Message From the Board
The Board of Directors of the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Beth Kowalski as our new Executive Director, effective September 16, 2025.
“As Board President, I am honored to welcome Beth into this role,” said Tracy Honn, President of the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum’s Board of Directors.
Read more here ➤
Beth Kowalski
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Beth has over 28 years of experience working in and with museums across the state of Wisconsin and beyond. As Executive Director, Beth will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the museum’s programs and partnerships, fundraising, financial management, marketing, and operations, while collaborating closely with the Board, staff, and the many communities we serve, to deepen the museum’s mission to preserve history for creative use today.
Stephanie Carpenter
PROGRAM OFFICER
Stephanie is a graphic designer, letterpress printer, and book artist. At the museum she teaches letterpress and bookmaking workshops, serves as in-house printer, directs social media and the website, coordinates interns, and organizes event and conferences. She is a graduate of the graphic design masters program at Indiana University.
Gina Korakian
OFFICE MANAGER
Gina has worked in the academic and non-profit sphere of the arts in St. Louis for over 20 years. She graduated with her MFA in printmaking and drawing from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Here at the museum, she will provide administrative support to the team in many forms. When Gina isn’t at the museum you can find her at her sewing machine, by the water’s edge, or looking and listening for birds.
Daniel L. Simmer
FACILITY MANAGER
Dan’s comprehensive knowledge and experience have proven instrumental to the museum. With a strong background in facility management, Dan emerged from early retirement to oversee the museum’s building and grounds, establish safety requirements and manage repairs and renovations. Dan served the local YMCA as Property Director for more than 7 years.
Jen Anne
WOOD SHOP & MARKETING MANAGER
Jen is a multimedia artist with a 20-year background in marketing and writing. At the museum she makes as much sawdust as possible while also marketing the museum to the outside world. Though Jen received her MFA in welding and glassblowing from the UW-Madison, she's had a lifelong crush on printing. Outside of the museum, she'll be tromping through woods and marshes, looking for birds.
Abigail Diaz
VISITOR ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
Abbie is a former archaeologist turned museum professional with more than 15 years of experience in cultural institutions around the country. Abbie believes museums are for everyone and works every day to make that a reality. Outside of work, she can be found hunting for antiques at estate sales with at least one trashy romance book in her overly large tote bag.
Reed Deroche
FACILITY ASSISTANT
Reed is semi-retired after a career at various factories in Manitowoc, where he was a supervisor. At the end of his full-time career, he finally had a job as a table games dealer at Oneida Casino. At Hamilton, he performs repairs and renovations, helps maintain the building and grounds, and helps execute safety initiatives. Outside of the museum, he loves to spend time with the grandchildren and go on day trips with his wife of 45 years. He also plays Blackjack just to relax.
Jim Schnell
FACILITY ASSISTANT
Jim is semi-retired after a career at Mirro Aluminum, where he was a journeyman carpenter and production supervisor. At Hamilton, he performs repairs and renovations, helps maintain the building and grounds, and helps execute safety initiatives. Outside of the museum, he enjoys remodeling projects and camping.
Museum Board of Directors
The Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum Board of Directors was formed in early 2018 to oversee Hamilton operations. These members were chosen to assist Hamilton in moving toward the future. They have an excellent combination of skills and strengths, giving us the support necessary to become the type of museum we know is possible.
| Name | Position | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Tracy Honn | President | Director, Silver Buckle Press, UW Madison - Retired |
| Angela Spinazzè | Vice President | Principal and Founder, ATSPIN Consulting |
| Dan Rhatigan | Secretary | Typeface Designer and Typographer |
| Jerome Fox | Treasurer | Circuit Court Judge - Retired |
| Jane Hurst | Member | Two Rivers Historical Society |
| Marnie Powers-Torrey | Member | Director, Book Arts Program, The University of Utah |
| Tom Rickner | Member | Creative Type Director, Monotype |
| Deb Verhoff | Member | Digital Collections Manager at New York University Libraries |
| Curt Andrews | Member Emeritus | Two Rivers Businessman |
| Amelia Fontanel | Member Emeritus | RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection, NY |
| Don Konop | Member Emeritus | President, Two Rivers Historical Society |
| Rosie Sajak | Member Emeritus | Manager of Development at Midwestern University, IL |
| Paul Brown | Member Emeritus | Associate Professor, Indiana University Bloomington - Retired |
| Patrick Gagnon | Member Emeritus | Two Rivers Historical Society |
| Jeff Dawson | Member Emeritus | Director, Lester Public Library |
| Jeff Zimmerlee | Member Emeritus | Branch Manager, Bank First |
| Joe Metzen | Member Emeritus | Associate Executive Director, Manitowoc-Two Rivers YMCA |