We honor Christine Wilkins Miller-Betts (1936-2025) as being recognized as the 2025 Bill & Marie Bush Friend of Preservation Award winner. Christine Wilkins Miller-Betts was a native of Augusta who dedicated her life to the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black history and supported the mission of Historic Augusta by advocating for the protection of culturally significant sites, landmarks, and African American heritage properties. Betts also encouraged community awareness of historical architecture in the Laney-Walker district, highlighting schools, churches and neighborhood spaces tied to local history. She promoted preservation education for youth, helping students learn how historic buildings and neighborhoods tell the story of Augusta’s past. Christine Wilkins Miller-Betts believed that preservation protects more than structures, it preserves idenitiy, memory and the legacy of a community.