Kathryn Plimpton

Kathryn Plimpton joined NRI in October 2024 as a Cultural Resource Program Manager. She focuses on advancing cultural resource management policies and practices while creating tools and programs to address emerging challenges, such as climate change, adaptation, and sustainable building practices. Kathryn collaborates with military services, federal and state agencies, tribal and indigenous partners, academic institutions, private organizations, and local communities to integrate preservation strategies with mission-critical operations and broader cultural resource management goals.

Prior to joining NRI, Kathryn served as the Cultural Resource Program Director and Deputy Federal Preservation Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She was previously the Historic Buildings Program Manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she oversaw compliance for more than 400 historic buildings dating from the Manhattan Project to the Cold War. Kathryn also worked at the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office and as a consultant for state and federal agencies, specializing in cultural resource documentation and compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act and other environmental laws. Her professional interests include military and Cold War history, heritage of industrial and scientific sites, mid-century architecture, and the intersection of climate and heritage.

Kathryn holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Colorado, Denver, and dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Archaeology and History from the University of Northern Colorado. Outside of work, Kathryn enjoys traveling, diving into a good book, and spending time with her two dogs, Niko and Yuri. She lives in the Washington D.C. area.