Tear Cap Workshops Board of Directors

President: Sally Dunning, RN, BSN

Sally is recently retired, after working for more than forty years as a nurse, primarily in maternity and then with elders, at a small local hospital. She also serves as the President of the Board of Trustees of the Bridgton Public Library and is the proud mother of two teachers and five grandchildren. Sally was married for 33 years to the award winning historic restoration carpenter, Bob Dunning, until his untimely passing. Sally is Tear Cap Workshops’ founding board president.

Vice President: Lauren Gould

Lauren is a Senior Learning Strategist at Extension Engine. She has served as the senior designer for The Bridgespan Group, Kauffman Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Institute, Center for Effective Public Policy, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among others. In addition to her project work, she also supports a group of learning experience designers. Lauren has a master’s degree in Education from Harvard University and in Creative Writing – Poetry from The Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Secretary: Lauren Gould

Treasurer: Scott Finlayson

Scott has degrees from the School of Forest Resources and School of Engineering at University of Maine in Orono. He is currently employed as Product Development Manager for Malone Auto Racks in Westbrook Maine. Scott is also a woodworker, avid outdoorsman, and community activist.

Director of Craft: Eve Abreu

Eve is a wood artisan who is fulfilling her dream of working creatively. Drawn to nature, and wood in all its forms, from twigs to aged wood, Eve also uses found objects to create folk art and country style furniture. By adding a dose of whimsy, Eve’s work creates unusual objects that call out to the viewer, asking us to think differently and appreciate our natural surroundings. Eve has also dabbled in furniture restoration, which involves learning about the history of a piece and the puzzle of taking it apart and putting it back together so it can be enjoyed for future generations.

Karl Gifford

Karl is a stone worker and stone wall building instructor. Karl’s love of stone began on a trail, the Appalachian Trail. Karl started in trailwork working for the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, building stone steps, retaining walls and drainage structures. After 11 years of trailwork, he realized that he wanted to begin working only with stone. Since then, he has taken workshops with the Dry Stone Conservancy and the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA). He is currently a holder of the DSWA Intermediate Certificate (Level II) and he continues to pursue the certification scheme. Karl’s business, Sebago Stonework, started in 2010 with the goal of building high quality stonework that will endure for generations and that effort continues today.

Rosemary Wiser

Marguerite Wiser

Rosemary and Marguerite grew up making school projects and Christmas presents in their dad’s workshop, and running across the street to visit Bob Dunning’s workshop. These days, Rosemary is a school nurse who can be found exploring hiking trails, or creating fun new journals. Marguerite spends the warmer months of the year with her hands in the soil, managing a farm for an environmental education organization, and loves spending cozy winter months in the workshop, working on one project or another. Rosemary and Marguerite love the community feeling that surrounds Tear Cap, the warmth of the community workshop, the satisfaction in creating with your hands, and can’t wait to be part of Tear Cap’s board!

Staff:

Executive Director: Henry Banks

After graduating from Colby College with a double major in English and Biology, Henry moved to Bridgton, Maine to answer a help-wanted ad for a cabinetmaker position. Ever since, Henry has been a carpenter, cabinet maker and general contractor, based in Denmark, Maine for the last 35 years. He founded the H.B. Wood Company, Inc in 1983 and has been the principle ever since. In addition to building custom homes, cabinetry and furniture, he has also trained, encouraged and mentored a large number of apprentices, many of whom later went on to build their own homes. Although formally a carpenter, Henry has also been a teacher and active community member, involved in the founding of three other non-profit organizations in the area. Henry is a co-founder of Tear Cap Workshops.

Program Director: Melinda Thomas

Melinda has a Master of Arts in American Folk Tradition and an MFA from University College of Dublin, Ireland. She is a published poet and a jewelry silversmith, and is a member of Ikebana International. Melinda has more than 30 years experience working in the non-profit world for organizations involved in arts, humanities and social justice. She is a holiday designer at Victoria Mansion in Portland and brings to Tear Cap Workshops an enthusiasm for all creative ventures, especially those centered on nature and traditional crafts.