What the 2026 Preserve Iowa Summit Reminded Me

I'm just back from the Preserve Iowa Summit in Ankeny, and I'm still turning over the conversations it sparked.

This year I had the privilege of presenting alongside Nate Harres, RA, Associate Principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE), one of the most respected names in preservation engineering anywhere in the country. Our session, "Historic Masonry Restoration: Essential Do's and Don'ts," walked owners and design teams through how to make sound repair decisions on historic masonry, using the Secretary of the Interior's Standards as the throughline and a real Iowa restoration as our case study.

The session went really well, but what made it meaningful was who was in the room. We had architects we've worked with on past projects in the audience, along with grant writers who helped secure the funding that made some of those restorations possible. Looking out at people you've actually built things with, in a room dedicated to preserving Iowa's history, is a pretty good feeling.

The learning ran both ways. In other sessions I got to meet preservation architects and contractors doing excellent work in this same space, and I came away with a deeper appreciation for the archaeologists and historians whose research shapes a project long before our crews ever set up a swing stage. Good preservation isn't one trade. It's engineers, architects, historians, archaeologists, grant writers, and contractors all pulling in the same direction. That collaboration is exactly the point we made on stage, and it's why we always say the owner's best move is to bring an engineer and a masonry restoration contractor to the table together, early. (I wrote more about that this month in why Iowa's civic buildings need a specialist, not just a mason.)

That's the work we care about most at TNT: the courthouses, churches, schools, and downtown landmarks that hold a community's history in their brick and stone. None of it happens without a crew that takes pride in getting the details right, like our own Foreman Oscar Magana, whom we're spotlighting this month. Days like the Summit are a good reminder of why we do it, and of how many talented people it takes to do it right.

If your organization stewards a historic or civic building and you're wondering what it needs next, reach out. We're always glad to walk a building with you.

- Josh Smyser

Owner, TNT Tuckpointing & Building Restoration

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