The Student Historic Preservation Organization at UGA will host a Preservation South Conference from Feb. 24-26 on campus. The keynote speaker will be Stephen T. Ayers, 11th architect of the Capitol.
Ayers is responsible for the facilities maintenance and operation of the historic Capitol Building, the House and Senate Congressional Office Buildings, the Capitol Visitor Center, the Library of Congress Buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building and other facilities.
The conference kicks off with a social Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. at Transmetropolitan in downtown Athens.
On Feb. 25, the conference begins at 9 a.m. and features speakers at Demosthenian Hall and the Chapel throughout the day. Speakers include Debbie Smith, National Center for Preserving Technology and Training and the National Park Service; Dale Jaeger of the Jaeger Co.; Mark McDonald, president and CEO of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation; Tad Brown, president, of the Watson-Brown Foundation; Michelle Michael, an architectural historian with Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast; Christine McCauley, executive director of the Madison-Morgan Conservancy; Richard Cloues, State Historic Preservation Office; Scott Messer, UGA preservation planner; and Stephanie Bryan, UGA Cultural Landscape Laboratory. Ayers will speak Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. at the Chapel.
On Feb. 26, the conference includes tours or popular local historic buildings including the Georgia Theatre and the T.R.R. Cobb House. A guided bus tour highlighting preservation efforts is also available, as is a tour of the city of Madison in nearby Morgan County.
Conference events are free, but registration is requested at http://preservationsouth.eventbrite.com.