— MANAGING PARTNER
Marion Forsyth Werkheiser
Co-founder & Attorney at Law
Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC
- +1 (202) 555-0100
- marion@culturalheritagepartners.com
- Richmond, VA
ON THIS PAGE
About Marion
An award-winning lawyer and internationally recognized trailblazer in the cultural heritage field — with a practice firmly rooted at the intersection of preservation and development.
Firm co-founder and chief executive Marion Forsyth Werkheiser has a proven track record of convening diverse stakeholders to identify shared values, solve tough problems, and scale solutions.
Marion’s creative approach to resolving threats to cultural resources has led to first-of-their-kind agreements between developers and Tribal Nations, African-American descendant communities, and local governments that have resulted in tens of millions of dollars of investment in preservation priorities. She thrives on pursuing justice for communities who care about historic places and improving corporate governance to reduce risks to those communities’ rights.
She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University, where she was a Wells Scholar and earned her B.A. in political science and classical civilization with an emphasis in art and archaeology.
The Register of Professional Archaeologists honored Marion with the John F. Seiberling Award for her significant and sustained efforts in the conservation of archaeological resources, and she is a recipient of the 2023 Albert Simons Medal of Excellence in Historic Preservation.
Representative Matters
- Negotiated community benefit agreements resolving the impacts of wind energy development for the first two offshore wind projects in the U.S., resulting in $18.5 million committed to heritage preservation efforts on Nantucket, MA and Block Island, RI.
- Advocated successfully for passage of the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act, which created a national grant program to support efforts to research, identify, document, preserve, and interpret African American burial grounds.
- Represented the Monacan Indian Nation in their successful fight to save Rassawek, their historic capital and resting place of their ancestors, from unnecessary development.
Awards & Recognition
John F. Seiberling Award
From the Register of Professional Archaeologists, recognizing significant and sustained efforts in the conservation of archaeological resources.
Albert Simons Medal of Excellence in Historic Preservation
Awarded 2023.
Hoffman Award
From the Council of Virginia Archaeologists for CHP's representation of the Monacan Indian Nation in its four-year struggle to protect Point of Fork against the James River Water Authority.
Speaking & Publications
Presenter
"Protecting the Past and Powering the Future: Offshore Wind Development and Tribal Cultural Resources"
Cultural Resources Law Conference · Scottsdale, AZ · 2025
Keynote Speaker
"Shifting Landscapes and Preservation Law"
Panelist
"Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property"
G20 Culture Working Group Webinar · 2023
Presenter
"Tribal Consultation: A Win-Win for Sovereignty and Conservation"
Sovereign Nations of Virginia Conference · Richmond, VA · 2022
Presenter
"Offshore Wind Development: Protecting Tribal Resources and Creating Community Benefits”
National Congress of American Indians Annual Convention, Sacramento, CA · 2022
PANELIST
"Law and Preservation: Exploring Preservation through a Legal and Ethical Lens"
Women in Preservation Symposium, Smithsonian Institution · 2021
MODERATOR
"Modernizing the NEPA Process or Returning to the Stone Age? Integrating New Definitions for Key Language in the NEPA-Section 106 Process"
National Association of Environmental Professionals · 2020
MODERATOR
“The State of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: Talk with the Washington Attorney General and National Congress of American Indians President”
Cultural Resource Protection Summit · 2020
Affiliations
Board Member
Chronicle Heritage
Expert Member
International Council on Monuments and Sites
Education & Bar Admissions
Education
Juris Doctor
Harvard Law School, 2003
Bachelor of Arts
Indiana University, 2000 · Phi Beta Kappa · Wells Scholar
Bar Admissions
State of California
District of Columbia
Commonwealth of Virginia