Leadership

David Riccio

David is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC). He is an Association for Preservation Technology (APT) Recognized Professional, an honor he received in 2019.

David is an integral part of the John Canning Co. He has been a visionary leader for the entire Canning team for more than 25 years. He is an industry-recognized expert on historic flat and ornamental plaster as well as decorative painting techniques, gilding, and glazing and has developed multiple innovative solutions for complex restoration conditions.

David established Canning’s on-site, historic preservation painting studio, and expanded the company's specialty contracting capabilities so that the Canning standards could be applied to all preservation disciplines and project management pertinent to the historic restoration projects.

His planning and project management skills keep projects on track and on budget. David has overseen large-scale projects such as the Virginia State Capitol, the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Radio City Music Hall, and the War Memorial Opera in San Francisco. Many of the projects that he has been involved in have received national awards.

John Canning

John Canning

John is an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) – the only decorative painter in North America to be so honored. He is also a professional associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC).

John is the leading authority in the United States on traditional decorative painting techniques and materials and historic color palettes. He studied in Glasgow, Scotland where he attended the Glasgow Stow College of Building, the Scottish Decorative Trades Institute and the Glasgow School of Art. He earned the prestigious London City & Guilds certificate and served his apprenticeship as a church decorator in U.K.

Restoration architects and preservation leaders rely on John’s experience and often seek his advice on the interpretation of historic, period interiors with complex finish systems such as encaustic and distemper paints, simulated inlaid wood-grain, marbling, trompe l’oeil, architectural grisaille, freehand artwork, and old world gilding and glazing effects.

A champion of education, John continues to share his knowledge of the architectural arts with clients and professionals as a guest lecturer at university graduate preservation programs and by leading decorative finish workshops and professional development presentations.

Dorothy

Dorothea Canning-Hennessey

In addition to making sure everything runs smoothly day-to-day, Dorothea oversees and manages Canning’s safety programs and protocols. Her education in construction management has led to automating the company’s information systems taking advantage of the efficiencies provided by up-to-date technology for managing finances, compliance reporting, and overall customer service.

Because of her experience on large-scale projects, and with multiple federal and state agencies throughout the country, Dorothea has a comprehensive understanding of regulations and reporting requirements, and serves as the company expert in those areas.