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Stewards of Story and Place: Preserving the History of All Californians – Panel & Reception

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Join colleagues for an evening of conversation about keeping places and telling stories. As California honors its 175th anniversary of statehood, what does it mean to commemorate and safeguard a people's history? Why do our historic places matter now more than ever? Hear from professionals who steward the past in different ways -- Flora Chou (Page & Turnbull), Rita Cofield (Getty Conservation Institute), and Drew Oberjuerge (Maloof Foundation) -- and engage in discussion about how we can collectively conserve, activate, and advocate for California's cultural heritage across areas of expertise.

This event will be held at the Pasadena Office of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. Proceeds will support the California Preservation Foundation's Underrecognized California program. Now in its third year, the program empowers students to document and protect the state's diverse, yet under-acknowledged cultural heritage.

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Moderated & Facilitated By...

Laura Dominguez, Historian and Trustee, California Preservation Foundation
Dr. Laura Dominguez is a historian of race, heritage, and place-keeping with more than 15 years of experience in heritage conservation. She specializes in co-creating partnerships and projects in California and the West, with expertise in culturally relevant collaborations with women, Latinx, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and Tribal communities. She previously worked in advocacy and education for the Los Angeles Conservancy and San Francisco Heritage and is a former fellow with the National Park Service. In 2014, she co-founded Latinos in Heritage Conservation and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, Laura earned her Ph.D. in history and her Master of Historic Preservation from the University of Southern California. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University. She is currently the LA2026 Postdoctoral Scholar and Research Associate with the USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute. Her experiences as a practitioner inform her public scholarship, and she is committed to the reparative qualities of conservation and community engagement. 

Panelists

Flora Chou, Associate Principal & Cultural Resources Planner, Page & Turnbull
Flora Chou leads the architectural history and preservation planning aspects of the firm’s Southern California projects.

As a Cultural Resources Planner, Flora researches and evaluates sites for their historic status eligibility; prepares a variety of reports including historic resource evaluations and technical reports, context statements, preservation plans, and landmark nominations; reviews projects for their compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (SOI Standards) and other applicable standards and guidelines; and assists with conditions assessments and treatment guidelines.

Her experience with historic sites ranges from mid-19th century adobe structures to mid-20th century modern buildings. Flora works to integrate historic preservation with urban planning, sustainable design, and community development while incorporating diverse cultural resources more fully into the field.

Flora holds a master's degree in historic preservation from Columbia University, a bachelor's degree from Claremont McKenna College, and is a LEED-accredited professional. Prior to joining Page & Turnbull in 2013, she was a preservation advocate for the Los Angeles Conservancy.

Rita Cofield, Associate Project Specialist, Getty Conservation Institute
Rita Cofield received her BA in Architecture and Planning from Howard University and a Masters in Heritage Conservation from the University of Southern California. She free-lances as a cultural resource manager and Public Historian with valuable experience in community-based projects. She is passionate about finding ways to re-insert multiple perspectives into the larger narratives of our history. She enjoys activities and projects that foster innovation when it comes to caring for historic resources in underserved neighborhoods. She also feels a moral responsibility to expose the youth in her community of Watts to preservation education, hands-on training in building conservation, and its rich history as a means to community engagement and pride.

Drew Oberjuerge, Executive Director, Maloof Foundation
Drew Oberjuerge, MPA, CFRE, is a seasoned professional in the art and non-profit sectors, currently serving as the Executive Director of the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation. Previous roles include Executive Director at the Riverside Art Museum, Independent Contractor and Art Works Director at Jefferson Transitional Programs, Marketing Coordinator at Hamagami/Carroll, Inc., and various positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where responsibilities included Contemporary Art Curatorial Administrator and Decorative Arts Council Assistant. Additionally, Drew served as Office Manager/Web Master at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum and completed a Commercial Services Internship at the U.S. Consulate General in Naples, Italy. Educational credentials include a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California and dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Italian Literature and Political Science from UC San Diego.

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