Steven Pine left the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 2022 to begin his private practice. In 1987 he completed his master’s degree from the University of Delaware / Winterthur Museum with specializations in furniture and metals. While at the MFAH his responsibilities included caring for and treating the museum’s historic house collections of American and European decorative arts, authentication and loan assessment. Maximizing the teaching value of the collections yet extending their useful interpretive lifespan has been a fascinating and rewarding challenge. Each object has a story to tell. Presenting that story clearly and making that accessible to the public marks a successful cultural or heritage steward. An active member of the American Institute of Conservation for over 30 years he has served in leadership positions in specialty groups and committees, presented papers, organized conferences and mentored young professionals. He is a Board Member of WAAC, an active member of AIC-NHR, past Chair of the Wooden Objects Specialty Group and Co-Chair of the Emergency Committee of AIC and Founding Board member of the TX-Collections Emergency Resource Alliance. He is a first response trainer and sits on state and national committees for disaster response for heritage and cultural resources. Special areas of expertise include: conservation and management of: period furniture, objects, exhibition management, IPM, disaster planning and recovery.