INSTRUCTORS
The instructors at Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute are professional woodworkers and the best at their craft.
We work together, share ideas, and provide the best woodworking education possible.
LUKE BARNETT
WINDSOR CHAIRMAKER & PRESIDENT
SPECILIZATIONS
Green Woodworking
Windsor Chairs
Fine Furniture
Luke Barnett is a woodworker that specializes in traditional American Windsor chairs. Luke has sold Windsor chairs since 2011 and has been a full-time chairmaker since December 2013. Barnett won “Top craftsman in North America” from the Directory of Traditional American Crafts and Early American Life Magazine in 2015, 2016, and 2017. He won “Best project” in the seating category through Popular Woodworking Magazine in 2016 and 2017. Barnett also had one of his handmade Birdcage Rocking Chairs selected to be a part of a traveling Smithsonian Exhibit in 2016. Mr. Barnett is a member of the Adrian Noon Rotary Club and was awarded “Rotarian of the Year 2020” and “Outstanding Honors 2018-2019” for his devotion to the Woodworking for Warriors Program. He was also selected to be a guest speaker at the International Woodworking Fair in 2018 and 2020. Barnett spoke at the 2018 International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, Georgia. His speech titled “Be the Spark” focused on engaging students at younger ages through community outreach.
Barnett is also an Accredited Skills Evaluator (ASE) through the Woodworking Career Alliance of North America. Currently, Barnett is a Finalist for “Top Young Woodworking Professional in the World” through The Woodworking Network for 2021 and was recently awarded a honoree of the Woodworking Network “40 Under 40 Awards" Class of 2020.
LOGAN BALIS
ARITST IN RESIDENCE
SPECIALIZATIONS
Fine Furniture
Spoon Carving
Logan Balis is a recent graduate of the Wood Design program from Greenville, Michigan. He currently resides in his van here just south of Adrian in Fairfield with a family that has adopted him while he was in school. They influenced his life to be responsible and patient, which therefore influenced his work ethic in the shop. When he was 13, he started a small lawn/light landscaping business as the “Backyard Barber.” He began this business with a $50 push mower. After 7 years, the business grew and eventually Logan owned a full set up with all of the modern day equipment. With a few years of doing odd jobs with lawns and landscapes, he gained a deep interest in gardens but specifically sustainable gardens and agriculture. After graduating high school in 2022, Logan took a gap year. During that time, he found the Wood Design program and enrolled immediately after a visit. He is a curious student seeking hand skills and knowledge in all crafts fields.
MICHAEL BELZOWSKI
MASTER CARPENTER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Carpentry
Steam Bending
Mike is an award-winning master carpenter with over 35 years of experience. He has studied with some of the great craftsmen of our time, including Sam Maloof, Frank Klausz, Stephen Proctor, Michael Fortune and Steve Latta. In 2008, Mike completed the Masters Program at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. His work has been featured in Fine Homebuilding and profiled by Festool USA in their Presents video series. He frequently demonstrates woodworking techniques at wood shows and guilds in the Midwest region. He owns and operates Belzowski Woodworking and Design, located in Northwest Indiana. Mike lives on 60 acres in LaPorte County with his wife Nora, their two children, Mira and Zeke, and two dogs, two cats and four chickens. In his free time, Mike enjoys biking, baking and beekeeping. Learn more about Mike in the video below:
MATTHEW BICKFORD
WOODWORKER & AUTHOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
Hand Planes
Matthew S. Bickford began working wood as a hobbyist interested in period work. He soon became intrigued with moulding planes, specifically hollows and rounds, as a means to being able to copy or create specific profiles. After spending a moderate amount of time with antique planes, he started making his own. This pursuit ultimately lead to his career as a maker of 18 th-century British reproduction planes. Matt is the author of Mouldings in Practice, published by Lost Art Press. He also worked with Lie-Nielsen Toolworks to release a DVD with the same name. Both book and DVD illustrate the process of creating any moulding profile with a simple set of tools. He has also taught at various woodworking schools from Maine to Washington and authored several articles for various woodworking magazines. Fascinated by the flexibility that these hand tools afford, Matt has been pursuing customers since 2010 through his work and website, www.msbickford.com.
ARMANDO COVARRUBIAS JR
FURNITURE MAKER & GRADUATE INTERN
SPECIALIZATIONS
Fine Furniture
Custom Leatherwork
Armando Covarrubias Jr is a furniture maker originally from Arrey, New Mexico. After many years working in the food science and agriculture industry with his family, he made the decision to change careers and attend the Wood Design: Furniture Making program at Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute. He builds custom-made furniture by combining hand tools, craftsmanship, and modern machinery. He has always loved working with his hands. He spent most of his life working on his family farm in the chili fields or building and welding farm equipment for their manufacturing facilities. This lifestyle naturally accommodated to a strong sense of community, and Armando developed patience to watch a seed grow into a fully matured crop. An organic career transition for him was furniture making with a lot of the same principles he has always been so drawn towards. Moving forward, he aspires to design and build commission furniture.
JOHN BINEGAR
FOREST INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT
SPECIALIZATIONS
Sustainable Practices
Green Wood Sector
Timber Buying
John Binegar brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to sustainable forestry practices. With a career spanning over three decades in the forestry sector, John's journey began with a solid foundation in Natural Resources - Forest Industry Management, which he obtained from Ohio State University in December of 1987.
Shortly after graduation, John embarked on what would become a distinguished career at Hardwoods of Michigan/Tri-County Logging, starting in March of 1988. Over the next 35 years, John's dedication and skill saw him advancing through various positions within the company. His deep understanding of the industry and commitment to sustainable practices culminated in his final role there, where for the last ten years, he managed the green wood sector, focusing on Timber Buying. His efforts were instrumental in securing over 10,000 forestry contracts, reflecting his significant impact on the industry.
In 2023, John took on the role of Vice-President of Forestry Management Services, a locally owned company led by Richard Service since 2014. This company, known for its conservative management and selective harvesting principles, aligns perfectly with John's values and expertise in promoting sustainable forestry practices.
John's personal life is as rich and fulfilling as his professional one. He enjoys hunting and biking, activities that further connect him to the natural world he works so hard to preserve. Married for 34 years, John is a devoted family man with two daughters and two grandchildren, with another grandchild on the way. Although he grew up in Loveland, Ohio, he has called Lenawee County home since 1988, further cementing his ties to the community and the land he serves.
As an instructor at the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute, John Binegar not only shares his extensive knowledge of forestry management but also instills in his students a profound respect for the environment and the importance of sustainable practices. His background, from his educational foundations to his vast professional experience and personal commitment to conservation, makes him a valuable asset to the Institute and an inspiration to those aspiring to make a positive impact in the world of forestry.
JEFF DAVIS
LUTHIER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Guitar Building & Repair
Smart Remarks
After retiring from the Air Force, Jeff completed both the Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair and Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery (Masters) programs, and the Intensive Guitar Repair course at Roberto-Venn. Since then he’s been building and repairing guitars in his small basement workshop. His current focus is on building Martin inspired Dreadnought and OM sized guitars with uniquely designed wood inlays in the headstocks and the rosettes.
ZACK FEALK
FURNITURE MAKER & LEAD INTRUCTOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
Fine Furniture
Historic Home Remodels
Zack is from Detroit, Michigan and graduated from MSU with a BS in Natural Resource Management. He is also a graduate of the Wood Design: Furniture Making program at the SBWI. Outside of the woodshop, he facilitates historic home remodels in the city of Detroit and builds custom furniture pieces. Zack is dedicated to learning other woodworking disciplines, including traditional timber framing, chairmaking, and advanced joinery skills. Zack’s goal is to push himself through design and building techniques that will allow him to prosper as a maker. Woodworking is a constant learning process, and he is eager to be a lifelong student. He is the Lead Instructor of the Wood Design program and teaches several specialty courses at SBWI. Zack was recently awarded a honoree of the Woodworking Network “40 Under 40 Awards" Class of 2024.
ALEXANDER GRABOVETSKIY
MASTER WOODCARVER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Classical Wood Carving
Carving in Grinling Gibbons Style
Architectural & Ornamental Carving
Alexander Grabovetskiy was recognized as the 2012 International Wood Carver of the year, and his piece Wall Decoration was awarded first place. His work utilizes the same approaches used for centuries by master woodcarvers, including techniques employed by Grinling Gibbons. In 2015 Alexander Grabovetskiy was Editors’ Choice to be Awarded with Woodworking Excellence in category: Turnings, Carvings & Objets d’Art by Popular Woodworking Magazine.
Grabovetskiy was born on July 4, 1973, in the Russian town of Dimitrovgrad. His grandfather taught him basic woodcarving techniques at six-years old, and at 16 he was taken on as an apprentice by renowned carver Vladimir Tokarev. Due to his faith and his refusal to enlist in the Soviet Armed Forces, Grabovetskiy was imprisoned by the Soviet authorities. He was freed after two years as part of an Amnesty International campaign for prisoners of faith incarcerated by the USSR. In prison he began a business making furniture and kitchen sets, and finding no work upon his release at the age of 21 years, he continued on to run his own woodworking enterprise.
In 1996, Grabovetskiy immigrated as a political refugee to the United States together with his wife Nadia and their 10-month-old son. The woodworking and custom home building business that he established in Goshen, Indiana, Aalmark LLC, employed a number of expert craftsmen who were also Christian refugees from the former Soviet Union. He currently works in South Florida.
CHARLIE GRAGG
WOODWORKER/INTRUCTOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
Marquetry
Veneering
Carving
Charlie Gragg is a retired high school/college English and Writing teacher. His initial interest in woodworking started with timber framing, in conjunction with restoring an 1851 farmhouse, and raising timber frame barns in Connecticut.
Charlie was in the inaugural SBWI furniture making intensive class (’21), where he earned the Golden Planer award. His experience at SBWI was, in his words, over the top. Charlie expanded his woodworking interest into marquetry, veneering, and carving as a result of his SBWI experiences and now teaches as a guest instructor to the Wood Design: Furniture Making program
Charlie’s post-SBWI life has continued taking more classes (always the student), and building pro bono furniture for family and friends.
MATT HARBER
WOODTURNER/INSTRUCTOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
Finial Turning
Live Edge Bowl Turning
Lidded Turned Bowls
Goblets
Decorations
Matt has had a lifelong fascination with wood and wood art. He began feeding this obsession in 2003 when he began to learn the skills and art of woodturning on a lathe. He has lived most of my life in Southeastern Michigan, surrounded by trees, and is delighted in being able to bring out and shape the natural beauty inside the wonderful woods that are all around us. He finds serenity and joy in the creative process, as a piece unfolds and reveals itself through his hand. He is always seeking new textures, shapes, and techniques to apply to his work on his journey of exploration. He creates distinctive, unique, one-of-a-kind wood (usually) items that are hand turned on a lathe and hand finished. Some pieces are then hand painted, burned (pyrographed), carved, painted, or otherwise embellished. These pieces include but are not limited to bowls, vases, goblets, platters/plates, hollow forms, and many creative variations of these. He specializes in Celtic and Native American motif art decorations via pyrography (wood burning), painting, and/or carving, but can adapt most any appropriate design to the pieces. He has been woodturning approximately 18 years and has created a number of requested custom pieces. Learn more about Matt Harber at Facebook.com/infinite.thread
DAVE HELLER
FURNITURE MAKER/INSTRUCTOR
SPECILIZATIONS
Veener & Marquetry
Fine Furniture Making
Dave Heller is a furniture maker in Charlottesville VA. His focus is on traditional veneered and inlaid furniture, primarily in the Federal, Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles.
He has run Heller and Heller Custom Furniture for the past 11 years.
He has long been fascinated by patterns, and strived to incorporate them into his furniture. In the late 90’s he wanted to dress up the interior of a roll top desk he was making, and found an attractive veneered example in a book. He learned how to veneer to complete the roll top desk, which his father-in-law still uses daily. He learned marquetry shortly after to better incorporate pictures into his work.
To this day, he continues to refine his technique in order to make what he envisions – or what his customers want. He has studied under several accomplished artists, has read most of the books, but mostly he experiments and makes furniture and art pieces. He now teaches both saw and knife based marquetry approaches throughout Virginia and now beyond.
In a prior life Dave was a Chemical Engineer, so he may geek out if asked about finishing or glues. Learn more about Dave Heller at hellerandhellerfurniture.com
ANGELO HERNANDEZ MARTINEZ
SR. PRODUCT DESIGNER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Furniture Design
Mass Production Development
With 15 years of experience in product design, Angelo Hernandez Martinez is a relationship-driven professional who specializes in designing and developing furniture for mass production. A 2022 SBWI graduate and recipient of the Red Seal Award, he also holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.
From sketch to commercialization, Angelo champions his designs along the development cycle to ensure that integrity does not get lost in the process. He is adept in aligning diverse interests within complex organizations and prides himself on his rational thinking, intuition, and, most importantly, his ability to build authentic relationships based on mutual respect.
Outside of work, Angelo enjoys yoga, art, and challenging himself to deepen his own creative practice through community engagement.
ETHAN HIGGINS
TIMBER FRAMER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Timber frame construction
Barn Restoration
Hewn timber
Round log scribing
Ethan is a timber framer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Born in Eastern Massachusetts and learning the trade while working in Vermont, he was first brought to Michigan in 2017 to help his close friends build a new milking parlor on their 6th generation dairy farm. Ethan soon found a wide interest in his work - especially within the small farm community in Washtenaw County - and in 2019 started his own company, Roof Jumper Timber Frames (named for a barn on his family’s now defunct dairy farm). Since then, he has built and restored a variety of timber frame structures, many of which are working barns and agricultural buildings on small, family-owned farms. Ethan specializes in hewn, scribed, and full-round material, and has adopted a mission to not only promote the craft of timber framing, but also to work in line with the vision of what the world can look like when care is put into the food we grow, the buildings we construct, and the work we do every day.
FREDERIK LALEICKE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR & WOOD PRODUCTS EXTENSION SPECIALIST
SPECIALIZATIONS
Urban Wood Utilization
Mass Timber
Frederik Laleicke is an Assistant Professor and Wood Products Extension Specialist in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State University. Frederik is very enthusiastic about forest products, and working with the industry and academia, to advance the use of wood in North Carolina. Originally from Germany, Frederik studied at the University of Hamburg, before joining Oregon State University for a graduate degree program in 2012. After graduating in 2015, Frederik remained at OSU for two more years to pursue a series of different research projects for the Fraunhofer WKI, the leading research institution for forest products in Germany. At NC State he currently focuses on Urban Wood Utilization and Mass Timber. He regularly offers different workshops with a focus on drying. As an Extension Specialist, identifying and solving problems has been a welcome challenge for more than 10 years in this field. Frederik also serves on the Board of Directors for the Urban Wood Network.
BOB LANG
AUTHOR/WOODWORKER
SPECIALIZATIONS
SketchUp
Wood Carving
Furniture Making
Bob Lang was born and raised in northeastern Ohio, in the college town of Kent. In the early 1970s, he dropped out of college and became a cabinetmaker. Like many of his generation he didn’t want to wear a tie and sit in an office. He learned the trade in several different shops, including building speaker cabinets for sound systems, wood boat repair on Lake Erie, scenery and prop building for an aquatic theme park in an unlikely location, and in more than few commercial cabinet shops. He also ventured into his own business and spent the early 1980s designing, building and traveling the country to sell his stuff at arts & crafts shows. By the late 1990s he was working as a project manager/engineer in the architectural millwork industry.
His first magazine article was published in “Woodshop News” in 1998, followed by his first article for “Fine Woodworking” Magazine. His first book, “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” was published in 2001. In 2004, he began to work full-time for Popular Woodworking Magazine, where he is currently the executive editor and illustrator. He currently carves and builds furniture in Cincinnati, Ohio and writes about and teaches woodworking and 3D modeling with SketchUp. In January 2018 he became the editor of “American Period Furniture” the annual journal of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. Bob blogs about Woodworking and SketchUp at his website ReadWatchDo.com.
RANDY LIGHTHALL
CNC INSTRUCTOR/WOODWORKING WARRIOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
CNC Systems
Randy is a woodworking hobbyist. He has had a love of woodworking since he was first introduced to it while repairing liberty boats in the US Navy. He is kind of a jack of all trades dabbling in many types of projects.
Randy first took a CNC class at The WoodWorking Warriors program and fell in love with it. He loves the possibilities the CNC can offer. He shares his excitement and joy the CNC machine has given him by teaching others in both public CNC classes and during the Woodworking Warriors program. Randy's number 1 course objective is to excite others to explore what they can do using a CNC machine.
BLAKE LOREE
WINDSOR CHAIR MAKER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Windsor Chairs
Custom Furniture
Blake Loree is a maker of Windsor chairs and other custom furniture in his timber frame shop in Waco, Texas. Each piece is individually crafted using a wide array of traditional hand tools as well as a limited number of machines as needed.
Blake’s interest in woodworking goes back as far as he can remember. When he was old enough to walk, he would follow his Grandpa around the shop and be lost in everything he saw and smelled. Blake even began working on some small projects with his Grandpa at the ripe old age of three years old!
As a full time woodworker from 2011 on, Blake gives his deepest thanks to the many instructors he’s been privileged to study under especially during his intensive two year apprenticeship with the master craftsman at the Heritage School of Woodworking in Waco, TX. Also many thanks to Peter Galbert, Greg Pennington and Curtis Buchanan for their invaluable tutorship into the world of Windsor Chairmaking.
Blake’s hope is to impart as much knowledge and excitement for the craft of Windsor chair making as he can for everyone young and old to create long lasting beautiful pieces of furniture by hand! You can view Blake’s work at blakeloree.com
MARY MAY
WOOD CARVER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Wood Carving
Architectural Moldings
European trained woodcarver, Mary May, has been carving for over 30 years and currently works out of her studio in Charleston, South Carolina, specializing in traditional, classical woodcarving. She takes on carving commissions from furniture makers, designers, and architects as well as creates her own designs. Mary teaches woodcarving at a variety of schools throughout the US and Europe and has her own online, video-based carving school -www.marymaycarving.com. She recently completed her first book, Carving the Acanthus Leaf (published through Lost Art Press), and has written articles for Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, Woodcarving Illustrated, and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. Mary has also appeared as a guest on Roy Underhill's PBS Show, The Woodwright's Shop four times. Her desire in all that she shares is to help keep this beautiful and traditional art alive and vibrant. Learn more about Mary May at www.marymaycarving.com/carvingschool/
STEVEN MCCARROLL
DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT/WOODWORKING WARRIOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
End Grain Butcher Block Cutting Boards
CNC Creations
Laser Engraving
Chili
Steve is a SBWI Alumni and woodworking hobbyist, who has always had an interest in woodworking. It wasn't until about three years ago that he truly decided to jump into the craft after serving in the US Army for the previous 24 years. Since then, he has created McCarroll Custom Cutting Boards where he enjoys designing unique patterns with a mix of domestic and exotic wood species. In 2022 Steve joined the Wood Design: Furniture Making program, and graduated on June 4th, 2023 with a 4.0 GPA.
He is an avid sports fan who vigorously roots for all Detroit teams and the University of Michigan. He's a glutton for punishment! He also enjoys hunting, fishing, and outings with his fellow veterans.
Steve is a member of Woodworking for Warriors and his proudest moment in the wood shop is when his Woodworking Warrior peers voted him as both the Best Teacher and Most Helpful in 2021.
JOE MILLER
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Design, analysis and fabrication of traditional heavy timber structures
Licensed P.E.in MI, WI, MN, KS, MO, IN, IA, NC, GA, OK, TN. P.Eng. in BC, AB, and ON.
In 2009, before the ink dried on Joe’s Ph.D., he joined the Fire Tower team, where he will continue his groundbreaking work on keyed beams.
Joe’s interest in timber framing grew from a project he took on with his father, rebuilding an ancestral barn in southern Indiana. In Joe's freshman year at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, he attended a lecture by Ben Brungraber. Ben must have said something inspiring, because Joe ventured forth on an ambitious track that eventually led to a Masters in Civil Engineering at University of Wyoming. While in school, Joe conducted innovative research on the strength of wooden dowels - findings that significantly advanced the acceptance of timber frame construction among engineers and code officials.
Masters degree in hand, Joe had a two-year stint with Yankee Barn Homes in New Hampshire, doing engineering, lateral analysis, drafting and frame design. Next came a spell with Trillium Dell Timberworks in Illinois, where he refined his design, engineering and cutting skills in the shop. Meanwhile, Joe sought out a school where he could undertake intensive research on key laminated beams. Michigan Technological University gave him the green light, and now Joe has a Doctorate of Philosophy in Civil Engineering for his analytic methodology for the design and engineering of keyed beams. Concurrent to his advanced studies, Joe privately consulted on timber frame designs and taught on-line courses for Norwich University in Advanced Structural Analysis.
Joe’s trailblazing through the industry has led him to Fire Tower, a team that shares his passion for extending the reach of solid sawn timber.
PATRICK MOORE
COMPAGNON PASSANT CHARPENTIER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Stereotomy
Preservation Carpentry
Patrick is Le Canadien 'L'Ami du Trait', the first North and South American Compagnon Passant Charpentier. His passion and ambition are to revive the "School of Practical Stereotomy Applied to Construction" founded by Compagnon Charpentier Pierre Guillon, (1871-1923). Mr. Guillon was a Master Carpenter, Professor, Mayor, and Freemasonic Dignitary. Patrick is North and South America's first and only Compagnon Passant Charpentier that completed the 'Tour-de-France' and was received by the 'Compagnons Passant Charpentier' (2013). He received a Masters from 'La Grande École des Hommes de Métier en Compagnonnage' in Carpentry. Patrick finished an apprenticeship program in Canada - Red seal certificate (2009) - and at St. Lawrence College - Advanced Carpentry Apprenticeship (2009). He received Algonquin College Diplomas - Heritage Masonry (2005) and Heritage Carpentry (2007) and has written articles on the Compagnonnage and Art du Trait for the Timber Framers Journal and Scantlings. He is registered with the CCQ and hold 'Carte de Competance' for Quebec. Patrick is a member of the Association des Compagnons du Devoir Guild in France, the Timber Framers Guild of North America, the Carpenter Fellowship in the U.K., The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America - Local 93, and the Heritage Carpentry Advisory Committee at the Algonquin College Perth Campus. Learn more about Patrick at www.historicalcarpentry.com
TOM NEHIL
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Preservation and Reuse of Historic Buildings
Wood Identification
Timber Frame Design
Traditional Stone Masonry
Tom Nehil is a structural engineer in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he specializes in evaluation, preservation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Tom is a member of the Timber Framers Guild and Timber Frame Engineering Council and chairs the Timber Grading Training Committee. He is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology, the Michigan Barn Preservation Network and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network along with other professional organizations. He is a regular instructor at Tillers International in Kalamazoo where he teaches wood identification, timber frame design, and traditional stone masonry.
Tom’s interest in wood goes back to his days as a young professional carpenter prior to starting his engineering career. He is a woodworker, wood turner, and timber framer in his spare time.
CAROLYN RACINE
INSTRUCTOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
Women’s Woodworking Classes
Fine Furniture
Upholstery
Carolyn grew up 20 minutes from SBWI and studied Creative Writing at The University of Michigan. After college, she moved to California and spent the next 11 years doing stand up and sketch comedy, writing for shows at UCB and The Pack Theater, and managing a very busy restaurant in Los Angeles. Sometime after the pandemic she found herself pretty burnt out and took a few woodworking classes for fun at Allied Woodshop. She immediately fell in love with being in a wood shop and making things. Carolyn's mom told her about SBWI's diploma program and, after touring the school, she was eager to pack up her Honda Fit, drive back home and be a student of the trade while living close to family. As the year-long program comes to an end, Carolyn is not sure she will ever make the drive back to the West Coast. Along with teaching courses at SBWI, Carolyn is also working towards opening a custom upholstery business.
SHERI SARATA
DIRECTOR OF WOMEN'S PROGRAMMING
SPECIALIZATIONS
Teaching
Children’s Programming
Women’s Woodworking Classes
Sheri Sarata retired from a teaching career in 2017. While searching for a way to keep herself occupied in retirement, she discovered the SBWI. Sheri took one class and quickly developed a new passion for wood. Over the next few years, she completed several courses and enrolled in the long-term Wood Design course. Sheri built her skills and found a way to merge her passion for children’s education and woodworking. She offered her services to the SBWI and became the first Director of Youth Programming.
Sheri’s credentials include an MA in Education and Curriculum from Michigan State University, BA in Elementary Education from Michigan State University, Reading Recovery Certificate from Oakland University, and a Woodworking Certificate from Woodworking Career Alliance of North America. She has spent the past several years renovating homes for resale, and she especially enjoys spoon carving and veneer and marquetry. In addition to youth classes, Sheri also teaches classes specifically geared toward helping women become comfortable with tools, and is developing a woodworking women’s group. She is also a member of the Great Lakes Woodworking Festival Planning Committee, and leads the youth educational activities at the festival.
STEVEN SKORNICKA
WOODWORKER/FACILITIES MANAGER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Band Saw Boxes
Safety Classes
Fixing Everything
Steven J Skornicka, 69, married for 50 years to his wife. He has two children Nick age 37 and Anne age 29.
Steve has worked mostly in the automotive industry for the majority of his career. He worked heavily in engineering and project/operations management. He has extensive experience with the Lean Manufacturing principle and is excited to bring those processes and ideas to the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute to help us create an orderly, organized, and well-sustained management program for shop functionality.
Steve started out as a volunteer at the shop then proceeded to take multiple classes such as the knife making course, bandsaw box class, hand plane restoration, and more!
In his free time, he loves to do woodworking at home and use the knowledge he’s gained from his career and classes at SBWI to work on his own creations. He also enjoys spending lots of time with his wife, friends, and family.
He also is the owner & operator of the woodworking business “What Knots”.
NOAH SMITH
ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR
Noah is from Salida, CO. During his senior year of high school he apprenticed to a furniture builder and the experience he had working there encouraged him to look for a woodworking school where he could continue learning. He joined the SBWI Wood Design: Furniture Making program in the fall of 2022 and started assisting at the school soon after. Noah enjoys spending time in the shop and helping out where he can. He looks forward to learning about different building styles and techniques, and applying them to the furniture he builds. On June 4th, 2023 he graduated from the Wood Design: Furniture Making program, winning the Red Seal Award for most outstanding student. He continues to expand his woodworking skills and has become Assistant Instructor to the Wood Design program. When he’s not in the shop, Noah can be found reading books, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.
KATRINA TOMPKINS
FURNITURE DESIGNER & INSTRUCTOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
Furniture Design
Education
Katrina Tompkins is a Canadian furniture designer, maker and educator living between Newfoundland and Ontario. Her work explores regional craft histories, folklore and vernacular furniture. Katrina is currently developing a collection of heritage-inspired wooden toys through community interviews and heritage studies in rural Newfoundland. Katrina graduated from the Furniture Studio at Sheridan College (2009) and completed a Master of Design degree at OCAD University in Toronto (2019). She has spent time apprenticing in the shops of leading craftsmen Michael Fortune (Ontario) and Mike Paterson (Newfoundland) and ever learning at Anderson Ranch, Haystack Mountain, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship and Lost Art Press. Katrina is the grateful recipient of the Herman Miller Award, the Sam Maloof scholarship, The Chairmakers Toolbox scholarship and more. Katrina’s Finefolk seating series is part of the Fogo Island Workshop’s second collection, which launched at Supersalone Milan Furniture Fair in Italy in 2021. The Finefolk Chair was first shared in Philadelphia at the Museum for Art in Wood, Making a Seat at the Table exhibition in 2019. Katrina is passionate about design and exploring ideas through making.
EARL TORGERSON
MASTER WOODWORKER/INSTRUCTOR
SPECIALIZATIONS
Residential Carpentry
Building Energy Efficient Homes
Earl has taught Residential Carpentry at Bismark State College for 27 years and built 28 homes with carpentry students. His homes have been recognized by the EPA’s Homes Across Amcerica for excellence in energy efficiency and design. He is a Master Trainer for the National Center for Construction and Education and Research. Earl is also a Certified Green Building Professional and received his “Master Wood Worker” certificate from the prestigious Mark Adams School of Woodworking (a woodworking school second only to the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute). He developed curricula for Residential Construction, Commercial Construction, Green Building and Technology, and Fine Woodworking for BSC. Earl has also worked with charities in developing countries with God’s Child Project and developed a Carpentry Program at the Scheels Center Trade School in Antigua, Guatemala. He also developed a curriculum for Economic Development teaching carpentry skills in third world nations with the Narrow Gates Exchange Program located in Tennessee. When not building energy efficient homes, woodworking, or leather working, Earl enjoys mushing is Canadian Eskimo Sled Dogs, and was even a volunteer at the famous Iditarod Race in Alaska.
BOB VOGEL
RETIRED PRESIDENT HMI/CHAIRMAN OF THE SBWI BOARD
SPECIALIZATIONS
Wood Grading
Lumber Industry
Bob Vogel has been involved in the woodworking field of education and industry his entire adult life. Bob graduated from the building trades course at the Lenawee County VoTech School (Now CTE). He attended Western Michigan University where he majored in Industrial Education. He recently retired as the CEO/President of Hardwoods of Michigan. In 2010 Bob was named as one of North Americas 50 most influential people in the hardwood lumber Industry. Bob serves as the Chairman of the Board for the SBWI, and teaches Lumber Grading and The Truth About Trees Youth Class at the Great Lakes Woodworking Festival.
JACK WITHERINGTON
TIMBER FRAMER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Authentic Timber Framing
Looking back over the various careers, none have been more engaging and captivating than as an authentic American timber framer. Beginning with an intensive summer of study in 2000, the magic of crafting and raising timber structures has lasted 23 years, with the building and installing of some of the finest timber work in and around South Eastern Pennsylvania. Notable projects include work on Independence Hall (2009) restoration of a 109' suspension bridge and a traditional Japanese Dojo with natural arch logs spanning 36 feet. Learning the craft has taken Jack to both England--The Carpenters Fellowship and to Germany for roof framing coursework at the Rottweil Academy of Education in Rottweil. After two decades of timber frame design, crafting and raising experience, Jack now seeks to share this knowledge and know-how with the next generation of timber framers through teaching and instruction. If you can't find him in the workshop making something, you may find him on a trout stream with a fly rod or on a ski slope in between shifts as a National Ski Patroller.
Learn more about Jack’s company Methods & Materials Building Company by clicking here.
JEFF WYATT
WINDSOR CHAIRMAKER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Chairmaking
Writing
When Jeff Wyatt is not working in the oil refinery, you would find him in his workshop shop in Middle Tennessee. Jeff has been published in numerous magazine articles including This Old House Magazine and American Association of Woodturners. He has taken numerous classes with Greg Pennington, Jeff Lefkowitz, David Ellsworth, and Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute’s own Luke Barnett.
GARY ZIMNICKI
LUTHIER
SPECIALIZATIONS
Guitar Making
Watching the grand kids
Over the last 30 years, I’ve built my fair share of instruments. Each instrument has given me an opportunity to hone my craft and expand my skillset. Building completely unique instruments without any set models or guidelines has been challenging, but it has allowed me to offer something that most other manufacturers cannot: complete control over your instrument.
View All Guitar Making Courses
Learn more about Gary Zimnicki at www.zimnicki.com
Looking for other information? Click the button below to contact us.