair of the National Preservation Partners Network, a membership-based nonprofit dedicated to building and strengthening the capacity of individual partner organizations and the collective historic preservation movement. She is currently serving a two-year term as an Observer to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an organization that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of the nation’s diverse historic resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Discover Saratoga, Board of Directors of Saratoga Leadership Alumni Association, and Advisory Council for Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), a nonprofit historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park. Prior to joining the Advisory Council of AARCH, she was a member of the Board of Directors and served as Secretary.

Prior to the Foundation, she was the Director of Preservation Services at Historic Albany Foundation (HAF). She represented HAF at the City of Albany Historic Resources Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and neighborhood planning meetings. She also served as Chair of the Solutions to Vacant Buildings Committee, a diverse twenty-two-member community stakeholder group whose goal is to recommend creative solutions for the large vacant building problem of the City of Albany. Samantha also provided technical assistance, developed and organized educational programming, and administered rehabilitation grants.

Samantha completed her Master of Arts Historic Preservation Planning coursework at Cornell University. Prior to Cornell, Samantha worked at Galveston Historical Foundation. There she was the Manager of the Preservation Resource Center, which offered historic property research, neighborhood information, and technical rehabilitation guidance. She also oversaw the nationally recognized Paint Partnership and Paint Pals programs, which provided low-income homeowners of historic houses with free paint.

Contact Samantha at sbosshart@saratogapreservation.org

A Capital Region native, Nicole Babie has been the Membership & Programs Director at the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation since 2015. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked in administrative roles at Turner Construction Company and The Exhibition Alliance. She completed her Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University where she focused in museum education and exhibition design, with a particular interest in creating accessible programs and exhibits for the public. Nicole is also a graduate of Hartwick College with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, focus in painting and photography, and Art History. During her free time she freelances with small businesses to manage their social media marketing and enjoys spending time with her husband and toddler. Nicole currently serves as the President for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Hudson-Mohawk Chapter.

Contact Nicole at nbabie@saratogapreservation.org

Sydney Hedge joined the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation in 2024 as the Preservation & Programs Coordinator. She was born and raised in Saratoga Springs, NY. Sydney attended the College of Charleston, where she earned her degree in Historic Preservation and Community Planning. She also studied in France at the University of La Rochelle, where she received a certificate in French and Francophone studies. In her free time, she enjoys learning and practicing new languages, reading, and exercising.

Contact Sydney at shedge@saratogapreservation.org

Patty was born and raised in Johnson City, New York. After college she relocated to Saratoga Springs where she worked as a licensed insurance agent. She now resides in Queensbury where she is the administrator of a large, not-for-profit organization.  She began her bookkeeping business in 2010 and was proud to add the Foundation as her second client in 2012. In addition to travelling to Baltimore, Nashville, Austin, and Oakland to visit their children, she and her partner, Lou, enjoy hiking, gardening, boating, reading, and most of all, spending time with family.