Thank you to our Jury for the 2025 Preservation Design Awards!

Design Awards Co-Chair

Cathy Garrett, PGADesign

Cathy Garrett, ASLA LEED AP, is an award-winning landscape architect with 40 years of experience in design and management. As Design Director and principal at PGAdesign, she has successfully led key projects encompassing educational facilities, high-density housing, urban civic spaces, and historic preservation. Cathy’s approach emphasizes innovative, environmentally responsible solutions that integrate art and science, reflecting her belief in the balance of these elements within landscape architecture. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Cornell University. Beyond her professional endeavors, Cathy enjoys mushroom foraging, hiking, body-surfing, and traveling, finding inspiration in diverse landscapes and cultures.

Design Awards Co-Chair

Bill Schaeffer, Cello Maudru

Bill Schaeffer serves as the Chief Operations Officer at Cello & Maudru Construction, bringing a rich background in environmental design and construction management. His academic journey in Environmental Design at UC Davis equips him with a unique perspective that bridges understanding between architects, builders, and owners. Since joining the firm in 1996, Bill has been instrumental in introducing innovative technologies and fostering collaborative agreements. His leadership ensures meticulous organization and effective communication across all projects, contributing to the firm’s reputation for excellence. Outside of his professional life, Bill resides in a turn-of-the-century Shingle Style home with his wife Toyoko and daughter Laleh, and dedicates time to restoring classic vehicles, reflecting his passion for craftsmanship and detail.

2025 Design Awards Jury

Frances Anderton, Journalist

Frances Anderton is a highly regarded journalist, author, and broadcaster specializing in architecture, urban design, and the cultural landscape of cities. She is best known as the longtime host of Design and Architecture on KCRW, where she explored how the built environment intersects with politics, culture, and technology. Over the years, she has engaged with some of the most influential architects, planners, and designers, offering in-depth analysis and storytelling that illuminate the challenges and opportunities in contemporary urbanism. Frances is also the author of Common Ground: Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles, which examines the evolution of housing in one of the most dynamic cities in the world. She has curated exhibitions, written extensively for major publications, and remains a sought-after voice in the discourse on city planning, architecture, and sustainability. With a keen ability to translate complex design concepts into accessible narratives, she continues to shape the public’s understanding of the spaces we inhabit.

Roslyn Cole, Aidlin Darling Design

A principal with Aidlin Darling Design, Roslyn has thirty years of experience in cultural, arts and education projects in the public and non-profit sectors. Roslyn has focused her career on the development of projects in the public realm as a reflection of her belief in architecture’s capacity to better society and the individual through the built environment. Recent projects include the Stanford Windhover Contemplative Center,  the University of Virginia Contemplative Commons and the Center for Architecture + Design in San Francisco. Each integrates biophilia to create engaging communal spaces that advance a deeper connection to our environment, to ourselves and to one another. Roslyn received her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and her Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Diana Hayton, TEF

Diana Hayton, AIA, LEED AP, is a principal at TEF, with over 25 years of experience in architecture. Her practice is deeply rooted in community engagement and environmental sustainability, focusing on adaptive reuse and historic preservation. Diana’s notable projects include the rehabilitation of Lisser Hall at Mills College and Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco. She holds a Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Art History and Architecture, and Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. Beyond her professional work, Diana is actively involved in environmental initiatives, leading the development of Albany Unified School District’s Environmental Action Plan, and enjoys hiking the Bay Area Ridge Trail and renovating her 1908 home.

Sam Malnati, AQYER

Sam Malnati is a scholar and emerging heritage conservation practitioner with a background in art and architectural studies. She is a Heritage Documentation Specialist at AQYER, creating and preserving records of culturally important sites across the West Coast through LiDAR scanning and photogrammetry. She recently completed dual masters degrees in Heritage Conservation and Urban Planning at the University of Southern California (USC), with research focusing on the benefits of photography and its use in the Historic American Buildings Survey for effective architectural documentation and perception of place. Sam currently serves as a Scholar in Residence at The Gamble House, contributing to the nearly 60 year legacy of student stewardship of this iconic example of architecture as a fine art.

Melissa Mourkas, Landscape Architect/Architectural Historian

Melissa Mourkas is an accomplished landscape architect and architectural historian with a career spanning over 30 years working with the built environment. Her specialties include landscapes, historic preservation, visual resource assessment, historic property evaluations and environmental analysis under CEQA. As part of the Environmental Office at the California Energy Commission, Melissa had the opportunity to review many power plant applications for impacts to both cultural and visual resources. Earlier work at the City of Sacramento’s Preservation Office required review and approval of local projects involving historic properties. She is currently serving as an officer on the Board of Directors for Preservation Sacramento, a non-profit membership organization dedicated to preserving Sacramento’s historic places. Previously, Melissa had served on the Historic Governor’s Mansion Foundation Board and the City of Sacramento Preservation Commission, with her final year as Chair.

Etan Rosenbloom, Etan Does LA

Etan Rosenbloom is the creator of “Etan Does LA,” a project documenting his visits to all 600+ of the Los Angeles County landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A lifelong Angeleno, Etan combines his passion for history, architecture and storytelling to make the city’s rich cultural heritage more accessible. Since embarking on this project in September 2021, he has been sharing his experiences through photos, videos and historical essays, both on social media and on his website EtanDoesLA.com. Professionally, Etan works for an organization that supports songwriters and composers, reflecting his deep connection to the creative community.

Kevin Zucco, ZFA Structural Engineers

Kevin Zucco, SE, LEED AP, is an Executive Principal at ZFA Structural Engineers with over 30 years of experience. He specializes in designing resilient structures across various sectors, including public, commercial, and historic facilities throughout Northern California and beyond. Kevin’s passion for historic projects, the engineering challenges they pose, and adept use of existing building codes emphasize a strong commitment to retaining our most irreplaceable buildings and craftsmanship. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and is actively involved in professional associations like the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys outdoor activities, including cycling, snow skiing, and tennis.

The California Preservation Design Awards is an annual event that recognizes innovators from across the state in architecture, engineering, planning, documentation, and design. 

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