Historic Resource Surveys: Unlocking the Foundations of Preservation

Katie Horak is an architectural historian and principal at Architectural Resources Group, an architecture and planning firm that focuses on the historic built environment. Her work at ARG ranges from rehabilitation projects on some of Los Angeles’s most recognizable landmarks to large scale planning projects, including historic resources surveys for dozens of municipalities across the state. In addition, Katie is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at USC, where she teaches graduate-level courses in historic site documentation in the Heritage Conservation program. She is the founding President of the Southern California Chapter of Docomomo US and the current President of Docomomo US.

Beth served the public for 16 years in local historic preservation offices in San Antonio, TX, Covington KY, Austin, TX, and Cincinnati, OH working with various design review boards and administering the local historic preservation regulatory framework. In 2022, Beth transitioned from local municipal preservation work to the local non-profit world and is currently the Executive Director of the Cincinnati Preservation Association, Greater Cincinnati's Historic Preservation advocacy and education organization. Before the nonprofit world, Beth also had extensive work throughout her career in preservation education for higher education, professionals, government officials, and the public. Beth has also rehabbed 4 houses, most recently rehabbing and restoring the Benjamin Dombar House and Studio, and successfully listed it on the National Register of Historic Places. Johnson is a graduate of Ball State University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning with a dual major in history and a minor in historic preservation. She received her Master’s degree in historic preservation planning from Cornell University. Beth continues to advance the preservation and planning field through being a governor-appointed member of Ohio's Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board and an Executive Committee member of Ball State University's Planning Advisory Board.

Chris Skelly served as the Director of Local Government Programs at the Massachusetts Historical Commission from 1997 to 2021, providing preservation planning guidance to over 400 local boards and commissions across the state. Today, as the founder of Skelly Preservation Services, he provides consultant services to local, regional and state governments on historic preservation planning. His particular interests are preservation commission training, strategic commission guidance, and the preparation of study reports, design guidelines and preservation plans. His degrees include a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the State University of New York- College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Master in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. While at the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Mr. Skelly was also an instructor at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, teaching Cultural Resource Management. He thoroughly enjoys sharing his several decades of experience with students and local commissions.

Melissa Wyllie is the CEO and President of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, the statewide nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and inclusive sharing of Florida’s history and heritage. She works to advance the vision, mission and programs of the Florida Trust by collaborating with its 23-member Board of Trustees and leading staff, volunteers, members and partners. Under her leadership the Florida Trust seeks to connect with a broader community to protect places of architectural, historical and archeological importance throughout the state. Her background in historic preservation also includes serving as president of Historic Nashville, consulting for the Tennessee Preservation Trust and collaborating with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She is a frequent presenter and spokesperson for historic preservation initiatives and campaigns. In addition to nonprofit leadership, she is a writer, has led marketing and strategic communications for a publicly traded company and founded and ran her own successful integrated communications firm. In Nashville she was recognized as a Female Entrepreneur to Watch and named to the 2016 40 Under 40 by the Nashville Business Journal. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from the University of Alabama and a Master of Nonprofit Management degree from the University of Central Florida.