Great Lakes Log Crafters Association, Handcrafted Log Homes, Log Cabins, The Best Log Home & Cabin Builders on Earth, GLLCA, Forest Lake Minnesota 55025, 651-464-6506

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GLLCA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BIOS

The Great Lakes Log Crafters Association is chartered as a non-profit organization in the State of Wisconsin, USA.

The Board President, Board Members, and Officers are elected by the general membership and serve as stewards for running the association

Nate Heim President	I am proud to be the second generation to continue fine log building tradition in my family. I worked with my dad, Ron, from the time I was old enough to peel a log, then began fitting them, and eventually completed a construction management degree at Bemidji State University in 2005. I also attended the Ron Brodigan School of log building in 2004. I gained invaluable hands-on knowledge and expertise from master log crafters, and I have a never ending desire to learn about other styles and methods construction, which brought me into this association. My passion for building and living in handcrafted log homes leads me to pursuing building for others and continue the outstanding craftsmanship and personal attention that the Great Lake Log Crafters Association has provided for the past 30 years. Being apart of the board of directors only adds to the exciting knowledge that this association has to offer!
Bob Kenel Past President	I have been a handcrafted log builder since 1975. Managing several business I owned including a solid surface, fabrication company, Log restoration company, and Licensed Builder and General contractor. Working throughout the U.S. I have not only built handcrafted, but constructed many manufactured log homes for many log manufactures. My restoration work has taken me to projects of historical interest , working on projects for many government agencies. Such as State, Federal , Dept of National Resources, local government and many privately owned historical registered structures. Following the Secretary of Interior Standards for Restoration. And using the AIA procedure of bidding. Been involved with many associations and organizations having to do with the log and building trades. Have written many published articles on methods of log restoration and replacement of logs. I have been the longest acting Presidents of the Great Lakes log Crafters Assc., currently a Board member. Severed as a voting member on the ICC 400 Log Standard consensus committee for the last three editions. Represented the Log and Timber Council, NHBA Building Systems at the ICC hearings. Currently the Chairman of the international group, Log Building Leadership Alliance. Working towards creating thermal rating standards for massive wood , addressing the needs and issues confronting the Log Industry. Chair for the Mass Timber Leadership Alliance. Board member International Log Builders Association. Worked as a Project Manager on the show Cabin Fever for National Geographic. Acting Character on the TV series. Retiring from building after forty years frees up sometime to do more for the log industry. I am currently working as a Territory Manager for a log product manufacture. Covering the northeast U.S. And Eastern Canada.
Duane Sellman Treasurer	I have attended the Junior College in Ely, Minnesota studying Natural Resource Technology. My education includes several log home building schools and seminars. The first school I attended was the Minnesota Trail Bound School of Log Building (1977). I taught several basic and advanced courses at the Minnesota Trail Bound School. To further my knowledge, I attended Mackie's School of Lob Building (1981) in British Columbia. I attend the annual meetings of the Canadian Log Builder's Association (ILBA) serving as a board member more than once. In 1983, I was a founding member of the Minnesota Log Crafters Association.
Nate Demers Director	Nate Demers Owner of Weatherwize, is a log home builder who also offers restoration, maintenance and weatherization services. HIs Special interest is in sustainability and durable building practices. From its headquarters in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, his company offers services in the greater region. Nate is a member of the GLLCA, Homebuilders Association of the Upper Peninsula, International Log Builders Association and a volunteer for the David Rogers Heritage Preservation Committee. Nate works hard to pass the log crafting and restoration trade down to the next generation of skilled trade workers.
Aaron Hyman Director	Backwoods Log Homes I grew up in Northeast Iowa where I started my love of the outdoors; I remember splitting logs outside with my dad at a young age. Ever since I was in second grade I have been sketching log homes and talking about building and living in them. After high school I attended Iowa State University & studied animal ecology. Through my early years of work, I worked in about every phase of construction possible but have always had a passion for log home building. My training started in Washington State where we lived for 2 years. While there, I worked under the direction of a full-scribe log home builder who shared a great deal of knowledge. A few years later we moved to Wisconsin and I attended the Great Lakes School of Log Building with Ron Brodigan. For the past 18 years I have owned & operated Backwoods Log Homes in Western Wisconsin. I have a true love for the outdoors and for keeping the craft of full-scribe log home building alive.
Frank Vandeveur Director	My education and job experience post high school has been in the agriculture and forestry sector. In the early 1990's, I attended a school for log building and found my passion! Since then I have built smaller handcrafted log buildings, first part time and then later full time as a small company. I also built the log home where my family and I reside. Most of my work currently is log restoration work, restoring anything from old pioneer log cabins to the newer modern log homes. I supplement this work with log accent work. I have been a member of GLLCA since 1992. Being a member of this association has provided me with knowledge of new and different techniques in the handcrafted log building world and has enabled me to develop friendships with fellow log builders. I hope to give back to new members and the younger generation by teaching them what I've learned in this profession, and I appreciate all that GLLCA has done to promote the log building profession.
Cameron Wait Director	I have lived in or been around log homes my entire life . My dad took over my grandpa’s company, Frontier Builders in 1999, the year I was born. I know that for many people having a log cabin in the Northwoods is a big dream, and it is exciting to learn about all the things that go into building and assembling a log cabin. I took engineering classes in high school, went to Michigan Tech for chemistry, then transferred to Northern Michigan University to major in business. I am proud to be a third-generation log builder, and with new generations comes new and more exciting ideas and possibilities. We are constantly working to improve our log building technology and techniques so we can continue to offer log cabins to people for years to come.
Kay Sellman Business Manager	I am Kay Sellman the Business Manager for the Great Lakes Log Crafters Association. I am sure you all know my husband, Duane Sellman, a charter member of the Association. I volunteered to help out the Association in 2001 and have helped with setting up conferences, newsletters, maintaining professional and associate membership records, general correspondence and most recently setting up the GLLCA website. Duties connected with the website include working with our website designer to maintain the professional builders list, forward inquiries received on the website for log home builders to our professional members and answering general requests for information. I also coordinate financial reports with our treasurer, Chris Clay. On a personal note, I have worked for a large mechanical contractor for 33 years and I really like my job. I enjoy cooking, being with friends and relatives and watching Duane create beautiful log homes. My hobby is taking my little Pomeranian to agility trails. She is my little champion with 9 blue ribbons. I enjoy the outside while snowmobiling and camping. It is my goal to help make the Great Lakes Log Crafters Association a success and if anyone has any ideas and suggestions, please contact me at (612) 590-7133 or e-mail me at info@gllca.org.