Meet the Team

Board of Directors

Todd Prusha CVM President

Todd comes to us from Kirkwood Community college after 34 years working in public education . Todd's experience leading teams to identifying community needs towards creating affordable, accessible, quality training and degree programs, will be leveraged as we continue to grow Cedar Valley Makers as an incredible community resource.

Pete Lilja - CVM Vice President

& Shop Manager

Pete Lilja is a retired Waterloo Firefighter, so brings safety and organizational skills to the makerspace. A longtime maker of things. Pete's interests are varied and hobbies have been many: from high powered rockets and high altitude balloons to fly fishing the activities always have a component to making in them. He enjoys looking for a new skill to develop and something new to make.

Michael Hoffman - CVM Treasurer

Michael Hoffman has a BS in Management and Finance and a Masters of Business Administration. Work experience includes human resource management, project management, and risk management. Michael has a long list of maker projects and interests, which include programming, digital design, CNC, 3dprinting, woodworking, metal shop, and welding, and loves to help others create.

Nicholas Pfeiffer - CVM Secretary

Nick joined CVM in 2019. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a B.S in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently an Engine Application Engineer at John Deere where he has been employed since 2011. Nick learned many hands-on skills at a young age by working with his father who was a part time contractor and cabinet maker. Those skills have now developed into hobbies that benefit greatly from the tools available at CVM.

Mohammed Albasri - Board Member

Mohammed is a recent graduate of the Electrical Engineering Technology program at UNI. He comes to us with initiative, skill and a passion for making. He has been a great resource on shop automation projects, and ideas on how to make CVM a better resource for the community.

Carol Tjaden - Board Member

Carol Tjaden joined CVM after semi-retirement from over 30 years in Social Work and Addictions Counseling. Having found the time and space to develop a passion for woodworking, Carol has been working through a pile of projects and building considerable skill. " When I was a young girl I loved working with tools and wood, but back in the day, was not allowed to take a shop class in school because I was a girl. I’m so glad CVM is here with open arms to all. Imagine the possibilities we could nurture in our young people!"