Kerry Longaker

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2007-2012 Garden City Glassworks, Glass Manager
Skagway, AK

Garden City Glassworks provides land based glassblowing tours for the Cruise Ship industry. I managed and maintained three studios, led tours, and provided glass items for the gift shop.                                                                         

2004-2006 Marimba 0ne,  Shop Manager
Arcata, CA

Marimba one makes concert grade Marimbas, and ships worldwide. I managed the workflow and inventory, did final assembly and Q C, and packed the instruments for shipping. 1999-2004 Fire and Light Originals, Arcata, CA Production Manager, Glass Chemist and Technician, Equipment Designer Fire and Light required a complete redesign and rebuild when I arrived at the 2 year old company. After building furnaces, redesigning and building hydraulic presses, and addressing glass quality problems for 3 years, we moved to a larger space. Here I designed, built and managed a state of the art glass casting production facility with twice the capacity of the old shop.                                                                                                                                                                                             

1981-1999  Glass Eye Studio, Production Manager
Seattle, WA

Glass Chemist and Technician, Equipment Designer I came to the Glass Eye Studio to find one small furnace in a very small space in the Public Market. In the 18 years of my employment, I designed, built and supervised three progressively larger studios, the last of which has a capacity of one ton of glass per day. I managed from 25 to 35 people, depending on the season, who produced nearly four million dollars in product in 1998 and growing.                                                                                                                                         

1977-1981 California College of Arts and Crafts,  Technician, Lecturer,  Acting Glass Department Head Oakland, CA

I was the technician and taught classes on the technical aspects of glass. In 1979, I designed and built a new studio for the glass department, including the Hot Shop, the Cold Shop, and classroom areas.   

 1975-1977 Bullseye Glass Company, Production Manager
Portland, OR

An extensive amount of development work was required as this was a new company involved in the production of colored hand-rolled opaque and transparent sheet glass. Production manager after one year.                                                                                                                           

EDUCATION 

California College of Arts and Crafts Graduate Studies Portland State University B.S. Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Architecture   

Pilchuck Glass School Summer Workshops

OTHER INTERESTS

I have come to understand the power of the computer, with software like Excel and Word and the Office 365 Suite to help manage just about anything. I also create stained glass windows, blow glass art, and have had a glass fusing business. I have a special love for Alfa Romeos.