Part 1 introduces research strategies, key resources, and terminology to help homeowners uncover their property’s past. Participants will learn where to begin their search, how to identify and access historical documents, and what types of records are most useful. The session also explores distinctions between historic resources and landmarks, the importance of historic integrity, and how local and county archives can be utilized for research. An interactive demonstration will showcase how to compile and summarize findings into a cohesive history that highlights the home’s significance.

SPEAKERS

Amber Long is the founder of Long Historic Preservation Services, a Santa Barbara County-based consulting firm focused on caring for historic places and the built environment. Before starting her own business in 2023, she spent a decade working in planning and cultural resources for both public agencies and private firms. Amber is passionate about finding creative, balanced solutions that help protect historic sites while meeting the needs of communities, developers, and agencies alike. Her work ranges from local projects to collaborations with the military and nonprofits. Notable projects include the rehabilitation of the historic Sebastian Store in San Simeon and ongoing work with the Piedras Blancas Light Station. She holds degrees in political science and U.S. history from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Amber also volunteers with local heritage groups and enjoys traveling with her husband. She’s called the Central Coast home for over 20 years.

Carrie Chasteen is an expert in historic preservation with over 23 years of experience in cultural resource management. With a Master of Science in Historic Preservation, she has worked on a wide range of projects, helping developers and property owners navigate historic regulations and preserve significant properties. As a Principal Architectural Historian, she specializes in preparing regulatory compliance documents, evaluating properties for historical registers, and ensuring projects align with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. Carrie also loves uncovering the stories behind places, using her deep research skills to craft historic context statements that highlight a property's unique significance.

Part 2 delves into financial incentives such as the Mills Act and State Historic Tax Credits, explaining the application processes, eligibility criteria, and potential tax reductions. Additional financial assistance, including earthquake retrofit grants and local preservation funds, will be discussed. Questions addressed will include how to protect a home’s future through deed restrictions, easements, and Mills Act contracts, and considerations of the broader impact of historic designation on property values.

SPEAKERS

Lambert Giessinger, Senior Architect, City of Los Angele Office of Historic Resources Los Angeles Department of City Planning
Lambert serves as Senior Architect for Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Historic Resources. In his role with the City, Lambert is support staff to the Cultural Heritage Commission and oversees the Mills Act Historical Property Contracts Program. Lambert is also involved in the day-to-day review of projects involving historic resources. Apart from his work with the City of Los Angeles, Lambert serves as Vice Chair of the Pasadena Planning Commission and is Chairman of the Pasadena Board of Zoning Appeals.

Cindy Heitzman, Executive Director, California Preservation Foundation
Cindy brings over 20 years of experience as the leader of CPF. She served on the Board of the California Preservation Foundation from 2001-2003 and previously worked as Building Official and Fire Marshal for the City of St. Helena in the Napa Valley. Cindy served the first female president of the Redwood Empire Chapter of Code Officials (2000), Chair of the California Building Officials’ Historic Codes Committee and has coordinated courses on the use and application of the California Historical Building Code. She served as a commissioner on the California Building Officials Training Institute from 2002 – 2005. She attended California State University, Chico and holds a BA in Fine Art and studied Building Inspection Technology at Butte College, Chico.

Jon Haeber, Field Services Director, California Preservation Foundation
Jon manages Education and Technical Assistance programs, including the Conference, Doors Open and Underrecognized California committees. A former copywriter and Managing Editor in the marketing field for over a decade, he attended graduate school hoping to turn his lifelong love of urban history and architecture into a career at a non-profit organization. Jon is a published author, architectural photographer, and urban historian. He has an M.A. in US History from UMass Amherst, B.A. degrees in English and Geography from UC Berkeley, and is a graduate of ARCUS, a professional fellowship in Historic Preservation Leadership. Jon is on the Board of Trustees for a nonprofit statewide scuba diving organization, serves on the City of Richmond’s Historic Preservation Commission, is a member of the AIA San Francisco Historic Resources and National Council on Public History Conference committees, and spends his free time volunteering at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Janiele Maffei,Chief Mitigation Officer,California Earthquake Authority (CEA)
Janiele joined the California Earthquake Authority as Chief Mitigation Officer in May 2011. She is responsible for the mitigation plan that includes the California Residential Mitigation Program and the development of comprehensive guidelines for the retrofit of single- family dwellings.  A graduate of UC Berkeley, where she obtained her BA in Architecture and an MS in Civil Engineering. Mrs. Maffei is a registered structural engineer who has worked in the earthquake engineering industry for over 38 years. Her experience includes the design of new building structures and seismic strengthening of existing structures. Mrs. Maffei is past-president of the Northern California Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, EERI. She also served on the Board of Directors of EERI National as Secretary-Treasurer. She currently serves as President of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California. She has extensive post-earthquake reconnaissance experience from the Loma Prieta and Northridge Earthquakes.

Part 3 will cover essential best practices for maintaining, repairing, and upgrading historic properties while adhering to preservation standards, including how and why to follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, and how these guidelines impact renovation projects. The session will introduce the California Historical Building Code, highlighting how it differs from conventional building codes and how it can benefit homeowners. Topics will include navigating local regulations for property alterations, assessing whether a project may impact historic features, and distinguishing between maintenance, repair, and replacement (and why this distinction matters). Homeowners will also gain the knowledge to improve energy efficiency in a way that respects the historic character of the home.

SPEAKERS

Ione Stiegler, FAIA, Founder and Principal Architect, IS Architecture
Ione R. Stiegler, FAIA, is a nationally recognized expert in historic preservation architecture with over 35 years of experience. As the founder of IS Architecture, she has led the restoration, preservation, and adaptive reuse of more than 360 historic structures, ensuring compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. Her firm has completed extensive historic documentation, including Historic Structure Reports, HABS reports, and large-scale planning surveys of over 23,000 resources.

Elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2012, Ione was honored for advancing historic preservation through innovative architectural investigation. In 2014, IS Architecture became the first firm to receive the AIA California Council’s Distinguished Practice Award for historic preservation.

Internationally respected for her expertise in earthen architecture, she is a member of the UNESCO/ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architecture. She has contributed to global preservation efforts, including evaluating at-risk heritage in Saudi Arabia and lecturing on vernacular architecture at International Symposiums on five continents. Through meticulous research and interdisciplinary methodologies, she ensures the accurate preservation of architectural heritage.

Tyler Kobick, AIA, President and CEO, Design Draw Build 
Tyler Kobick is a Bay-area CA Licensed Architect and General Contractor with a focus on housing, public-interest design, custom fabrication, and ecological design. He is the founder and Ceo of a 22-person firm, Design Draw Build, where the firm specializes in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, custom residences, multifamily housing and architect-led design-build methods of project delivery. He believes strongly in warm-modern, critically regionalist architecture.

Tyler began his career as a stone mason in Northeast Ohio where he apprenticed under a master mason and soon enough started his own construction company. After hiking a large section of the Appalachian Trail, he fell in love with the Mad River Valley of central Vermont where he trained and built for 12 years with many different architects and artisans on custom residential and commercial projects predominantly under the architect Dave Sellers, whose methods catalyzed the contemporary design/build field. In 2010 Tyler founded Design Draw Build and traveled to build unusual commissions in different areas of the US until setting up a more permanent location in late 2014.

An educator and community-builder, Tyler seeks to revitalize and preserve town and urban centers by embracing the material culture of a place with sustainable locally-applied building technologies.. Today, Tyler teaches architecture at the University of San Francisco in a variety of studio and skill classes. He is also a co-chair of the Regional and Urban Design Committee for the AIA East Bay, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the AIA East Bay and the California AIA.

Tyler holds two degrees in architecture, a B.S Arch from the University of Cincinnati, and a MArch from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.