Our staff is a community of master craftspeople, educators, and innovators dedicated to preserving tradition while shaping the future of woodworking. Uniquely, most staff members have completed the Furniture Design program, ensuring a level of quality instruction unmatched by other educational institutions. Perhaps more important than their unmatched expertise is the passion each staff member brings to the classroom. We are not just mentors— we are also forever students.

About Us

What is SBWI?

Mission and Values

Accreditation

History

Location

News

Board

Staff

Instructors

Disclosures & Policies

Accessibility

Staff

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President

  • President Barnett is a native of Adrian, Michigan. In 2011, he began crafting traditional American Windsor chairs and soon after earned many awards, including “Top Craftsman in North America” from the Directory of Traditional American Crafts and Early American Life Magazine in 2015, 2016, and 2017. He won “Best Project” in the seating category through Popular Woodworking Magazine in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, President Barnett’s handmade Birdcage Rocking Chair was selected to be a part of a traveling Smithsonian Exhibit. He was awarded “Rotarian of the Year 2020” and “Outstanding Honors 2018-2019” for his devotion to Adrian Noon Rotary and the Woodworking for Warriors Program. President Barnett was also selected to be a guest speaker at the International Woodworking Fair in 2018 and 2020, where his speech titled “Be the Spark” focused on engaging students at younger ages through community outreach.   

    President Barnett is an Accredited Skills Evaluator through the Woodworking Career Alliance of North America, and 2021 was a Finalist for “Top Young Woodworking Professional in the World” through The Woodworking Network. In 2020, he was awarded the Woodworking Network “40 Under 40 Award." In 2024, he was a speaker at the Michigan Mass Timber Conference and in 2025, he testified before the Michigan House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity on the importance of skilled trades education in Michigan.

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VP of Enrollment

  • Dena Koehn grew up in Rose City, Michigan, and moved to Adrian to attend Adrian College. She graduated in 2005 with a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in English. After school, she worked in marketing and sales. In 2016, Dena started teaching woodworking classes with Luke, which eventually became the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute. She has served many roles at the SBWI, including Outreach Coordinator, Shaker Box Instructor, Secretary, Treasurer, Board Member, Bookkeeper, Director of Operations, and now VP of Enrollment. She is also the Event Coordinator and Social Media Director of the Great Lakes Woodworking Festival, an annual event that brings together the best woodworkers from the Great Lakes region.

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VP of Continuing Ed

  • Carolyn grew up in Tecumseh, MI and studied Creative Writing at The University of Michigan. After college, she moved to California and spent the next 11 years doing stand up and sketch comedy, writing for shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Pack theaters. She returned home to southeast Michigan to learn woodworking and graduated from SBWI’s Furniture Design program in 2024. Carolyn is now the Vice President of Continuing Education and teaches woodworking and upholstery. She also runs a small upholstery business called Pigeon Princess Furniture.

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VP of Academics

  • Armando Covarrubias Jr is a furniture maker originally from Arrey, New Mexico. After many years working in the food science and agriculture industry with his family, he decided to change careers and attend the Wood Design: Furniture Making program. He builds custom-made furniture by combining hand tools, craftsmanship, and modern machinery. He has always loved working with his hands, and has spent most of his life working on his family farm in the chili fields or building and welding farm equipment for their manufacturing facilities. This lifestyle naturally accommodated a strong sense of community, and Armando developed the patience to watch a seed grow into a fully mature crop. An organic career transition for him was furniture making, which employed many of the same principles he had always been drawn to. After completing the Wood Design program, Armando stepped into the role of Assistant Instructor and, in 2025, became both the Vice President of Academics and the Co-Lead Instructor of the Wood Design program.

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Chief of Staff

  • Peter grew up outside Chicago, and spent the majority of his adult life in the mountains and deserts of Utah before moving to Michigan in 2024. He completed the Furniture Design course in 2025, after which he was invited to remain at the school as an Artist-in-Residence and Continuing Education instructor. During his tenure he was promoted to Chief of Staff, and currently assists with campus and curriculum development, grant writing, and the myriad challenges of daily operations. Peter remains a multidisciplinary artist, working in photography, music and woodworking.

A man in a blue sweatshirt and beanie kneels beside a tan and white dog in a woodworking shop. The man is holding the dog, and both are looking at the camera. The shop has sawdust on the floor, woodworking tools, and machinery.

Department Head

  • Zack is from Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Michigan State University with a BS in Natural Resource Management before completing the Wood Design program in 2021. After graduation, Zack became Assistant Instructor and, in 2022, Department Head and Lead Instructor, in addition to teaching many specialty classes. Outside of the woodshop, he facilitates historic home remodels in the city of Detroit and builds custom furniture pieces in his woodworking practice Friendo Furniture. Zack is dedicated to learning other woodworking disciplines, including traditional timber framing, chairmaking, and advanced joinery skills. His goal is to push himself through design and building techniques that will allow him to prosper as a maker. Woodworking is a constant learning process, and he is eager to be a lifelong student. Zack was recently recognized as a honoree of the Woodworking Network “40 Under 40 Awards" Class of 2024.

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Lead Artisan

  • Dan began woodworking after a career in hospitality, studying Wood Technology at Laney College before spending eight years at Brimer Workshop in Richmond, CA. There he moved from assistant to Head Fabricator, building and installing high-end custom furniture and cabinetry for clients throughout the Bay Area. In this role he also produced shop drawings in SketchUp. In 2025, he joined Sam Beauford Woodshop as a SketchUp instructor, bringing expertise in furniture design, drafting, and custom fabrication. Today he continues to instruct SketchUp and Continuing Education classes while also overseeing shop and campus maintenance. 

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Artist in Residence

  • Russell Farrell was born down in Springfield, Missouri, and raised the kind of way that teaches you early—if you want something done right, you best put your own two hands on it. After serving in the U.S. Army, Russell built a career spanning more than 30 years in carpentry, steel fabrication, and construction before pursuing fine furniture making. He graduated from Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute’s Furniture Design program in 2026 and now serves as an Artist in Residence, creating heirloom-quality furniture while sharing his knowledge and craftsmanship with the next generation of woodworkers.

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Artist in Residence

  • Persais Angelina Gabehart was born and raised in Durango, Colorado. She entered Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute with no prior woodworking experience, but with every ounce of enthusiasm for nature, growth, and a passion for life. A 2026 graduate of the Furniture Design program, Persais received the SBWI President’s Award for her final case piece, “A minha flor silvestre”, and now serves as an Artist in Residence. She hopes to live a life that she loves, that love overflows out of her, so that others may know love. 

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Four men standing together inside a workshop, smiling at the camera. The man on the far left has a beard and dark shirt, the second man from the left wears work overalls and has a beard, the third man also in overalls with a beard, and the man on the far right wears a light green t-shirt with a logo, all with safety glasses or sunglasses.
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CPR First Aid Certified badge with a red heart and white cross

A Note About Safety: At the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute, student safety is our highest priority. To ensure a secure learning environment, all SBWI staff members are fully certified in CPR and first aid through the American Red Cross, equipping them to respond effectively to medical emergencies. Additionally, our team has completed disaster preparedness training with FEMA, enhancing our readiness to handle various emergency situations with skill and confidence. With this commitment to safety, we strive to provide a safe, supportive space where students can focus on their craft, knowing they are in capable, well-prepared hands.