Staff
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Peter Korn, the Center’s Director, has been a furniture maker
since 1974. He is the author of Woodworking Basics: Mastering the
Essentials of Craftsmanship (Taunton Press, 2003) and The Woodworker’s
Guide to Hand Tools (Taunton Press, 1998). Prior to founding the
Center For Furniture Craftsmanship in 1992, Peter spent six years as
Program Director at Colorado’s Anderson Ranch Arts Center and four
years as Adjunct Associate Professor at Drexel University. His award-winning
furniture has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums.
ENDOWMENT CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR
Cheryl Durbas relocated to Maine in 2006 from Richmond, Virginia. Prior to moving to Maine, Cheryl spent six years as the Director of Development of an independent college prep school for learning disabled students. She brings over 15 years of fundraising and public relations experience to her work at the Center. Cheryl lives in Union with her husband, Erik, and their two fuzzy children Wally and Cleo (dog and cat). When not renovating their home, Cheryl and Erik enjoy cooking, kayaking and hiking Maine trails.
STUDENT SERVICES COORDINATOR
Dorrie Higbee joined the Center in May 2009 as Student Services Coordinator. She and her family moved to Maine from Colorado in 2004 to build their home by the sea. Dorrie brings a flare for logistics coordinating and several years of business and personnel management experience to the organization. She holds a B.A. from St. Bonaventure University in New York and enjoys boating, horseback riding, long walks, short fiction, and quality time with family and friends.
ASSISTANT FACILITIES MANAGER
Mason McBrien became the Center's Assistant Facilities Manager in January 2009. After years of self-employment building custom furniture, museum installations, and historic garden architecture in New Hampshire, Mason enrolled in the Center's 2007-08 Nine-month Comprehensive and subsequently was awarded a Studio Fellowship. His work has been featureded in Fine Woodworking and Lark Books' 500 Tables.
GENERAL MANAGER
Elaine Ng became the Center’s first General Manager in September 2008. She relocated to Maine in 2006 from New York City, where she was Managing Director of the Gotham Chamber Opera and led the company to produce one of its most ambitious seasons to date. Prior to Gotham, Elaine was Associate Director of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and most recently, she served as Director of Development for the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport, ME. Elaine holds both an M.B.A. and an M.A. in Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
GALLERY MANAGER
Beth Sauer joined the Center as Gallery Manager in May 2009. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Art and Art History, and following this completed the studio arts program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for sculpture. Beth moved to Maine in 2006 and has worked with local galleries including Eric Hopkins Gallery and Elan Fine Arts. In her free time she runs, hikes, and reads.
STAFF INSTRUCTOR AND FACILITIES MANAGER
Pete Schlebecker is the Center’s Staff Instructor and Facilities Manager. He
has been a studio furniture maker since 1984 and earned his MFA. in
Furniture Design at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004. In 1992, he
co-founded a woodworking co-operative called the Alexandria Center for
Woodworking Arts in Alexandria, Virginia, where he was living at the time.
Pete joined our staff in August of 2004, and divides his time between
teaching, keeping the buildings and tools in top condition, and managing the
Assistant and Fellowship programs.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Richard C. Kellogg, Jr. Houston, Texas
Vice-president
Robert Fippinger New York, NY
Treasurer
Don Seeley Tucson, AZ
Secretary
Jeremy Morton, M.D. Portland, ME
Karen Cadbury Rockport, ME
Mark Horowitz Weston, MA
Thomas Lie-Nielsen Waldoboro, ME
Dyke Messler Camden, ME
Craig Satterlee Marietta, GA
Bill Stengel Brunswick, ME
Joan Welsh Rockport, ME