Description

Join Denver Metro BOMA this October for our program, Preservation and Progress of Historic Buildings. We’ll explore the complexities of historic designation, management, and operations, including what it takes to maintain these unique properties while balancing modern requirements. The discussion will cover capital improvements, financing programs, common challenges and myths about operating historic buildings. This session is a great opportunity to gain practical insights into preserving history while planning for the future.

Moderator

Ed Blair
Area General Manager - Sage Hospitality Group

Ed Blair is the Area General Manager overseeing The Crawford Hotel, Denver Union Station, The Oxford Hotel and The Oxford Club & Spa.

Blair oversaw the recently completed $11+ million refresh of Denver Union Station & The Crawford, which included extensive updates to the soaring Great Hall and a luxurious redesign of each of the hotel’s 112 guest rooms.  He was awarded the “Young Belong Award” for 2025 from Sage Hospitality for his leadership.

With nearly 30 years of hospitality experience, Blair previously served as the General Manager - or "Rebel Leader" - at Denver's The Curtis - a Doubletree by Hilton. and the General Manager at Sage's Embassy Suites Denver Downtown, where he was honored with the "Sage Passion Award" for 2017. He also spent almost a decade as the General Manager of The Oxford, where he was named "Leader of the Year" in 2012. Under his direction, The Oxford was honored as Sage's "Hotel of the Year" for 2011, based on its strong financials, market share, guest, employee and audit metrics.

A graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Blair also previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Mile High United Way. He is also involved with the Downtown Denver Partnership, previously serving as chairman of the non-profit's Business Improvement District board and on the 14^th Street General Improvement District board.

Panelists

John Deffenbaugh
President and CEO - Historic Denver

John is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, but visited Denver many times growing up to see his aunt, uncle, and grandfather. He attended East High School, graduating in 1997 before moving back to Scotland for college. An architect, urban planner, and construction project manager, John relocated to Denver permanently in 2017 and joined Historic Denver in May 2023 as CEO of the 55 year-old non-profit. The organization works to empower communities to actively experience and thoughtfully maintain Denver’s cultural landmarks and historic places today and into the future. John's passion lies where architecture, landscape, and art intersect to create walkable and livable cities, holistically integrating new development within the established and historic contexts.

Andrew Glaser
VP of Operations & Partner - Elevate Real Estate Services

Andrew Glaser is a dynamic real estate manager focused on high-powered communication, acute attention to detail, and a resilient attitude towards problem solving. He is experienced in commercial office, retail, industrial and flex property management, as well as construction management, and building acquisitions and dispositions.

Prior to working at Elevate, Andrew managed a 700,000 square foot office portfolio for Rise Commercial Property Services, and an 800,000 square foot mixed asset portfolio located in the Southeast, CBD, and Lakewood sub-markets.

Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts in German Language & Linguistics from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also has his Colorado Real Estate Broker’s license and is currently working towards his RPA destination through BOMI. Andrew is trilingual, speaking English, Spanish and German fluently.

Sara Kappel
Preservation Tax Credits and Incentives Specialist - History Colorado

I am the Preservation Tax Credits and Incentives Specialist for the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). I am originally from rural southwest Kansas and currently reside on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, so not much difference in scenery. My background consists of working on Historic Preservation projects in Missouri and Georgia. As a Preservation Tax Credit Specialist for the SHPO, I work with consultants, property owners, municipalities, and anyone interested in applying for a grant or tax credits, on the best approach to seeking funding for their potential projects and brainstorming on how to fill in gaps for a successful project in the state of Colorado.

Nicole Lane
Principal, Investigative Engineering - Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers

Nicole Lane is a Structural Engineer and Principal in the Investigative Group at Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers. Nicole believes that her role as a structural engineer is to assist building owners and operators in extending the life and functionality of their buildings by acting as a trusted advisor. She specializes in structural and building enclosure assessments, investigations, and design for repairs, retrofits, renovations, and adaptive reuse. Her specialty includes expertise in historic structural materials and systems and the requirements for historic preservation. Nicole leads a team of engineers providing these services. Nicole believes that most historic buildings have ghosts, but they tend to mind their own business and can be good company during an investigation.

Entree #1: New York medallion grilled and topped with a Cabernet Jus. Traditional Idaho Duchess potatoes
that are mashed, with hint of garlic then piped and finished in the oven to a golden brown.
Served with seasonal Colorado vegetables.

Entree #2: Mini Vegetable Tarts, handmade with hand cut zucchini, carrots and squash served in a flaky crust with a creamy sauce, simply seasoned with fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt.

Entree #3: Fruit Plate