Rob Cagnetta graduated from Roger Williams University with a degree in Historic Preservation. After learning window restoration, carpentry, and house painting skills as an apprentice, he became the Director at the Institute for Preservation Training (IPT), a program at Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island. During that time, he worked at several National Park Service sites and hundreds of state historic sites. In 2001, he started Heritage Restoration, Inc. in Rhode Island. A few years ago, when his favorite Tung oil finish company was closing, he and his wife, Mara, ended up purchasing it so his favorite preservation minded wood finishing company wouldn't close.

Over the years, he has also served on numerous committees including the Preservation Trades Network, Preserve Rhode Island, Providence Preservation Society, US Green Building Council RI, the Greater Providence Workforce Development Board, and the Window Preservation Standards Collaborative. He has also worked as an occasional adjunct professor at Roger Williams University in their historic preservation program. For many years, he was a contributor to the Providence Journal, informing readers about the idiosyncrasies about their historic homes.

Education and training is always at the forefront of Rob's focus. He spends countless hours of his own time each year advocating for more education and training opportunities in the trades. He regularly mentors business owners who are new to the field of historic building trades and contributes to trades education programs (Newport Restoration Foundation, Providence Preservation Society, et al.) as an instructor. Many of the local programs existing in Rhode Island, he has been instrumental in helping to get off the ground. He also regularly lobbies government officials to support more funding for programming and workforce training.

Rob has worked on some extremely sensitive, historically significant (both in regards to their interpretation and their physical building characteristics) buildings, a few he called "once in a lifetime" projects. He is uncompromising in how he does work and what he is willing to do work on, for instance only doing work on historic structures and only doing it with correct materials. Rob prioritizes his passion to promote the education and training of the building trades, sometimes at the expense of himself and his businesses. At the same time, this dedication has paid it forward locally and nationally with those who Rob has mentored to start their own businesses and become part of the national training organizations and leaders in their own right.

While Rob does have a critical eye for quality work, it is not that eye which sets him apart and allows him to "raise the bar." Rob is, at his core, a teacher. He will never turn away hiring someone with no trades experience so long as they have a desire to learn and a respect for historic structures. He would rather allow a customer to rent space in our shop to restore their windows themselves than see them throw them away, even if he does lose the job. Rob has a remarkable ability to spark passion in others. His honesty about his setbacks and own mistakes in the trades help others to feel confidence going forward in a field that can be extremely challenging at times. 

Rob is a workforce for historic trades education and he deserves to be recognized for everything he has contributed thus far and everything he will provide into the future.