Staff & Board Members

Peter Crabbe

Peter Crabbe EdD

ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Peter directs operations, policymaking, planning, development, and staffing for the museum. Before arriving in Two Rivers, he had been the Executive Director at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum in Oxnard CA.

Peter has over 30 years of museum experience in administration, leadership, and exhibits for museums with art-based missions and holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Organizational Change.

Stephanie Carpenter

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-Melnyk

Gina Korakian-Melnyk

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 Simmer

Daniel L. Simmer

FACILITY MANAGER

Dan’s comprehensive knowledge and experience have already 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

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

Abigail Diaz

WAYZGOOSE CONFERENCE COORDINATOR

Abbie is a former archaeologist turned museum educator (and now conference coordinator!) 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.

Georgie Liesch

Georgie Liesch

MASTER TYPECUTTER

Georgie has been tooling around the wood shop at HWT&PM for well over 10 years. She started learning about the process of making Hamilton wood type from her dad, Norb Brylski, and continued her study of the finer points of pantograph operation under the tutelage of Mardell Doubek - Hamilton’s last pantograph operator. She is now quite well-versed in all aspects of wood type production from wood processing all the way to the final hand-trimming. Occasionally, she will take home the inevitable wood type duds and print with them in her home studio.

Caroline Gilderson-Duwe

Caroline Gilderson-Duwe

WELCOME DESK ASSISTANT

Caroline has a lifelong love of all things related to printing, book arts and type. She has an MA in Library and Information Studies with an emphasis in Preservation and Archives from UW Madison. Most recently, Caroline worked as a Hospice Nurse. Although being a Registered Nurse has its own rewards, Caroline is excited to return to the world of type, ink printing presses, and binding.


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