Note – The following press release was issued by the AAW this afternoon.
OF AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF WOODTURNERS
FOR RELEASE: February 27, 2012
CONTACTS: Dale Larson, President, AAW Board of Directors
AAW Office 651-484-9094
SAINT PAUL, MN – Philip S. McDonald, a long-time administrator at the University of Minnesota and an expert in organizational development and strategic planning, has been named operations director of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW), the association announced today.
McDonald, who began his new duties in early February, served for nearly 20 years in a variety of
high-level positions at Minnesota’s largest university, including chief of staff to the vice president for university services. His appointment to the newly created AAW post follows the resignation of Cindy Bowden as executive director.
“We are fortunate to have found an executive with Phil McDonald’s extraordinary depth of knowledge and experience in organizational policy and management,” said Dale Larson, president of the AAW Board of Directors. “His talents in service delivery, project management, and budgeting will bring benefits not only to our administrative staff but also to our 14,000 fellow woodturners.”
McDonald holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in business administration from the University of Minnesota. He retired from the school in 2004 to begin Home Revivers, a successful residential construction business.
The AAW seeks to foster a wider understanding and appreciation of lathe-turning as a traditional and
contemporary craft and a form of art among the general public as well as amateur, part-time, and professional turners. Membership in AAW offers a variety of benefits, including a bi-monthly magazine, insurance coverage, scholarships, national symposiums, educational opportunities for newcomers and youth, and a website where turners can display and market their woodturnings.
The 2012 annual symposium, to be held June 8-10 in San Jose, California, will bring together nearly 2,000 woodturners for live presentations, an auction of selected turnings, an instant gallery showcasing current woodturning craft, a rotation of how-to and hands-on demonstrations, the world’s largest trade show of commercial woodturning vendors, and a youth training center.
