Harnessing the power of place: celebrating historic preservation

At Treanor, we believe preservation architecture is more than just restoring a historic building. It’s about designing a place that celebrates the past while creating a better future. We have seen firsthand how historic preservation strengthens communities, breathes new life into neighborhoods, promotes economic opportunity, supports a healthier planet, and builds a more just and connected society.

In celebration of National Preservation Month, we asked our preservation architects, designers, and architectural historians why they dedicate their time to historic preservation and organizations that promote the reuse of historic places.

Why do you volunteer?

I volunteer as a commissioner on the Kansas City, Missouri, Historic Preservation Commission because I care about the city’s built environment and can provide firsthand experience with historic buildings. The KCMO HPC reviews alterations of historic buildings and buildings within historic districts, approving or denying plans based on appropriateness. It can also halt the demolition of historic buildings.

Is there a topic or landmark your organization focuses on that you want to mention?

Recently, the HPC has been granted the ability to delay the demolition of historic buildings or structures otherwise eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This helps preserve some of the city’s most historically significant places.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on? Why?

The HPC doesn’t quite have projects in the traditional sense, but being able to participate in successfully delaying the demolition of a set of historic midtown buildings was the most important thing I’ve been part of since joining the commission.

Meet James

Why do you volunteer?

Volunteering is a way to give back to the community in multiple ways and develop my leadership and communication skills. I have met wonderful people through the organizations for which I have volunteered. There are things I do not get to do as part of my daily work, which I get to do more through volunteering. Through my work, I learn interesting things that I like to share with the community. It is a two-way process. You give something and you gain something.

How does the organization you volunteer for impact its community?

All the organizations I am involved with have been focused on creating awareness and developing appropriate skills related to historic preservation. I have learned so much from working in the field on preservation projects that I am constantly pushing for more hands-on workshops. When I was the chair, the AIA Houston HRC conducted a very successful Masonry Repair Workshop where we collaborated with professionals and contractors.

Meet Urmila

Why do you volunteer?

Preservation in Dallas started in the 1970s as a result of redlining and threats to the city’s historic fabric. I think advocacy should start at the local level, so I am actively involved with Preservation Dallas, currently as treasurer. I have volunteered for the City of Dallas Swiss Avenue Task Force since 2010. More recently, I was asked to join the South Boulevard/Park Row Task Force, as it is a significant historic district in an under-represented area.

Is there a topic or landmark your organization focuses on that you want to mention?

Aldredge House and Swiss Avenue, the subject of a paper I wrote and a lecture I presented in 2024.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

The Jack K. Williams Administration Building renovation at Texas A&M is my favorite project so far, given its significance in architecture and to the campus.

Meet Greg

Why do you volunteer?

I volunteer in my community because I feel I have a responsibility to participate in local preservation efforts. I enjoy living in Lawrence, Kansas, and part of that enjoyment comes from working in our historic downtown and seeing the town develop over many decades. I am trained as a preservation architect and have the time and talent to share.

How does the organization you volunteer for impact its community?

I am a member of the historic resources commission, an advisory commission to the city commission. We are advocates for our historically significant structures and districts, and an entity that is required by the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service through Lawrence’s designation as a Certified Local Government. This means we help review projects within areas designated historically significant for compliance with state preservation law, adherence to local design guidelines, and to identify sites, structures, objects, and areas that have historic, cultural, or architectural importance, interest, or value to the city.

Is there a topic or landmark your organization focuses on that you want to mention?

Many communities are beginning to implement a review process for building demolitions that are not within historic districts or context areas. The HRC has appointed a demolition committee to research and recommend how this type of review might work in our community, and if it aligns with the city’s strategic planning goals.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

My favorite project type to review as the chair of the HRC is a new development project within a historic district or context area. I find inspiration when walking the streets of historic cities that have integrated “new” construction beside the historic. In cities such as Boston, you are likely to see buildings from two or three centuries on the same block. Each represents its own period and style. One does not destroy the significance of the other, and together they tell the story of the community.

Meet Joy

Why do you volunteer?

I volunteer for a few different organizations, but the one that is closest to my heart is the Association for Preservation Technology International. This organization has shaped the trajectory of my career. My introduction to APT was as a “student scholar,” when, as a recipient of an APT conference student scholarship, I attended the annual conference and presented my research. Not only was my travel, conference registration, lodging, meals, and a one-year membership, paid for by APT as part of the student scholarship benefits, but I also got to work with and be mentored by a member of the APT College of Fellows. I got to meet and network with many preservation professionals as well as other student scholars. It is important for me to give back to this organization because APT has made such a great impact in my career development that I want to contribute to the growth and progress of this organization so that future generations of emerging preservation professionals may experience the same benefits I have. I currently serve on the Board of Directors, as co-chair of the Student Scholarships Committee, and member of the Nomination Committee.

How does the organization you volunteer for impact its community?

APT impacts its community by advancing the preservation of the built environment and by creating a forum to share knowledge between preservation professionals from different fields and different parts of the country and the world.

Is there a topic or landmark your organization focuses on that you want to mention?

Within APT, the program that I am most closely connected to is the student scholarship program. This program is important because it introduces students and emerging professionals to this field, thus helping develop the next generation of preservation professionals.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

As co-chair of the Student Scholarships Committee, my favorite “project” is the entire process we go through every year from reviewing student abstracts submitted for the conference, to selecting the year’s student scholars, meeting and guiding them at the conference, participating in their practice sessions to offer feedback and support before their presentations, connecting them with preservation professionals, getting to know them through this process then continuing to see some of them year after year as they stay involved with APT.

Why do you volunteer?

I volunteer with preservation-focused organizations because it’s a meaningful way to give back to the community and the places that shape our shared identity. There’s something truly special about being surrounded by people who care just as deeply about protecting our past for future generations. It brings me joy, connection, and a sense of purpose to be part of that movement.

How does the organization you volunteer for impact its community?

The organization I support plays a vital role in advocating for historic preservation across Kansas. Whether it’s raising awareness about endangered historic sites, celebrating successful preservation projects, or connecting people through educational events, it’s all about fostering pride and stewardship in our local heritage. It’s community-driven work that inspires action and builds lasting connections.

Is there a topic or landmark your organization focuses on that you want to mention?

Our organization is grounded in a strong mission: preserving Kansas’ cultural heritage. Every webinar, tour, and advocacy effort we organize is fueled by our deep belief that our history matters. We don’t just see buildings—we see stories. And by protecting those stories, we’re preserving the spirit and soul of Kansas for generations to come.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

One of my favorite projects was the restoration of the Executive Conference Room and City Manager’s Suite at Topeka City Hall. Over the years, the space had been drastically altered, but through thoughtful restoration—bringing back the original ceiling height, reinstating historic color palettes, plaster details, wood paneling, and even traditional paint glazing techniques—we were able to return it to its former beauty. What made it truly special was the passion of everyone involved, from the design team to the owner. Everyone was committed to doing it right, and that shared dedication made all the difference.

Meet Bethany

Why do you volunteer?

I started to volunteer with professional organizations like the AIA and APT after a few years in the workplace, and then I became a true believer. I realized that my volunteer efforts were as much or as little as I wanted them to be, and that my voice or efforts would be magnified by the organization that I was volunteering for. I since chose my organizations and the aspects I get involved in based on my own selfish interests. This has included organizations like the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and, my most recent passion, the Charles Stevens Dilbeck Architecture Conservancy, which I helped found.

How does the organization you volunteer for impact its community?

We build awareness and appreciation for the work of Charles Stevens Dilbeck in a variety of ways. I fell in love with his work when I designed the moving of and additions to one of his most impressive residences, known as the Dealey Residence, in Westlake, Texas. The founders of the organization knew that there were many others who loved his work, too. Three years after starting, we have a member list of about 600 people, and over 900 attended our last home tour.

Is there a topic or landmark your organization focuses on that you want to mention?

Dilbeck’s work, including his “Texas Ranch Style,” is engaging and populist. A combination of California Ranch houses with Storybook traditions and adapted to the Texas environment, Dilbeck incorporated whimsy and many signature features to his work, which is readily recognized and copied by many. A focus on his work only makes the built environment a better place.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

We have raised money for a book that will be published in the next couple of years. The book, authored by Willis Winters, will fully document Dilbeck’s work and inspire its preservation. I am writing the foreword.

Meet Nancy

Why do you volunteer?

Service to others has been important to me since I was a child. It was a value instilled in me by my family through their example. And it was amplified while I was a member of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. I have always been heavily involved because I value service to others and have witnessed its impact firsthand. Professionally, service to others was again reinforced when I had the privilege of being selected for participation in the award-winning AIA Dallas’ Emerging Leaders Program. Through that program, the idea of a “citizen architect” was emphasized, and the importance of using our unique perspective, talents, and experiences to not only impact the built environment but also improve the quality of life of the people within our community.

How does the organization you volunteer for impact its community?

I volunteer with several organizations relating to my professional expertise as a historic preservation architect, as well as organizations unrelated to historic preservation. In any type of organization, architects have the opportunity to provide more than their expertise; they bring a mindset crafted through our training in school that enables us to take a holistic approach to organizations and situations by seeing the big picture and leading an interdisciplinary and diverse group of people towards a common goal. The organizations related to historic preservation impact the community by bridging the gap between the profession and the community by protecting and celebrating the community’s architectural and cultural heritage, therefore making a positive impact on the future.

Meet Justin

Why do you volunteer?

To preserve national archives and antiquities! I have served on the United States Senate Curatorial Advisory Board since 2014. Giving my time serving on a board with distinguished experts in the preservation industries of art, history, and architecture is both gratifying and humbling. I was nominated to the United States Senate Curatorial Advisory Board by former Senator Pat Roberts in 2014 to serve during the 113th Congress, have served on the board since then, and have the honor of serving through the forthcoming 119th Congress ending in 2027. In 2018, a true highlight was personally meeting and being re-nominated by then-Secretary of the Senate Julie Adams to serve throughout the 118th and 119th Congresses.

How does the organization you volunteer for impact its community? What is its focus?

Its impact is national! The Senate Curatorial Advisory Board is responsible for advising and assisting the Senate Commission on Art with acquiring, preserving, restoring, and replacing historical documents, artifacts, and works of art relating to the Senate wing of the Capitol and all Senate office buildings. The board’s focus is on preserving all Senate-held art and architecture.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

My favorite project was reviewing and making recommendations for a future smoke management system in the nation’s Capitol, which was like the work I completed at the Kansas Statehouse. Another favorite was providing consultation to restore and electrify an 1857 Cornelius & Baker Armorial Light Fixture, a six-arm gasolier chandelier. Seeing the before images and getting to experience it restored and reinstalled in the Capitol was priceless.

Meet Todd