Ask a Historic Trades Expert. Free to our Local Historic Preservation Commission Members!

Historic Preservation Commission Members and City Staff,

Join us Wednesday May 6th 1:00-2:00 via Zoom for the second round of this new series, a virtual Question and Answer session with two of our region's most experienced experts in the Historic Building Trades John Goodenberger and Ryan Prochaska.

Got a Design Review application that is stumping you or an issue that keeps coming up? Bring your questions about windows, doors, roofs, siding, plaster, foundations, energy efficiency, how and when to repair...and when it's appropriate to replace, and what materials to replace with, working with an Architect, etc. etc. If you're shy, you can email me your questions ahead of time and I'll ask for you. michelle.thompson@dahp.wa.gov

This Q&A Series is an unequalled opportunity that you don’t wan to miss!!

 

DAHP is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Ask a Historic Trades Expert. Free to our Local Historic Preservation Commission Members!
Time: May 6, 2026 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83850867862?pwd=hnQ9hB6SqcRZJoiIf4rQj1BoiupSj3.1

Meeting ID: 838 5086 7862
Passcode: 363509

**I am also sending this out as a calendar invite from Zoom so that it is easier to get it added to your calendars. 

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.