Meet the Team
The dedicated, experienced staff at the New England School of Architectural Woodworking works diligently to ensure that our students get the best possible education in woodworking, whether that leads to a career or a passion or both.
Greg Larson
Director
Greg’s lifelong love of woodworking began when he first took a shop class at his high school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Although he became a computer engineer, he continued to learn the craft of woodworking through training programs at the Heartwood School, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship and, yes, the New England School of Architectural Woodworking.
After a career at Apple Computer, Greg and his wife Margaret, moved from northern California to Massachusetts, where Greg began working as a cabinetmaker in a custom cabinet shop. There he discovered that his extensive knowledge of manufacturing operations and systems, including process optimization, project management, and quality assurance, dovetailed perfectly with the growing technical sophistication of the architectural woodworking industry.
Greg was recruited to join the faculty at NESAW and the couple eventually decided to purchase the school, bringing a new energy and a fresh approach to the New England School of Architectural Woodworking.
Greg and Margaret live with their son Eric in Southampton, where Greg recently built his own beautiful new kitchen.
Brian Mulcahy
Instructor
Brian has been a professional woodworker for 16 years and enjoys teaching all aspects of the craft.
He embarked on woodworking as a career when he joined VCA, a fine furniture and custom woodworking firm in Northampton, Massachusetts. This inspired him to attend Boston’s North Bennet Street School, where he completed the two-year Cabinet and Furniture Making Program. Upon graduation, Brian worked as a cabinetmaker for Woodstock Mills and a pattern maker for C & C Thermoforming before starting his own fine furniture company, BCM Creative Woodwork. He is also an accomplished woodturner who sells his hand-crafted bowls at shows throughout New England.
Brian has been instrumental in developing our workshop program; in fall 2012, he also began teaching in our Architectural Woodworking Program.
In his free time, Brian is renovating a farmhouse that has been in his family for generations.
Drew Palmore
Instructor
Drew Palmore began teaching for us at the beginning of the 2015 school year.
Originally a cabinetmaker and middle school woodworking teacher in Massachusetts, Drew moved to Berkeley, California and started his own furniture-making business, Andrew Roy Woodworking. When his wife, Sloan, began a professorship at UMASS Amherst, the family returned to the Pioneer Valley.
When he’s not helping students or working on new furniture pieces, Drew enjoys spending time with Sloan and their young son, Miles.
Margaret Larson
Admissions & Marketing
Margaret was born and raised in California and is still a little surprised to find herself living in New England. After a career in high tech marketing, including five years at Hewlett Packard in the Networking and LaserJet Divisions, Margaret went back to school to become a high school English teacher. She taught for several years in both California and Massachusetts before deciding to take a leave of absence to work on the marketing efforts for NESAW. Her experience in marketing, business management and education have been a valuable asset to the school.
Margaret is an avid gardener who takes great joy in managing her extensive collection of perennials and her large organic vegetable garden. She takes a particular interest in heirloom vegetables, growing 30 varieties of heirloom tomatoes and many other vegetables in raised beds organized in the style of a traditional French kitchen garden.
Oscar
Shop Dog
Oscar is a rescue from the Connecticut SPCA who found his way into the hearts of school owners Greg and Margaret and their son, Eric. When he’s not hanging around the NESAW office, he chases rabbits and squirrels in his backyard and ponders ways to outsmart the electric fence so that he can go on yet another epic adventure.
Please note: none of our shop dogs are ever allowed off-leash in the machine room or any place where they might be a distraction to students. If you are allergic to or uncomfortable around dogs, please let us know, as we can easily keep them confined or leave them at home.
Bullet
Shop Dog
Bullet was left at the Dakin Animal Shelter in Springfield, MA and adopted by instructor Brian Mulcahy. She’s a fast runner (hence the name) and loves playing with her friend Oscar. At home, Bullet swims in the creek, rides on the tractor with Brian and keeps an eye on the cows. Oscar would much rather live there.