Office Team

Tanya grew up in a family involved in almost every aspect of construction. In 2000, she graduated and went straight to work, helping her father and uncle run Cornerstone’s office. In her early years she handled bookkeeping and gained mastery of 3D design software. As customers asked how they should best protect their timbers, Tanya started by providing advice, but soon found herself staining client frames in the shop after hours.

Today she directs a large, professional finishing shop and, together with her husband Nevin, has owned Cornerstone since 2015. They have two children.

Personal notes:

• Plays hockey for fun and fitness.
• Enjoys splitting wood for her home’s fireplace.
• Always has a furniture or finishing project on the go.

Jake hails from Toronto where he first gained a love for construction, working for a residential builder. That experience led him to trades college and certification as a Gas Technician. After several commercial projects he returned to school for his C.E.T. designation from Red River College, then worked as a Commercial Project Manager – where he was first introduced to mass timber.

Jake joined Cornerstone Timberframes in September 2023 and now leads the company’s fast-growing Commercial Sales department.

Personal notes:

• Is an avid fisherman and has caught 49 species across 3 continents.
• May be found talking to his TV during a hockey game.
• Enjoys the outdoors with his wife and two dogs.

Michael grew up in Winnipeg and studied Architecture at the University of Manitoba. Following school he spent two years in commercial and residential construction, gaining insight into project management and problem solving. Since joining Cornerstone in 2015 he has helped hundreds of clients complete projects big and small with custom timber designs and visualizations.

Personal notes:

• Enjoys sports, both as a player and a fan (our March Madness expert).
• Always ready for DIY work, especially home renovations and yard improvements.
• Loves a Saturday morning coffee with a good read.

Maison is a Certified Engineering Technologist having graduated from Red River Polytech in 2020. Her work at Cornerstone covers the full spectrum of residential timber design including unique entryways, outdoor structures and full timber homes and cottages. An area of specialty is creating photo-realistic renders to help clients see how their home or cottage will look with furniture, lighting, and finishes.

Personal notes:

• Can be found kayaking – year-round, wherever open water can be found.
• Enjoys creating art in many forms, from murals to costumes.
• Cornerstone’s green thumb, regularly rescuing office plants from certain death.

Michael studied Architectural Technology & Engineering at Red River College and received his diploma in 2019. One of his favourite assignments is studying and creating excellent technical details that will satisfy engineers, architects, builders, and clients. He is also Cornerstone’s machine language expert, translating timber designs into files that can be read by our two CNC joinery machines.

Personal notes:

• A movie critic and a certified night owl.
• Enjoys keeping up with the latest tech news.
• Always up for exploring new food and coffee places.

Born and raised in southeast Michigan, Dennis ventured into the world of construction early on. Managing installed sales at a national building supply company honed his skills. Intrigued by traditional craftsmanship, he learned hand-cutting timber at a small company before embracing modern methods with CNC technology.

Evolving into a project manager, he eventually founded his own timber/SIP installation company. Today he brings that hands-on experience to Cornerstone’s U.S. projects.

Personal notes:

• Off-duty, you’ll find him cheering for baseball and football.
• Enjoys unwinding by the lake or exploring new destinations with his wife.

Veronica grew up in a small town near Ottawa, Ontario, with a big family. After obtaining her teaching degree at the University of Ottawa, she taught K–10 before moving to Winnipeg with her young family. Veronica enjoys the variety in her work – building relationships with clients, expanding her industry knowledge, and, her favourite, applying math in the real world.

Since joining Cornerstone she has found her niche: helping U.S. clients bring their visions to life with custom timber frame designs.

Personal notes:

• Can be found cheering loudly at her kids’ activities.
• Stays active by running, spinning, or playing slow-pitch.
• Race director for the locally famous 5 km Kleefeld Honey Run.

Doug loves building things and the positive feelings that come through being highly productive. For 16 years he ran his own business in concrete forming and carpentry. In 2019 he came to work for Cornerstone where his people skills in directing site crews prepared him well for running a large finishing shop and keeping trucks with timber rolling.

Personal notes:

• Enjoys time on the lake and fishing with his partner.
• Loves watching his children grow and attending their games and events.
• Spends weekends helping friends with projects and building furniture.

Zoey started with Cornerstone in our finishing shop, learning the art of matching colours and staining timber. At an annual review she mentioned she would like to try cutting joinery. She soon impressed our veteran carpenters with her gift for hands-on learning – picking up complex cutting processes by seeing them done and then practicing them right away.

Now, as an energetic and gracious leader for our joinery shop, she inspires her co-workers to be their best.

Personal notes:

• Likely inherited her love of woodworking from her great-grandpa and uses his hand planes.
• Loves being outside, spending time with dog Maisie and horse Dusty.
• A self-taught hobbyist always adding new skills (right now: leather work).

Following high school Jon worked in residential carpentry and was exposed to every facet of homebuilding. He came to Cornerstone in early 1999 and was soon recognized for his skill working at height and competence in laying out and cutting complex joinery.

In 2006 he spent a year at a renowned timber frame company in Scotland. On his return he became the lead of our layout department and, in 2015, was promoted to shop manager. Jon’s encyclopedic knowledge of timber framing is applied every day in his role as mentor to Cornerstone’s designers and carpenters.

Personal notes:

• Enjoys running, biking, and being active outdoors.
• Loves to travel and learn about history.
• Always working on or planning the next home project.