Employer Spotlight: RLA Conservation

The Mausoleum of Henry and Arabella Huntington, which was a restoration project by RLA Conservation. jpham / Alamy Stock Photo Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Sometimes large sculptures, artifacts and historic architecture need a touch-up. When that time comes, one team that often gets the call to assist in the preservation work is RLA

Conservation, one of the companies that has signed AARP's Employer Pledge affirming the value of older workers.

With more than 20 employees split between two studios in Miami and Los Angeles, RLA is one of the larger firms in the field of art conservations, according to Rosa Lowinger, its president

and chief conservator. In recent years, her teams have handled projects nationwide, including relocating the massive 1963 mural Extending the Arms of Christ from the main entrance at Houston

Methodist Hospital and cleaning soot-covered sculptures damaged by wildfires on the West Coast.

Conservation work requires a demanding mix of physical skills, patience and big-picture vision, Lowinger says. Those are valuable skills that she's found older workers bring to her

multigenerational staff. Lowinger recently spoke with AARP about why her firm signed the Employer Pledge. The following excerpts from that conversation have been edited and condensed for

clarity and brevity.

What led you to become interested in AARP's Employer Pledge Program?