Bo Foard

Directors at Large

2019-2023

In the spring of 1985, I toured an open house of a new timber frame home in Annapolis, Maryland. That singular experience led me to hit the road in a '68 travel trailer, going from job site to job site all over New England building timber frames and eventually installing structural insulated panels on those frames. By the end of that year, I had worked on frames built by Benson, Brooks, and Buffton, all legends in the revival of the art timber framing. And that was just the Bs! 

Timber framing led me to panels and panels led me right back to timber framing where the company I founded in 1993, Foard Panel, Inc., focused on the designing, engineering, and installation of panels on timber frames all over New England and beyond. The most exciting thing for me these days is I am beginning to see more and more in the timber framing industry, the “second generation” take over all these amazing companies. Going forward my hope is to see a strong Guild that helps the next generation continue to thrive in this remarkable craft industry. 

Serving on the TFG board for the last 2 years has been enriching, getting to know and work with the dedicated folks who get together every month to guide the organization. My focus on the Companies Committee, on which I have served for 4 years, gets most of my Guild time attention. Creating value for the companies that support the Guild is my main focus along with making sure the Guild stays finically viable during these challenging times.

Learning is always my goal when I take on a board position. To that end, I have come to discover that the Guild is foremost an education organization. The acquisition of Heartwood now solidifies that tenet of the Guild. Heartwood will power the Guild into the future, helping us to truly realize the mission of the Guild to advance timber framing through research, education, and industry. 

In my previous board work, I served as President of the Board of the New England Youth Theatre here in Brattleboro, Vermont, for 6 years. Also in Brattleboro, I am a founding member of HatchSpace, which is a makers space for woodworking. I have been a trustee for the Wolf Kahn and Emily Mason Foundation for the last 17 years. I served on the Board of  the Windsor Windham Housing Trust and the Boys and Girls Club Facilities Committee. At home, I am married with 4 kids, ages 14 - 27, 3 cats, an aging hound, 20 chickens, and a gigantic garden. In addition to Foard Panel, I own a cafe and catering company called The Porch, in Brattleboro.

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