Kent Hicks
OWNER
Certified Passive House Consultant
Faculty, Building and Construction Technology Program
Department of Environmental Conservation
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Energy & Materials Consultant
Kent Hicks came to Western Massachusetts in the 1980’s to study with acclaimed British furniture-maker, David Powell. After mastering the art of fine furniture making, he began building and renovating residential and commercial properties with the same commitment to craftsmanship. Today, his portfolio includes hundreds of beautiful, energy efficient new and renovated homes, as well as authentic historic restorations.
Kent’s commitment to mitigating climate change and passion to learn the best practices in building science have made him an innovative leader in the construction of high-performance buildings. From the Energy Crafted houses of the 1990’s to today’s Deep Energy Retrofits and Zero Net Energy buildings, Kent has garnered decades of technical expertise and a thorough understanding of emerging challenges, such as moisture management, superior indoor air quality, material toxicity and life cycle assessment of product and process.
Kent’s search for the most responsible way to build led him to Passivhaus design, a standard that combines rigorous energy efficiency specifications with comfort and precision engineering quality.
Lynn Hicks
CO-OWNER
Lynn is co-owner of East Branch Studio and assists with human resources, public relations and management decisions. Lynn is passionate about reducing individual carbon footprints. She is grateful to be living on the East Branch of the healthy Westfield River.
Debra Pitkin
BUSINESS MANAGER
Debra has 20 years experience in finance and administration for service industries, including; construction, real estate, design-build, architecture, interior design, architectural media, and banking. She specializes in growing small businesses to mid-sized. She has embraced the tiny house (& remote work) movement and has been an off grid yurt dweller in eastern NY since 2018. She speaks both artist and business and has a parallel arts and entertainment background; is an eligible member of Sag-AFTRA for television/film and bona fide member of Actors Equity for stage, originating leading roles in dozens of new musicals, independent films and even a tv pilot or two. Her singer/songwriter style could best be categorized as “soul” (though she sings in all styles-as required) and has plans to add novelist to her repertoire. d.pitkin@eastbranchstudio.com
Ben Leedy
DESIGNER, PROJECT MANAGER & CARPENTER
Ben gained the base of his carpentry experience in the Boston area after receiving a Master’s in Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology. He enjoys the collaboration, problem solving and creativity that goes into building a beautiful, high-performance house. Outside of building/making things he enjoys biking, basketball and staying active. b.leedy@eastbranchstudio.com
Emily Duffy
PROJECT MANAGER
Emily is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a degree in Building and Construction Technology. As a native to Western Massachusetts, she feels obligated and honored to be part of the future of sustainable building and is interested in exploring innovative design approaches that can be melded with fine craftsmanship. In her free time she enjoys restoring furniture, rummaging through antique shops and immersing herself in nature. e.duffy@eastbranchstudio.com
Jeff Cook
Project Manager
Hala Abdul-Rasool
PROJECT MANAGER
Hala is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a B.S. in Computer Systems Engineering and an M.S. in Sustainable Building Systems. She is also LEED Green Associate certified. She enjoys organizing the complex and learning new ways of building more environmentally friendly. h.abdulrasool@eastbranchstudio.com
Véronique Bryant
BOOKKEEPER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Véronique has over 30 years of experience as an administrative and executive assistant in the Netherlands and the US. When she is not at the East Branch Studio office keeping the books, she works with her clients on social media and graphic design, and enjoys working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Véronique is also a mosaic artist, watercolor painter, loves recycled & upcycled fashion design, and has a passion for languages. bookkeeper@eastbranchstudio.com
Tom Coughlin
SHOP MANAGER, WOODWORKER/CARPENTER
Tom has been a craftsman for the last 40 years and a professional woodworker for the last 30 years. Starting as a classically trained fine furnituremaker, He is also an avid boatbuilder, stringed instrument builder, bowyer and arrowsmith. Tom enjoys bringing all of these skills together to solve problems and create living spaces that are both efficient and beautiful.
John Collector
LEAD CARPENTER
Before landing in western Mass, John lived and worked in California, New York, and New Orleans. He likes chess, reading, and basketball. On the weekends, he runs a small farm with his girlfriend. His dog is named Manny.
Kyle Farr
LEAD CARPENTER
Kyle is a third generation tradesman with a deep interest in the intersection of design and energy systems. He has experience as a sawyer, restoration woodworker, and in general carpentry and looks forward to expanding his knowledge of high performance building systems. He enjoys working with local materials and a team that takes a holistic approach to the building process.
Ryan Hutchinson
CARPENTER
While Ryan has been involved in the building process from frame to finish, his expertise is in finish carpentry and kitchen work. Ryan is glad to be part of a team that is committed to lowering the carbon footprint and providing energy-efficient homes. He is particularly interested in using reclaimed materials for finish work—bringing old and new together.
Elliot Magnan
CARPENTER
Elliot, born and raised in Northern Vermont, has always found the work of Mother Nature breathtaking. When they saw that East Branch Studio was hiring entry level carpenters, they knew right away that it was going to be a good fit. Combining the blue collar work life with a sense of caring for our planet were exactly the opportunities that Elliot wanted to snatch up and start a serious career with. Currently, they are learning as much as they can from those more skilled and experienced, hoping one day they’ll get to be doing the teaching.
Sean Ryan
CARPENTER
Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, Sean graduated from UMass Amherst with a BA in English Literature. He painted houses through those college summers and after graduating. When the pandemic dispelled dreams of teaching, he ended up taking a month long timber framing class at the Heartwood School (NH), and worked as a timber framer before moving to Boston. In Boston he worked as a carpenter doing renovations and remodeling and historic preservation. Sean is pleased to be apart of East Branch Studio learning high performance building techniques and doing frame to finish carpentry back in the beautiful place he calls home. In his free time Sean enjoys small woodworking projects, making art, reading, writing and a whole lot more.
Josh Moutray
ASSISTANT CARPENTER
Josh’s work ethic and passion for building developed when he was a child. Growing up, Josh enjoyed working alongside his dad on home projects and at his dad’s handyman business. After working for years in the cycling industry for a large manufacturer, Josh decided to leave the big city of Dallas and turn his woodworking hobby into a career. Josh moved north from Texas for a job opportunity at a high end custom cabinetry and millwork shop before deciding to grow his skills and expand his knowledge in performance building and eco friendly construction at East Branch Studios. When he isn’t working or learning about the tips and tricks of the industry, he enjoys spending time with his family, the outdoors, and cooking.
Jeff Berardi
ASSISTANT CARPENTER