THE SALTY SITKAN - MIKE VIEIRA
Mike is a lifelong Sitkan and a third generation High School Shop Teacher. Mike, his wife, two daughters and Springer Spaniel call Sitka home year-round.
The Salty Sitkan teaches Woodworking, Residential Construction and Digital Fabrication classes during the school year and offers his expertise to visitors during the summer in the Salty Sitkan workshop.
Take advantage of Mike’s decade of experience making students successful in projects of all kinds by taking a class from the Salty Sitkan.
Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson is the author of the book CNC Router Essentials. He also hosts CNC webinars and VCarve design classes at cnclearnandbuild.com and in person at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. Mike got his start with CNC woodworking during a week-long class from Randy at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking.
FORMAL TRAININGS
Mike has completed trainings with the following experts:
Darrell Peart
Darrell Peart is a premier woodworker in the Greene and Greene furniture style. Darrell has been published in Fine Woodworking, Popular Woodworking, featured with The Wood Whisperer and teaches at prestigous woodworking schools across the country. Darrell’s work can be found on his site at www.furnituremaker.com. Mike was a student in Darrell’s week-long blanket chest class.
Jim Tolpin
Jim Tolpin is a renowned hand-tool woodworker and has been published in Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, has written numerous books published by Taunton Press and is the co-founder of the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. Jim’s latest work can be found at his website By Hand & Eye. Mike was a student in Jim’s two week hand tool woodworking course.
Tom Dolese
Tom Dolese is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most accomplished woodworkers. In addition, he is a tool developer and has been published in Popular Woodworking and Fine Woodworking. Tom’s specialty is chair making and he has developed and produces a unique Horizontal Mortiser tool. Tom teaches classes in his own shop in Bellingham, WA as well as at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. Tom’s work can be found at Terra Firma Designs. Mike was a student in Tom’s week-long chair building class.
Kyle Houchens
Kyle Houchens is on of the industries most accomplished 3D modelers. An industrial designer, by training, Kyle has done work for Mattel, Rubbermaid, Kodak, Fisher-price, Leapfrog, Disney and Universal studios. Kyle is a trainer for Mcneel & Associates, the producer of Rhino3D Computer Aided Drafting Software. Mike was a student in Kyle’s week-long Rhino level 2 course.
Matt Johnson
Matt is a teacher at Snohomish High School. Matt was selected as the 2018 Washington Association for Career and Technical Education (WA-ACTE) Teacher of the Year. Matt teaches manufacturing, CAD, Welding and woodworking. Matt was awarded a grant from New Visions, a program of the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts in 2022 to travel to Sitka. Mike and his students spent 3 days learning metal finishing techniques from Matt.
Cory Torppa
Cory is a CTE teacher at Kalama High School in Kalama, Washington. Cory was selected as a grand prize winner in the 2022 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools grant, the most prestigious CTE grant in the United States. Cory has been an innovative teacher for nearly two decades focused on CAD, woodworking, welding and construction. Through Department of Education Grants Mike has spent multiple weeks collaborating with Cory on curriculum in manufacturing and construction.
John Niebergall
John is a retired CTE teacher From Sherwood High School in Sherwood, Oregon. in 2016 John was honored by President Obama as a “Champion for Change.” John was a teacher for 32 years and continues to work training teachers across Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. John has created a framework for teaching students applied skills in industrial design that is in use in classrooms all across the Northwest. Mike was a student in multiple week-long workshops led by John in the use of CAD in manufacturing.
TEACHING STAFF
LUKE GIBES
Luke brings five years of welding teaching experience to our team. Luke taught for three years at Delta College in Michigan and has spent the past two years teaching at the University of Alaska Southeast - Sitka Campus. With an Associate's Degree in Welding and a Bachelor's in Engineering Technology Management, along with certifications as a Certified Welding Inspector and Educator from the American Welding Society, Luke is well-equipped in both theory and practice.
Before teaching, Luke worked as a machinist and welder. This included traveling across the country welding in factories, power plants, and on military projects. Outside the classroom, Luke enjoys snowboarding, surfing, hiking, and mountain biking, embracing the Alaskan outdoors. At the Salty Sitkan, Luke is committed to helping students learn and enjoy metal art.
TEACHING STAFF
RANDY HUGHEY
Randy Hughey spent a career teaching students in Alaska Career & Technical Education skills focused in woodworking, Computer Aided Drafting and Residential Construction. In addition to his time in the classroom Randy worked as a career/guidance counselor working to establish a vocational consortium in Sitka.
In his retirement Randy has served as the Executive Director of the incredibly successful Sitka Community Land Trust. Randy has led the SCLT to the completion of 8 homes and has recently secured federal funding to support the construction of more affordable housing for young professionals in Sitka.
Randy brings perhaps the most amazing teaching temperment known to man to the Salty Sitkan Workshop as well as a wealth of information from a life spent living, fishing, hunting and recreating all over Southeast Alaska. Any student will be lucky to learn from Randy