Meet our Board of Directors

James Fillmore - President
James and his wife Barbara live in Coeur d’Alene. He joined the Gizmo-CdA board in 2022. He initially started out doing some technical code development for Gizmo and then joined the Board to help with organizational level issues.
James earned a BS in Physics and a PhD in Astronomy. The 1980’s was the heyday of the microprocessor revolution and he left academia to start his own business, ExtraTech Corp.  After automating a telescope as a learning project, James built his business around automation, specializing in motion controllers for CNC machine tools. The business was formed in Minneapolis with the help of his father Robert. The business was moved to Post Falls in late 1990. James ran the business for 29 years reaching up to 20 employees and worked with customers worldwide. His business was a financial supporter of some area FIRST Robotics teams and that was what brought him to Gizmo-CdA.
Besides developing internal systems for tracking members and volunteers presence and equipment access, James uses his experience to help with IT issues and related projects.
James and Barbara love the outdoors: hiking, kayaking, boating, camping and just exploring. His other hobbies are landscape and wildlife photography, skiing and snowshoeing. James and Barbara are also on the boards of other area non-profits.

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Barbara Mueller - Founder and Vice President
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Marty Mueller - Founder

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Gene Hamacher
Gene lives in Sandpoint, Idaho where he owns a small consulting company. His company provides process improvement and leadership training and coaching to small manufacturing companies across the Pacific Northwest.
Gene Hamacher has 28 years of experience working as a manufacturing process engineer, an operations manager, and as a business advisor. He also spent 9 years teaching at technical colleges; where he taught courses in Business Management, Production Control, Project Management, Engineering and Mathematics. 
Gene has a Bachelor’s in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry University (1987); and Master’s degrees in both Management and Engineering from M.I.T. (1996). 
Gene enjoys spending time fishing, golfing, skiing, biking and exploring around the region; and works as a Mountain Host at Schweitzer during the winter. He is also involved in several non-profit organizations and helps to plan manufacturing/educational events in the ​region.

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Craig Nicol
Craig joined Gizmo’s board in 2024 with an emphasis on facilities and technical documentation. Prior to that, he was a mentor on Gizmo’s high-school robotics team from 2016-2020. 
After earning his college degree (’73-’78) in business management with an unofficial emphasis in engineering Craig embarked on five-years of world travel as a Field Engineer for Magnavox Marine. During those years of travel, he repaired Satellite Communication Systems on ocean-going ships.  Next, it was back to the automotive industry as a Research Engineer at Honda R&D and later as Market Strategy Manager and Product Planner at Nissan NA. 
Craig has been an automotive technical writer since 2001. In that role, he performed technical validation of service manuals, wrote print and web-based training scripts, classroom training guides, and various manuals for Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Audi, & Prentice-Hall. 
Craig is an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician and a 40-year member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Craig also operates a hobby-business designing and manufacturing street rod electrical components, enjoys automobile restoration, and owns several collectible cars.

Sherrie Peterson
Coeur d’Alene resident Sherrie Petersen joined the ranks of the happily retired in 2025, about
six months after she joined the board at Gizmo-CDA. She worked for decades as a graphic
designer and educator before changing gears to become the director of operations for Five Pine
Wealth Management.
As the former volunteer coordinator for Coeur d’Alene Evening Rotary, she has spent many
hours assisting local nonprofits with everything from data entry, to fundraising, to serving meals
and picking up trash. Since retiring, Sherrie has focused her energy on pottery, travel, spending
time with family and taking classes at Gizmo.
In the winter you can find her playing sled hockey and in the summer she kayaks local lakes.
She still regularly volunteers with the Museum of North Idaho, Ironman and of course, at
Gizmo.

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Kristin A. McILvenna
Kris has owned and operated a boutique Inn and restaurant for most of her life here in Coeur d’Alene.  Beginning in 1985, operating in downtown Coeur d’Alene, the Historic Inn grew from Bed and Breakfast, expanding into catering, and finally a fine dining establishment that was known for its live music and crafted cocktails.
The Greenbriar Inn and 315 Restaurant were sold at the end of 2021, and since then, Kris has served on three boards, including Gizmo.  With experience in grant writing for multiple organizations, Kris has been asked to do community outreach for Gizmo. 
Over the years here in Coeur d’Alene, Kris has served as a volunteer for numerous organizations.  Kris co-founded the CDA Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and served on their board for several years.
She also served on the board for St. Vincent de Paul’s homeless shelter, St. Vincent de Paul’s after-school art program “Art on the Edge,” and PEO, a non-profit that raises money for single mothers who are returning to school to complete their education.
Also, Kris serves on the board of the CDA Arts and Culture Alliance.
Although the time spent here in Coeur d’Alene has been devoted largely to hospitality and cuisine, Kris was a stockbroker from 1977  to 1987.
Kris has a degree in Journalism and English Literature, as well as a graphic design degree,
She enjoys creating, teaching, and discovery as a regular part of her life.

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Luke Fuess
Luke joined the Board of Gizmo in 2024. He currently works at TechHelp, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) for Idaho, bringing deep experience in manufacturing, operations, and workforce development to support Northern Idaho companies in improving productivity and profitability. Based at the University of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene, Luke works closely with manufacturers across the region.
Luke began his career as a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter technician, where he developed a strong foundation in technical systems, discipline, and continuous improvement. He later earned a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and transitioned into civilian manufacturing, serving in production management roles at ICON Aircraft. There, he built expertise in Lean methodology, Leadership, and scaling production operations.
Prior to joining TechHelp, Luke served as Chief Operating Officer at U.S. Ordnance and held a management role at Plug Power within the green fuel and energy sector. His leadership experience spans advanced manufacturing, defense, and enterprise systems, giving him a broad perspective on modern manufacturing challenges and opportunities.
Luke moved to Northern Idaho with his family in 2021. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, boating, and projects around the house. His passion for hands-on learning, manufacturing innovation, and workforce development aligns closely with the mission of Gizmo Makerspace and the broader regional manufacturing ecosystem.

Josh Wise