There have been a bunch of folks who have had a major influence on Tom’s Workbench over the past five years. I wanted to take the time to recognize a few of the folks with which the blog would have never happened.

Today, I send a shout-out to Megan Fizpatrick of Popular Woodworking.

A few years back, the Woodworking in America event was just getting off the ground. The idea of bringing together woodworkers from around the country at a centralized event wasn’t a new one, but this one promised to be exciting, with noted woodworkers such as Frank Klausz, Toshio Odate and Roy Underhill in attendance.  I looked at that event back in 2009 longingly, but in a house with two young boys, finding the cash to travel to and stay at the event was going to be a real challenge.

That’s when, out of the clear blue, Megan e-mailed me, offering me the opportunity to attend the event as a member of the woodworking media. What an opportunity that was!  That’s where I met people like Dyami Plotke, Kari Hultman and Shannon Rogers.  I got to become an informal volunteer and carnival barker for Mike Siemsen. I even got to meet Ron Hock.  Everywhere I turned, the up and coming folks in woodworking were very happy to be there, greeted me warmly and shared freely of what they knew.

The best moment? I got to jump up and down on Megan’s workbench to test how strong it was!

This year will mark my fourth Woodworking in America conference, and I am as excited as I was to attend the first one. Thanks, Megan.