John Leeke, Restore Jacksonville’s keynote speaker, is a Maine-based preservation specialist who has a national reputation as a consultant and writer on restoration and preservation topics. He's written more than 150 articles for national publications, including Old House Journal, and has coauthored several of the National Park Service's seminal Preservation Briefs. During his 30+ year career, he has served as a restoration consultant for numerous notable historic structures, including Carnegie Hall, the Governor’s Mansion in Maine, Philadelphia’s City Hall, and the Library of Congress. Leeke specializes in moisture and weather envelope issues and wood technology, and provides a practical approach to preventing problems before they happen; his content-rich website, historichomeworks.com, provides an excellent introduction to his hands-on approach.
In addition to his keynote address, "The Old House Mechanic’s Manifesto," Leeke will conduct a lecture on exterior wood preservation and an intensive four-hour workshop on wood window restoration.