The National Wood Carvers Association (est. 1953)

James started carving in 2008 when he was 11 years old. He was initially inspired to carve by family friends and his grandfather, who carved totem poles and other sculptures that proudly adorned his cabin property. Seeing some of the amazing things that can be done with wood, James tested out the craft for the first time as a fourth grader wielding a box cutter to carve a rotten segment of a branch into the crude basic form of a bearded man. As his passion grew, his mother began taking him to a local woodcarving club in his hometown of New Richmond, Wisconsin (since disbanded). At this club, he met supportive woodcarvers who provided him with invaluable support. It was at this club that he fell in love with the so-called Scandinavian "Flat-Plane" style of figure carving. 

Since then, James has continued to carve out his passion at home, at small town events, and overseas in Norway. He now occasionally teaches classes in-person and online, regularly contributes to Woodcarving Illustrated, and has published a book titled Whittling Flat-Plane Animals (Fox Chapel Publishing, 2020). 

James studied Computer Science at Luther College in Decorah, IA and currently works as a web developer in the field of EMS. He works remotely in Long Lake, Minnesota, where he happily lives with his girlfriend, pepper plant, and many carvings.

Charles Sapp resides in St. Charles, MO with his wife, Dale. They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas in Aerospace Engineering. Charles was employed at McDonnell Douglas / Boeing for over 40 years as an engineer in Structural Dynamics and Loads. He worked on many of the platforms developed in St. Louis including the F-4, F-15, F/A-18, EA-18G and other proprietary programs.

He serves on many community boards and commissions and was Councilman in the city of Bridgeton,
MO for 8 years.

His interests include woodcarving and woodturning. With over 20 years of carving and turning experience, Charles is a member of the St. Charles Area Woodcarvers, the National Woodcarvers Association, the Woodturners of St. Louis, and the American Association of Woodturners. He has trained with local and professional carvers and has taught beginning and advanced adult education carving classes in the City of St. Charles School District, St. Peters Art Center, and the St. Charles Community College.

www.TheSapps.com

Tim Crawford is proud to be the President of the NWCA. He started carving as a Boy Scout, and made it through the ranks of Eagle Scouts. Tim and his wife Debbie have 4 grown children, and seven grandchildren. Crawford spent 36 years as an agent with Nationwide Insurance Company, and for 30 years was an elected political officeholder, most recently serving as County Commissioner for many years. Tim has served and chaired on many charitable boards and commissions, both 501 and Fraternal. Crawford’s enjoyment of woodcarving has spurred him to do many shows and host educational opportunities for carvers. In 1995, the Crawford family hosted a carving show to draw interest for area woodcarvers, and started the Woodbee Woodcarving Club in Norton, Ohio.

Stephan LePage started the NWCA in 1953. The NWCA was the dream of Stephan and started off with the publication of Chip Chats Magazine. The first publication had only 19 members. The NWCA grew rapidly to 13,000 members. The three (3) page publication has grown to the current professional publication.

William Staley of Nebraska was a long-time friend of Ed Gallenstein and took over as President of NWCA in April 2015 at Ed’s passing. Bill was a member of the Mid-American Wood Carvers and helped in forming what is now the Doane Experience, a great annual one week carving experience in Crete Nebraska. In his personal life, Bill was an attorney and Juvenile Court Judge in his home state of Nebraska.

Bob McGinnis lives with his wife, Sandi, in Amarillo, Texas. They have four adult children, four grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. He is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of the University of Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army six years. He has been an officer on several community boards.

Bob had a forty-year career as a professional in the Boy Scouts of America, as Chief Executive Officer in Councils serving youth and volunteers in Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Texas and Oklahoma.

He began carving in 1953 earning the Scout Woodcarving merit badge. He joined the National Wood Carvers Association in 1969 and has all the Chip Chats since that time. He has sold and gifted hundreds of pieces in scores of subjects in nearly 70 years of woodcarving, and has carved 102 different wood species.

Bob is a founding member of the Golden Spread Woodcarvers in 1999 and has served as President and as Show Chairman.

Through the years he has entered shows in Wheeling, WV; Columbus, Cincinnati & Dayton, OH; Lexington, KY; Tucumcari, NM; Lubbock, Denver City, Aransas Pass, and Amarillo, TX.

His other interests include: travel (all fifty states extensively, and fifty-eight other countries), singing in a barbershop harmony chorus and in two senior choruses, genealogy, writing memoirs, and as a Scouting volunteer. He has lived in ten states - KS, MO, PA, IA, CO, NC, WA, OH, WV, and TX.

Edward Gallenstein (10/9/1922 – 4/7/2015) served as the second President of the NWCA and editor of Chip Chats (1971-2015). Ed was born in Maysville, Kentucky, and served in the US Navy during WWll. Gallenstein was a newspaper journalist in Kentucky and Arizona. Upon taking over as Editor in Chief of the NWCA, Ed transformed the organization into the largest woodcarving organization in the world. It is because of Ed that the NWCA is what it is today.