Rick Hill
National Director
Rick brings a strong background to WoodLINKS® USA from his many years of experience in the marketing of new products for manufacturers to the U.S. woodworking market. As a consultant for WoodReps.com, Rick was interested in staying connected to the Wood Industry.
Rick is also a columnist/blogger for Custom Woodworking Business and has also been a contributing editor to Wood Digest Magazine. His work is usually seen in bimonthly columns on sales and marketing in the woodworking industry. The weekly blog on helping woodworkers sell is at www.woodworkingnetwork.com. These articles can also be seen on the OnPoint Website, www.onpointsales.com.
Rick Hill works out of his office in Glenbeulah, Wisconsin. He and his wife Lynn spend a lot of their volunteer time with Make-A-Wish. They are both Certified Wish Granters and work with several families every year helping children find their one true wish.
Email: director@woodlinksusa.org
Tel: (920) 602-5120
Mark Smith
National Education Coordinator
Mark Smith is The National Director of WoodLINKS® USA, an organization that works with industry and education to produce skilled entry level employees for the wood industry and post-secondary students for wood related fields. Previous to WoodLINKS USA, Mark Smith was an industrial technology instructor at Shiloh High School where he ran a computer integrated manufacturing facility teaching design, manufacturing and production using CAD/CAM programs, CNC equipment, and the eco-friendly material, wood. His production class ran a School-Based-Enterprise designing, manufacturing and installing kitchen cabinets for home owners, contracting CNC work with local industry, and wooden sunglasses for iWood Ecodesign. He used and taught various CAD/CAM programs over the last 12 years.
Email: educoordinator@woodlinksusa.org
Mobile (217) 621-4628
Tel: (217) 253-3239
Steve Ehle
Wisconsin Director
Steve Ehle is the former WoodLINKS USA Interim National Director. He is currently State Director for WoodLINKS Wisconsin, a position he’s held since 2003.
Steve is the former editor of Wood Digest magazine, a position he held for 23 years. He was also editor of Finishing magazine, sister magazine to Wood Digest. Both publications were published by Cygnus Business Media, Fort Atkinson WI.
A graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Radio-TV Journalism, he currently is a freelance writer for various wood industry trade publications, including Cabinetmaker/FDM and Wood Based Panels International.
Prior to his stint in trade publications, he served as editor for various daily and weekly newspapers in Wisconsin, Texas and Indiana.
He and his wife Jennifer and son Jonathan live in southern Wisconsin.
Email: ehle.woodlinksusa@aol.com
Tel: (608) 436-9217
Dave Anderson
Northwest Director
Woodworking was introduced to me as my father's hobby, I plugged into the wave of published information that began in the mid 1970s. That led to a teaching degree in Industrial Education from Oregon State University and a 30 year teaching career in high schools, primarily North Salem High School.
Along with teaching, I was building custom furniture marketed at crafts shows and galleries in the Northwest. With my father, I also began collecting local hardwood trees, primarily black walnut, and making lumber for use in our products. In 1988 I moved onto a small acreage east of Salem, and now had room to handle more lumber. A saw mill was added in 2003.
I joined WoodLINKS in the fall of 2004. I retired from teaching in 2009, and have been helping to plan in service meetings for woodworking teachers at the national shows and now in the northwest.
Email: a.d.woodcrafting@gmail.com
Tel: (503) 508-3181
Mark Roberts
Southwest Director
Native of Indiana, living in Arizona since 1975 Married: Wife Marilyn, three grown daughters: Jennifer, Meredith, and Jessica Education: Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science (Industrial Education), Purdue University Experience: Thirty three years teaching Industrial Technology, Junior High, Senior High, and Community College. Experience in Federal Project Administration (Occupational Versatility). Past President of Arizona Technology and Industrial Teachers Association. US Army veteran. Accomplishments: Numerous Skills USA State and National Championships in Leadership and Skills competition. Coach for National RTA Championship contest 2007. Mesa Community College | 7635 South Willow Drive, Tempe, AZ
Email: robertsmarkd@msn.com
Tel: (602) 206-4372
Linda Smith
Administrative Consultant
Linda Smith joined WoodLINKS USA Educational and Research Foundation (WLUSA) in 2007 as an administrative consultant assisting the organization with accounting, promotion, and budget related duties. Linda holds a Project Coordinator appointment in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In her role at the University, Linda has worked to develop and establish a University standard, department level records management system, written and established department policy and established a work-team approach to department head and faculty support. She currently serves as a representative on the Council of Academic Professionals and has served since 2010 as academic professional representative on the Senate Committee on Faculty and Academic Staff Benefits. Prior to joining WLUSA in 2007, Linda’s more than 20 years of work experience included: benefits administration for plans in excess of 6,000 participants; and working as a business manager for a medium-size construction contractor where she managed work crews, wrote and implemented business, employment, and compliance procedures and policies, and acted as liaison for the company to federal and state regulatory agencies on compliance, human resource and safety issues. Linda earned a Bachelor of Science, Human Resources degree from Eastern Illinois University. She also participates in the City of Tuscola’s economic development, Eggs and Issues discussion group.
Email: admin@woodlinksusa.org
Tel: (217) 549-5011
