Meet your Monitors: John Harned & Tom Winn
Article by Janice
It's certainly not the high salary offered monitors! John Harned and Tom Winn have little free time from their positions at a software subsidiary of giant EMC where John is a marketing program manager and Tom is a writer for the local division's marketing staff. Their company focuses on backup and recovery system software. About three years ago, each was searching for a hands-on hobby to counterbalance work. After Artopia provided a start, they found CAG and have been fixtures in the Friday evening class ever since. Although John's precision boxes first drew the attention of fellow guild members, both John and Tom are now in virtual production mode making plates and bowls along with most members of Michael Berkeley's dedicated Friday crew.
Tom grew up in Boston attending several noted Universities in Massachusetts before traveling west to visit friends who were part of the software/dot.com gold rush. Leaving Boston's 20 degree weather, Tom arrived on a typical, balmy, 65 degree San Francisco winter's day. He decided a life adjustment might be in order. He accepted a position with a Seattle software company before transferring to the Bay Area shortly thereafter. As EMC's division offices are in Walnut Creek , it made sense to buy a condo in Concord. Tom is currently wrestling with an undisclosed-at-time-of-sale siding problem that is proving an expensive introduction to California real estate - but is feeling fortunate to be a homeowner at all.
John, a native Californian, grew up in El Sobrante and graduated from San Francisco 
State. Although he also tested life in another part of the country - living in Georgia for several years - he decided he really was a Californian at heart. John was active in campus and San Francisco politics for many years before finding career demands limited his time for activism. As he oversees his division's website, he practices web development on the side in order to understand the complexity of tasks he assigns. In the past, he has made jewelry and became proficient in the martial arts. Martial arts are the perfect background if anyone fails to clean up or acts out during open studio hours :).
Tom and John accepted the monitor's position because they like being able to finish projects and practice skills outside of class. They think open studio hours are a vital part of what CAG offers members. Their only regret in assuming the Sunday evening monitoring position is not having the time to be part of Gisela's Saturday evening entourage.