Calendar of Events

November 5, 2025

Webinar: Ohio Open Doors in 2026
Cosponsored by Heritage Ohio and other partners, Ohio Open Doors is back and scheduled for next September 10-20, 2026. That may be almost a year away, but it’s not too early to save the date!

Join program manager Andy Verhoff, of the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office, to discover how Ohio Open Doors (OOD) can help you draw visitors to your community’s historic buildings and downtowns. Besides reviewing program goals, Andy will outline how you can participate and share ideas for successful and easy-to-plan OOD events.

Ohio Open Doors has been hosted every two years since the first event 2016, which commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. For more about Ohio Open Doors, visit: www.ohiohistory.org/opendoors

December 16, 2025

2025 Appalachia Heritage Luncheon
Columbus, OH
Join us to honor the rich history of Ohio’s Appalachia region at the Ohio Statehouse.

April 13-15, 2026

2026 Main Street Now Conference
Tulsa, OK
Join peers from across the Main Street network and experts in commercial district stewardship for insightful education sessions, unique special events, immersive mobile workshops, and incredible experiences in Tulsa.

Architectural historian Barbara Powers shares the knowledge and experience she gained through her over 40 years working with Ohioans to identify and document historic properties, neighborhoods, and communities. Barb recently retired from the State Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio History Connection where she headed the Inventory & Registration Department overseeing the Ohio Archaeological Inventory, Ohio Historic Inventory, and National Register of Historic Places programs.
Lessons Learned: Looking Back through the National Register and Historic Survey in Ohio
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Troy Parsh from the Amusement Preservation Museum takes us on a fun and fascinating ride through Ohio’s amusement park history! Learn about the state’s very first roller coasters and take a nostalgic look back at classic parks like Euclid Beach, Geauga Lake, Chippewa Lake, and many more!
The Amusement Preservation Museum: A Fascinating Ride Through Ohio’s Amusement Park History
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RAM Construction Services will present on effective graffiti removal and building maintenance strategies. Experts from RAM, Bill Brown and Troy Blubaugh, will discuss various methods, including low-pressure abrasive blasting and high-pressure water with chemicals, for different surface materials. We will talk about adjusting techniques for delicate surfaces, ensuring surface protection for efficient removal. Additionally, gain insights into maintenance recommendations, inspection frequency, and safety measures. Throughout the webinar, we’ll highlight successful projects and well-documented cases.
What Should You Do When You Find Your Historic Building Defaced by Graffiti
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Latinx/e/o communities have long contributed to the cultural and architectural landscape of towns and cities across Ohio, from historic industrial cities like Lorain and Cleveland to smaller, often overlooked neighborhoods. Yet many of the historic places tied to Latinx life, labor, and legacy remain under-documented and at risk of loss. In this webinar, Hillary Morales Robles, Historic Preservation Officer at Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC), will present the groundbreaking Endangered Latinx Landmarks Program, a national initiative to identify and elevate vulnerable Latinx historic sites. As part of this program, Hillary will also showcase the Latinx Roots Tracker, a GIS-based mapping tool designed to document Latinx places and stories in real time. Through these tools, Hillary will share lessons from LHC’s nationwide projects and highlight Ohio-based stories that connect preservation with Latinx identity, memory, and resilience. Participants will learn about new tools and perspectives that support the inclusion of Latinx heritage in preservation efforts. Our Presenter: Hillary Morales Robles is a Historic Preservation Officer with Latinos in Heritage Conservation, where she focuses on safeguarding and elevating the cultural heritage of Latino communities across the United States. A passionate preservation architect, Hillary holds a Master in Architecture and Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Environmental Design with a Minor Concentration in Art History from the University of Puerto Rico. Hillary’s career spans a range of impactful projects. She worked as architectural staff and preservation specialist at Beyer Blinder Belle in New York City, contributing to renowned efforts such as the restoration of Grand Central Terminal and the Equitable Life Building. Her experience includes serving with the National Park Service’s Heritage Documentation Programs, where her documentation of the Simon Bolivar Memorial is preserved in the Library of Congress. Internationally, Hillary collaborated on documentation projects at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aphrodisias, Turkey, partnering with the University of Oxford and the Turkish Government to document monuments spanning the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. Her award-winning academic work underscores her commitment to community-centered preservation. At UPenn, Hillary’s thesis, “Tactical Preservation for Climate Emergency: Adaptive Reuse of 20th Century Public Schools in Puerto Rico,” received The Anthony Nicholas Brady Garvan Award and The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation grant. She was also honored with The Elizabeth Greene Wiley Award for Outstanding Promise and multiple design accolades throughout her graduate studies. Hillary is driven by a deep commitment to public service, channeling her expertise to protect and celebrate the cultural landmarks that shape communities. She is especially passionate about creating equitable preservation solutions that uplift historically underrepresented voices while fostering resilience in the face of environmental and societal challenges.
Rooted in Place: Preserving Latinx Heritage in Ohio & Beyond
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Are you struggling to find good volunteers? You are not alone. Communities of all sizes face this challenge. But what if you could start building your next generation of volunteers right now? In this webinar, we will learn about Centerville, Iowa’s dynamic volunteer incentive program that begins with middle school, motivates high schoolers, and creates a smooth path to adult volunteering. You’ll learn practical hands-on strategies to inspire a love for service from an early age, transforming young participants into life-long community champions. Whether you’re starting fresh or enhancing an existing program, this webinar will offer insights to keep your volunteer pipeline strong and thriving. Our Presenter: Delaney Evers is a thirty year old Executive Director of PACT (Promoting Appanoose & Centerville Together), leading revitalization efforts in Centerville, Iowa. A proud Midwest boomerang, Delaney grew up in small-town Iowa before moving to Los Angeles for six years. She returned to her hometown with a passion for making a difference. With three years of experience working for Centerville’s Main Street district and Appanoose County Tourism, Delaney was promoted to her current role, where she continues to drive community engagement and growth. Her leadership focuses on fostering local involvement, and her innovative approach to volunteerism is reshaping how communities thrive through service.
Recruiting Tomorrow's Leaders
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Online conflict is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to derail your mission. This session walks through a clear, practical framework for handling public criticism, misinformation, and high-conflict interactions on social media. You’ll learn how to assess risk, respond with clarity, protect your team’s energy, and build trust through the way you show up online. We’ll explore real scenarios, discuss audience behavior patterns, and give you tools to moderate with strategy—not just instinct. About Our Presenter: Joe Dunay is a brand and communications strategist who helps place-based organizations build systems for thoughtful, sustainable storytelling. He currently serves as the Marketing and Communications Manager at Heritage Ohio, where he leads messaging, PR, and content strategy to support preservation and revitalization efforts across the state. Previously, as Director of Marketing and Communications at the Van Wert County Foundation, Joe led the narrative and brand development for Van Wert Forward, a multi-year downtown revitalization initiative. His work blended strategy, storytelling, and public engagement to reflect the community’s identity and future vision. He also served on the board of Main Street Van Wert, connecting organizational strategy with on-the-ground experience. Joe’s career began with PRSSA, where he served as National Vice President of Professional Development. He helped shape educational programming and supported the creation of student-run PR firms across the U.S. and abroad. Later, on PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards, he began honing his approach to curiosity-led, community-first communication. Outside of work, Joe is a photographer focused on place, memory, and the ways people shape the built environment. He collaborates with communities to tell their stories both visually and verbally.
Social Media: Managing Comments, Conflict, and Community
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If your downtown business isn’t getting the traffic or sales it deserves, you’re not alone—and you’re not powerless. In this free webinar, business coach and advisor Andrea Hoover will walk you through three key areas where small businesses tend to lose customers—and how to turn that around quickly. You’ll leave with practical tools, clear examples, and simple actions you can take this week to get more eyes (and feet) on your business. Whether you're a retailer, service provider, or local entrepreneur, this session is designed to help you create better first impressions, convert browsers into buyers, and grow with confidence. About the Presenter: Andrea Hoover is a small business consultant and the founder of Merchant’s Edge, a service designed to help brick-and-mortar businesses in small-town downtowns grow through practical strategy and support. With over 20 years of experience across retail, fitness, hospitality, and e-commerce, Andrea never set out to be an entrepreneur—but found herself stepping into opportunities that aligned with her skills and season of life. She now draws on that lived experience to help others navigate business ownership with confidence. Andrea’s mission is to equip local businesses to thrive in the communities they call home.
Increased Foot Traffic & Sales for Small Businesses
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This presentation is an overview of the building codes and standards applicable to historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects, including an overview of alternative approaches to building, fire, and life safety code compliance. The program also includes two case studies based on two Ohio projects as examples of two tools available to design professionals to demonstrate compliance using an alternative approach to compliance.
Fire Protection & Life Safety for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Re-Use Webinar
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Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Formica company has evolved alongside global changes, both reflecting and influencing consumer perceptions of homes, workplaces, and entertainment spaces. Since 1913, Formica’s modern ‘insulating’ material has adapted to technological advancements in the automotive, radio, and airplane industries, ultimately focusing on the decorative aspects that shape interiors worldwide. This presentation will provide a visual overview, decade by decade, of how the Formica brand has kept pace with societal changes over the past 12 decades.
Growing Global: Over a Century of the Formica Brand Webinar
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