Chair, Member since 2017

B.A. in Architecture from the University of Washington in 1979.
Master of Architecture degree with honors from MIT 1983

Ibsen Nelsen and Associates in Seattle, where he worked on projects such as the Museum of Flight, the Inn at the Market, the Stewart House mixed-use project at Pike Place Market, and the Merrill Court luxury townhouses in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Whitaker Architecture & Planning, Inc. There he worked as a designer, architectural project manager.
Worked for Glory International, Inc., a Japanese real-estate development firm that focused on vacation homes and resort projects in both Japan and the U.S.
Project Architect with Timbercraft Homes, Inc. in Port Townsend.

Founded Richard Berg Architects in 1997 (now Terrapin Architecture) in Port Townsend.

Richard currently serves on Port Townsend’s Historic Preservation Committee, a design review and advisory board for the City’s National Landmark Historic District. He just finished a term as Chairman of the Board of the Jefferson Community School, a 7th – 12th grade school focused on innovative and experiential learning located in a historic downtown Port Townsend building, and has also served on the Board of the Port Townsend School of Woodworking and Preservation Trades. In the past, he has served as Chair of the Port Townsend Planning Commission and on the Design Review Committee for Port Townsend’s commercial zoning districts.

Member since 2019

Paul brings 23 years of not-for-profit management and international program development experience as the Director of Global Strategy of Unbound to the Port Townsend School of Woodworking (PTSW) board.

Unbound is an education and livelihood empowerment program operating in 19 countries. As Unbound grew in size and outreach, Paul traveled extensively and worked domestically and internationally with board governance, human resources, organizational change management, and leadership support and coaching.

Before Unbound, he designed and installed software for the medical field for 14 years with an entrepreneurial company called Cerner Corporation. At Cerner, Paul led software development teams and spent much of his career on client sites.

Paul’s formal training is in chemistry, computer science, and business administration.

Paul has had a lifelong passion for architecture, craftsmanship, and sailing craft. He has restored family residences and was drawn to pursue his appreciation of woodworking as he restored windows, cabinets, and woodwork and saw the intelligence and care the maker put into the piece. He attended the Foundations of Woodworking course at PTSW in the spring of 2019 and is on the journey of building his own craft skills. In the summer of 2019, he participated in boat building workshops, constructing a traditional Viking fearing and a traditional Japanese river boat in Port Townsend. He continues to take additional coursework at the PTSW school. His plans are to work in the woodwork or boat trade. He is currently fixing up a small cabin on Samish Island and commutes regularly to Port Townsend.

“I appreciate greatly the spirit and depth that PTSW and other woodworking projects reach with students and instructors alike. I believe in craft, social justice, and lifelong learning. I really look forward to supporting PTSW’s vision and development as a student and board member.”

Vice Chair, Member since 2022

Programming Committee
Equity & Inclusion Committee

Kirsten grew up in Washington State and has spent most of her life exploring the mountains and sea of the Pacific Northwest.

During her studies at Western Washington University, she purchased a wooden 32’ William Atkin sailboat to live aboard, and spent years sailing throughout the Puget Sound, the San Juans and Gulf Islands, as well as distant oceans.

Her interest in whittling wood from a young age, and working in a wood shop building yurts developed into a keen desire to take carving courses at PTSW. With her mother hailing from Haines, AK, Kirsten was introduced to the Tlingit art and culture at a young age and fell in love with it. It’s become her passion to bring local Indigenous carvers as well as Northwest Coast Formline artists to the school.

She is working with the Programs Committee and the Equity & Inclusion Committee to acknowledge the land we work and live on here in Port Townsend. This means honoring, celebrating, and educating the tradition, culture, spirit, and art of our local and distant tribes from their own voices.

Member since 2022

Programming Committee

Raphael first came to PTSW as a student in 2016. After taking the Foundations of Woodwork intensive, Raphael joined the school as a staff member, holding many responsibilities from teaching assistant, instructor, and program manager. He moved on from his staff position at the school to start his own woodworking business in 2022 and has since joined the board in the interest of continuing to support PTSW and its mission.