Melanie Lytle (MAHP, Goucher College) | Preservationist | Educator | Craftsperson

Melanie is the Director of Goucher College’s MA in Historic Preservation and MA in Cultural Sustainability programs and Assistant Professor of Practice of Historic Preservation. She teaches preservation theory and policy, architectural history, historic property documentation, international cultural heritage, and heritage trades.

Melanie is also the owner of Glaze Craft Windows, a woman-led restoration company specializing in traditional finishes and the conservation of historic wood windows. Prior to founding her company and joining Goucher College, she worked nationally as a preservation consultant, guiding clients through complex documentation, compliance, and rehabilitation projects.

She serves on the board of Restoration Works International, where she has participated in conservation projects around the world, including the application of traditional dung plaster and decorative painting with hide glue and organic and mineral pigments in Nepal, and the preparation and application of lime mortars and coatings in India.

Melanie is spearheading Guildhall’s inaugural hands-on training program, bringing together leading materials experts and practitioners to strengthen workforce skills in linseed oil paint, shellac, tung oil, mineral paints, and lime-based finishes.

Historic Paint Specialist | Conservation Advocate | Founder, Brouns & Co | Partner, Brouns & Galloway

Michiel Brouns is a Dutch/British historic-building specialist, entrepreneur and author, best known for reviving and modernising the production of traditional linseed-oil paints and natural finishes.

Originally trained in historic building surveying in the Netherlands, he moved to the UK in 2006 and founded Histoglass Ltd, pioneering high-performance insulating glazing for historic and listed buildings. He later established Brouns & Co in the UK and North America to bring back historically accurate, environmentally responsible surface finishes for buildings of all periods.

Today, Michiel leads a trans-Atlantic operation supplying architects, conservators and institutions with natural paints and linseed oil paint manufactured using traditional methods and raw materials. His projects include work at historic houses, civic landmarks and major heritage estates across the UK, US and Europe. He serves as founder and CEO of Brouns & Co and co-founder of Brouns & Galloway, a specialist consultancy focused on conservation strategy and material authenticity.

He is the author of Linseed Paint & Oil – A Practical Guide to Traditional Production and Application and regularly lectures internationally on heritage materials, sustainability, and the future of historic trades.

Rob graduated from Roger Williams University’s Historic Preservation program in 1991 and founded Heritage Restoration, Inc. (HRI) in 2001 to maintain, restore, and enhance historic buildings. He has over 35 years of hands-on experience in historic window restoration, having worked on projects ranging from 18th-century timber-framed buildings to early 20th-century commercial structures. HRI operates a versatile workshop that fabricates and restores unique and challenging components. Its state-of-the-art finishing shop restores windows and doors using a production line–style system. The HRI crew has manipulated, lifted, reconstructed, and restored buildings from the 17th through the 20th century, always with a high regard for preservation, function, and longevity.

In January 2022, Rob and his wife Mara Cagnetta (President) purchased Sutherland Welles, LTD and moved production from Vermont to Rhode Island. Sutherland Welles, founded in 1967, formulates 100% pure polymerized tung oil into a family of finishes that nourish, renew, and protect wood and other surfaces.

Rob remains committed to training and education for students and practitioners of all ages, from homeowners to high schoolers to graduate students. He has taught at Roger Williams University’s Historic Preservation program, introducing students to how buildings are analyzed, maintained, and manipulated.

HRI has received three Rhode Island State Historic Preservation Awards, two Doris Duke Preservation Awards, a Providence Preservation Society Award, and the Askins Achievement Award from the Preservation Trades Network. Rob has also maintained a blog and published work with the South County Independent and the Providence Journal-Bulletin. He serves on various local boards and committees, including as a Director of the Window Preservation Standards Collaborative (WPSC).

Mara Cagnetta Entrepreneur, manufacturer, and creative leader with a 25+ year background in fine art, education, and small-business management. As the owner of Sutherland Welles, Ltd., a national producer of premium tung-oil–based wood finishes, Mara oversees product development, branding, strategic planning, manufacturing operations, artisan partnerships, and client education. Her expertise blends deep craft knowledge with a long career in visual communication and storytelling, providing a uniquely holistic perspective on materials, preservation, aesthetics, and sustainable production.

Prior to acquiring Sutherland Welles, Mara built a distinguished professional record as an exhibiting artist, educator, and arts advocate. Her work has appeared in museums, galleries, festivals, and publications nationally and internationally, earning multiple Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Fellowships and awards for experimental film.

Architect | Project Manager

Isabelle Gizinski is a licensed architect working in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a project manager for National Park Service projects across the United States that focus on rehabilitation and preservation. Isabelle is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Louisiana to attend Louisiana State University to receive her Bachelor of Architecture with minors in Architecture History and Heritage Conservation. Before moving to Baltimore, Isabelle worked as a historic tax credit specialist on rehabilitation projects for historic commercial buildings across multiple states. Isabelle was on the board for the Association for Preservation Technology Washington, DC Chapter. She served as a Member At Large and Co-Chair of the Events Committee from 2023-2025.

Architectural Conservator | Preservationist

Courtney Magill is an architectural conservator and preservationist based in the greater DMV region. With experience at the National Park Service and the University of Pennsylvania, she has stewarded historic structures across the United States in collaboration with craftspeople, architects, and other cultural resource specialists. Drawn to preservation by her admiration for the artisanship and materials of historic buildings, she remains passionate about safeguarding this craftsmanship for communities to celebrate and enjoy. Her research and practice emphasize traditional and natural finishes, advancing both the longevity and health of historic buildings. Courtney has served on the boards of the Delaware Valley and District of Columbia Chapters of the Association for Preservation Technology (APT) and continues to support the preservation community through volunteer work and professional trainings.

Preservationist | Project Manager | Partner, Brouns & Galloway

Peter Galloway is a Clemson University graduate and Georgia-based preservationist with more than a decade of experience in historic preservation. He has led the restoration of numerous significant projects, particularly within the historic districts of Savannah, where his work is defined by careful research, craftsmanship, and adherence to period-appropriate methods and materials.

One of his most notable projects involved the dismantling of an endangered circa 1693 Center Chimney house in East Hartford, Connecticut, and its meticulous reassembly near Savannah’s Forsyth Park. Galloway directed every phase of the effort—from documentation and cataloging to reconstruction—overseeing complex masonry, plasterwork, carpentry, and timber framing. Lost architectural details were reconstructed using 18th-century pattern books, including the front portico and window entablatures.

In collaboration with Michiel Brouns, Peter has expanded his preservation work throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Their projects include the exterior restoration of the Wallace House in Somerville, New Jersey—General George Washington’s headquarters during the second Middlebrook encampment—where they advise on historically accurate finishes and proper execution techniques.

Additional projects include a comprehensive preservation study of the c. 1791 Squire Benjamin Bosworth House (“The Castle”) in Eastford, Connecticut; advisory work on the restoration of St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church (1822) in Philadelphia; and the hands-on restoration of a Greek Revival cottage in Middletown, Connecticut, where traditional linseed oil paint and period-appropriate methods were carefully reintroduced. Most recently, Peter and Michiel have been leading the restoration of the exquisite front door surround at the George Read II House in Historic New Castle, Delaware, preserving its remarkable punch-and-gouge woodwork and ensuring the integrity of this exceptional example of early American craftsmanship.