Meet The Crew

The Eco Woodworks crew is a dedicated group who share in the company’s core values. We've got a diverse crowd, with old timers who've been doing this type of work their entire lives as well as some younger people who are just starting their woodworking journey.

Regardless of their role, everyone brings something unique to the crew, and we all have big dreams and passions. When it comes down to it, the work we do as a team really does reflect the best of each one of us.

Dave

Eco Woodworks Founder

I founded Eco Woodworks because I wanted to build a place where like minded passionate & skilled craftsmen could dedicate themselves & their skills to sustainable building practices.

Though some would label me a boss, I like to think of myself more as a leader. Over the years I have worked side by side with my crew members to design & create an array of custom pieces that have exceeded client expectations.

I believe we are caretakers of the planet & each other. My goal in life is to contribute to that by providing a work environment where people can grow & develop their craft & where I can practice sustainability while utilizing that same craft. Pursuing these goals is where a lot of my personal joy & fulfillment come from.

Outside of Eco Woodworks, I'm a member of the Cherokee tribe & a father to two wonderful boys. Having such a wonderful family is one of the greatest privileges in my life.

Devin

In Shop Lead

I was a tree faller for a few seasons, worked in wood mills for a few years, & I’ve been at Eco Woodworks for over ten years now. Taking that particular path was a really great experience, because it gave me the opportunity to be a part of all aspects of the woodworking process.

I joined Eco Woodworks in particular because of their emphasis on restoration. I had started working on older buildings in early life, & always wanted to keep that up. Being able to preserve old homes & maintain the craftsmanship of our people are the best parts of working here. I love curating here and for our customers.

I was born & raised in Morton Washington. I have one kid daughter & four other not-my-kids who I love as if they were my own. I have a cat named disco, and a lot of chickens. My ultimate goal in life is to be happy, & I work towards that goal by feeding my family organic home grown food, using less plastic, leaving a trail of beauty behind me, & doing my best to raise a great daughter. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, creating stained glass, woodworking, living off the grid, & sitting in hot water- or hot tubbing as most people call it.

Kollee

Shop & On-Site Assistant

I started working full time for Eco Woodworks back when I graduated from the University of Washington in 2020. I really like being a part of the crew. It’s a lot of good experience that I hope to be able to utilize to one day open my own business of flipping houses. There are unfortunately a lot of companies on the market that flip houses, do substandard work, and make a massive undeserved profit. So I’m really excited to one day take on this kind of work, and when I one day start on that path, Eco Woodworks will be the place I draw a lot of inspiration from in doing so!

When I first started working here, I was mostly working in the shop & on site, but I’ve since transitioned into working as the general manager & designer. It’s been really exciting to be more involved in this portion of the process because it’s where a lot of the creativity resides. I work directly with clients to make their dream projects into something a bit more concrete, making adjustments as needed, until the designs are ready to be sent over to the rest of the crew to actually create.

Outside of woodworking, I like to make art through photography & play video games. I grew up in Tumwater, but I’ve traveled as far as Germany & Canada. My fiance & I have two great cats, Evie & Casper.

Alicia

Administration

I’ve been working per diem with the team since 2021, but my shop experience began well before that. My fiancé, Kollee, is Dave’s son (Eco Woodworker’s Founder) & so my path to Eco Woodworks started with that relationship.

Over the years we had been to the shop to work on several personal projects, & watching someone like Kollee work, you gain a lot of respect for the field.

It was through falling in love with Kollee & seeing him at work, that I eventually fell in love with woodworking itself. I am continually in awe watching those who have been doing this kind of work their whole lives. It is an art form, one which I am grateful to be able to support on the administrative side of things. The opportunities Eco Woodworks provides for growth, development, compassion, & collaboration never seem to run dry, & for that I am grateful.

Outside of work, I like to read, work in my garden, play on my switch, take photos, & make other forms of art. Kollee & I have two cats together, & with some convincing on my part, I am hoping to add a dog to our small family sometime soon.

Ian

Assistant Carpenter

I’ve been a part of the Eco Woodworks team for a couple months now. It’s been a really great experience so far, I’ve been learning a lot from the crew and been able to work on some very beautiful homes with unique details. The projects we work on are a perfect balance between being both physically and mentally engaging, which is the perfect type of work for me. I’ve also been learning a lot about making every part of a home sustainable, and I hope to one day use that knowledge to design and build homes and gardens that work to support the lives of the people living in those homes.

The pull to this kind of work originated in my childhood, when I would work on various projects with family and neighbors. I grew up working on improving buildings and landscaping mostly, but as I got older the projects got bigger, and eventually I progressed into construction and building camper trailers in Seattle. I’ver also worked on smaller projects, like spoons, small furniture pieces, and at one point an electric bike!

Outside of work, I like reading sci-fi or nonfiction, hiking, and gardening. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Urban planning from UW Seattle. I’m also from Vancouver, but I’ve traveled as far as the Alps, though I hope I get the opportunity to travel farther in time.

Arius

Apprentice Carpenter

I’m new to the team having just graduated high school in the class of 2023, but like my older brother I grew up in the shop. My Dad (Dave) is the Founder and when my brother and I were still kids, we all used to make a lot of toys together, like play swords and skateboards. I know my way around, so when I graduated from high school, it made sense to join the family business part time to support myself while I go to college. And it’s in college where I am pursuing my true passion, basketball. I am playing on my school’s team, and working toward my goal of becoming a personal trainer for other basketball players, maybe even teams someday! But in the meantime, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to support myself in such an interesting and useful field while going after my passions. The people who work here are all really supportive, and give a lot of great guidance, on carpentry as well as life itself. And it feels good to be a part of projects greater and grander than my childhood toys, especially seeing the impact this kind of work has had on the families we get the opportunity to work with. It’s fun to work alongside people in my community, turning their dream homes into reality.

Work, basketball, and classes keep me pretty busy, but when I do have freetime, I mostly just hang out with the people I’m close to. I have some really great friends, an awesome girlfriend, a wonderful family, and a super cute dog.

Photos of this team member coming soon

Christian

Apprentice Carpenter

I’m new to the team having just recently graduated high school, and I’m super excited and grateful for the opportunity to be working here. As an apprentice I’m given a lot of guidance and help from everyone, and it’s been really cool to see so many different houses and be a part of keeping them looking and functioning well. I feel really good about everything I work on because the team and environment that we have is so amazing. Most of the team members here have been working in carpentry at some capacity their whole lives, so it’s been fun to watch the masters at work, support them where I can, and maybe offer some fresh perspective too.

Outside of work, I really enjoy spending time with the people I care about and working on cars. I’ve been learning a lot about not just carpentry, but how a business functions as a whole, and I hope when I’m older to use those skills to start my own car detailing business.

David

Paint Lead

I worked for Eco Woodworks back in 2015 for over two years. I’m a craftsman and an artist, so I left for a while to explore some different mediums, but life brought me back to this wonderful team at the beginning of 2023.

While I was gone I bought and fixed up a couple of historic buildings, got into blacksmithing, and did some architectural ironwork. I’m really happy to bring the perspective and skills those fields have given me to our team. I also think that preserving historic buildings is extremely important, so I’m really happy to be a part of helping other people maintain those buildings, and hopefully thrive within them.

When I’m not working, you can usually find me on my Harley or working on one of my sculptures.

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