I grew up in Illinois, where I got started with woodworking by helping my dad in his shop. I developed a habit of digging through the scrap bin for small bits of beautiful wood I just couldn’t watch burn… I guess some things don’t change. As I got older I began working on my own projects, mostly gifts for family and friends.

I studied engineering at Iowa State University and worked as a lab technician in a wood and metals shop. I was lucky to find a group of friends there who were incredibly talented and who pushed each other to do quality work, even when it wasn’t required by “the print”.

After graduating I moved to Seattle for work in the aerospace industry. Around that time I found Krenov’s books and started to learn about the school. My wife, Dani, eventually convinced me to apply; I feel extremely fortunate to be here, and to get the chance to learn from the talented and insightful instructors and students.