Our Team

Black and white portrait of a man with a beard, short hair, wearing a suit jacket and dress shirt, facing forward with neutral expression. Michael Shoriak New Orleans.

Michael Shoriak

Michael Shoriak co-founded Cypress Building Conservation in 2013.

A native of Gonzales, LA, Michael earned a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design where he received the Charles E. Peterson Award for excellence in the study of historic building technology. He also holds an MA in Public History from Temple University and a BA in History from Louisiana State University with minors in Art History and Philosophy.

Michael has worked in the construction industry for over twenty years, beginning as a laborer and eventually assuming project management positions. Prior to co-founding CBC, Michael worked for the Architectural Conservation Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, implementing a rapid conditions assessment technique for Native American structures now used by the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Parks. As an archivist at the University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives, he processed the archival collections of designers such as Venturi, Scott Brown, Ian McHarg, and Edmund Bacon.

Michael meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for History and Historic Preservation.

A young woman with long brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a black top, looking at the camera with a slight smile. Courtney Williams New Orleans.

Roy Gaillard

Roy Gaillard joined CBC in 2019 as Lead Plasterer and Construction Manager.

A native of New Orleans, Roy is a fourth-generation plasterer. Starting his apprenticeship under his father at age twelve, Roy has worked in the masonry trades for over 45 years. He now oversees our crew of eighteen craftspeople.

Courtney Williams

Courtney Williams co-founded Cypress Building Conservation in 2013.

A native of New Orleans, LA, Courtney earned a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design. She graduated magna cum laude from the College of Charleston Honors College with a BA in Historic Preservation and Community Planning.

Prior to co-founding CBC, Courtney worked in the restoration building trades, specializing in window restoration and interior painting in the private residential sector in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as for the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust in Philadelphia, PA.

Courtney meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for History and Historic Preservation.

A middle-aged man wearing a camouflage baseball cap and a bright yellow shirt, standing indoors against a plain background. Roy Gaillard fourth generation plasterer New Orleans.