Joanna Werch Takes

• Famed furniture designer Sam Maloof, whose rocking chair is in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, once bought Joanna ice cream. (It was from Cold Stone Creamery. It was delicious.)
• Joanna spent several years going to media events at which tool companies like Milwaukee, Craftsman, and RYOBI would introduce their new products. As part of this, she's eaten dinner on an aircraft carrier, been part of a team that won a DIY raft building contest, and seen the statue of The Fonz.
• Joanna enjoys learning about history in general and once wrote a series of articles focused on the history of furniture design movements like the Federal, Shaker, Arts & Crafts styles, and more, as well as highlighting specific furniture makers and designers from history.

Experience

Joanna spent several years as a writer and editor on the staff of a national magazine aimed at hobbyist woodworkers. As a result, she has learned a lot about woodworkers, woodworking, and tools. She understands the perspective of craftspeople and artisans and is skilled at telling their stories. She started her career at a weekly community newspaper in her home state of Iowa, and now contributes to a hyperlocal news site in her adopted state of Minnesota. Over the course of her career, Joanna has won awards, both as an individual and for the publications she's contributed to, from the Iowa Newspaper Association, National Newspaper Association, and Minnesota Magazine and Publications Association (MMPA). She also served on the board of MMPA and is a member of the Professional Editors Network (PEN). Joanna is a contributing author to the books Soul Biz and 365 Soulful Messages and, as a freelance writer, she's skilled at translating subject matter experts' knowledge in a specialized area into language accessible to the general public.

Education

Joanna has a degree in journalism, with honors, from the University of Iowa.