Summit Overview

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026
West Texas Heritage Center (201 E San Antonio Ave)

5:00 - 6:30 p.m. OPENING RECEPTION & NETWORKING
Refreshments will be provided. Remarks at 5:30.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026
El Paso Visitor Information Center (1 Civic Center Plaza)

8:00 a.m. CHECK-IN & STUDENT POSTER SESSION
Posters will feature student work from the Texas Tech University School of Architecture and El Paso Community College Valle Verde Campus. Coffee and pastries will be provided.

9:00 a.m. WELCOME & WEST TEXAS UPDATE
Victor Hurtado, West Texas Program Officer, Preservation Texas
Veronica Castro, Visit El Paso

9:10 a.m. PANEL A: WHAT IS PRESERVATION?

• CONNECTING PEOPLE TO PLACE
  Stephen Rabourn, Founder, Remote Architecture

• HISTORIC PRESERVATION: WHY AND FOR WHOM
  Dr. Mahyar Hadighi, Director of Historic Preservation, Texas Tech University

10:10 a.m. PANEL B: HISTORIC TAX CREDITS

• HISTORIC TAX CREDITS 101
  Valerie Magolan, Tax Credit Program Coordinator, Texas Historical Commission

• HISTORIC TAX CREDIT CASE STUDY: THE 1930 BASSETT TOWER
  Geoffrey Wright, Principal, Wright & Dalbin Architects

11:00 a.m. PANEL C: PRESERVING LOCAL HERITAGE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL

• CHAMIZAL NATIONAL MEMORIAL CULTURAL LANDSCAPE DESIGNATION INITIATIVE
  Dr. Mark Calamia, Cultural Resources Program Manager, National Park Service

• MAINTAINING READINESS: HISTORIC PRESERVATION AT FORT BLISS
  Donald Sevingy, Historic Preservation Specialist, Fort Bliss

12:00 p.m. LUNCH
Boxed lunches will be provided.

1:00 p.m. PANEL D: PRESERVING EL PASO’S ADOBE HERITAGE

• RESTORING THE MAGOFFIN HOME
  Danielle Brissette, Site Manager, Magoffin Home State Historic Site

• SAVING RIO VISTA FARM: CITY OF SOCORRO’S LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
  Victor Reta, Director of Historic Preservation, City of Socorro

• SAVING RIO VISTA FARM: PRESERVATION PLANNING AND ADAPTIVE REUSE
  Vance Kelley, Principal, Treanor Architects

2:20 p.m. PANEL E: DOCUMENTATION & DIGITIZATION

• DOCUMENTING EL PASO’S POST-WAR ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
  Christian A. Mijares, Project Manager, Mijares-Mora Architects, Inc.

• HAND-MEASURED DOCUMENTATION OF SMALL-SCALE BUILDINGS
  Jesús Najar, Architectural Programs Manager, Preservation Texas

3:30 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS & RECEPTION

Detailed session descriptions coming soon!

Early Registration

Preservation Texas Member Registration (in-person): $40

Non-Member Registration (in-person): $50

Student Registration (in-person): $20

Virtual Registration: $20

Rates will increase after January 5, 2026. Sorry, no refunds.

If you are unsure of your current membership status, please email hunick@preservationtexas.org.

Optional Pre-Summit Tour of the Kress Building

Preservation Texas members are invited to register for an exclusive hard hat tour of the historic Kress Building, currently under construction, led by Project Manager Matt Pagliasotti of Jordan Foster Construction. Completed in 1938 and designed by Edward F. Sibbert, this iconic Art Deco landmark anchors San Jacinto Plaza at the corner of W. Mills and N. Oregon Streets. Once a department store, the building is being transformed into a vibrant mixed-use space featuring dining, retail, event venues, and a luxury spa.

Tour registration is $20 per person, and is available to Preservation Texas members only. If you are not yet a member, we invite you to join us! Membership comes with a range of exclusive benefits, including 40% off at Sherwin-Williams paint stores nationwide, discounted room bookings at Historic Hotels of America and Worldwide, invitations to members-only events, and savings on Preservation Texas event registration and merchandise.

Space is limited. Register now to secure your spot on the tour!

Pictured: The 1938 Kress building in downtown El Paso, photographed in 1980 for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) program.