Rare Opportunity!! Q & A with Regional Experts in the Historic Building Trades

Historic Preservation Commission Members and City Staff,

We know that Design Review can be challenging and sometimes you wish you could just ask someone with years of experience actually working on historic buildings for advice.

Join us Thursday March 19th 1:30-230 via Zoom for the first in a series of planned opportunities- for a virtual Question and Answer session with two of our region's most experienced experts in the Historic Building Trades.

In this first meeting, we will have our experts John Goodenberger and Ryan Prochaska introduce themselves and then have time for some of your questions. You can either email me your questions ahead of time or bring them with.

This is an unequalled opportunity that you don't wan to miss!!

Meeting link is here and speaker bios are below.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85927791509?pwd=nUuoKZtNvnaNsvOd9A2NwPvfwCi8DV.1

Meeting ID: 859 2779 1509

Passcode: 830257

About our Experts:

John Goodenberger has advocated for the appreciation and preservation of Astoria's historic architecture and its context for more than 30 years. He has done this through the inventorying of properties and the nomination of National Register Historic Districts. He has provided design and technical assistance as Senior Designer in Ecola Architects, PC., and through his role as City Historian. Goodenberger helped form the Lower Columbia Preservation Society to advocate for the protection, promotion and preservation of historic buildings and sites in the Lower Columbia Region.

Realizing that education was the key to valuing the area's history, Goodenberger produced a heavily researched newspaper column on Astoria's notable architecture and its ever-changing environ. He also does public history lectures featuring civic projects and the life of Astoria's most eccentric, frequently unknown characters. And, for more than 30 years, Goodenberger has worked with 5th graders, teaching them architectural styles, history, and hand drawing.

When it became evident that a lack of preservation craftspeople prevented people from restoring their structures, Goodenberger helped found Clatsop Community College's Historic Preservation program. A hands-on focused program, Goodenberger teaches historic preservation theory and law, hand-drafting, and the history of Northwest architecture.

In 2018, he was given an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award for "extraordinary dedication to preserving the physical and cultural heritage of Astoria."

Ryan Prochaska is a recognized leader in historic preservation with over 30 years of experience stewarding America's built heritage. His career has spanned fieldwork, education, and program development, partnering with organizations across the country-from grassroots initiatives to national nonprofits-to preserve historic structures and build pathways into the trades.

Ryan has developed innovative preservation training programs with organizations like HistoriCorps, where he developed their national Job Corps initiative, and continues to provide expert support to projects at sites like Elk Rock Garden in Portland and beyond. A former faculty director of one of the nation's few community college-based preservation programs, he brings deep experience in both technical preservation and equitable workforce development.

Now based in Portland, Ryan is focused on expanding access to historic trades training, with a special emphasis on window restoration-a high-skill, high-impact craft often overlooked in traditional trades pipelines. His current work centers on creating opportunities for women and BIPOC communities to gain hands-on skills and open doors in a growing preservation economy.