Message from the Board of Directors
The Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum’s Board of Directors would like to announce an upcoming leadership change. It is with respect and gratitude that we announce the departure of Dr. Peter Crabbe, Executive Administrative Director, as he retires from the museum profession at the end of July. Since the fall of 2019 when he arrived, Peter has overseen great change at the museum, and notably saw us through the challenges of Covid-19.
Peter joined the staff at Hamilton in 2019 and has served as the Executive Administrative Director since that time. His efforts have been critical to the success of the museum especially during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic during which time the museum pivoted to offering programming exclusively online to a worldwide audience. Peter received an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Organizational Change from Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, IL; an MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago; an MA from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL; and a BFA from Newport College of Art, Newport, Wales, UK (his hometown).
Peter quickly embraced Hamilton and the Two Rivers community in an active and hands-on way. His respect for craftspeople, tools and equipment, and the possibilities that a working museum offered, informed all that he did and will be missed. He always reminded us that the people of Hamilton were what made Hamilton great.
Tracy Honn, President, Board of Directors
Hamilton has been a great place to end my career of over thirty years in service to museums. Two Rivers has become our home and we look forward to spending many more years here.
Peter Crabbe, EdD
The mission of Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum is to preserve history for creative use today. With 1.5 million pieces of wood type and more than 1,000 styles and sizes of type patterns, Hamilton has the premier wood type collection in the world. Our dynamic staff offers opportunities for workshops, hands-on demonstrations, group tours, and lectures.
Tapestry Talent will lead the national recruitment for an Executive Director alongside a Board-appointed search committee. Board and staff have been preparing for this exciting transition, and look forward to showing off our gem of a museum.
We will share the job announcement for this position soon and will ask for your help identifying candidates.
If you have any questions or concerns throughout this leadership transition process, please reach out to me directly at HamiltonBoard@woodtype.org.
Sincerely,
Tracy Honn
Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum, Board President
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
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.
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.
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 |