< Who We Are
Team Leaders
Lyn S. Wood
President and Principal-in-Charge
Lyn Wood has been designing and planning forward-looking museum exhibitions for over 30 years. She is an idea person as well as an accomplished designer, and is in great demand as a consultant to museums that are in the process of re-imagining their institutions. Coming from a family of world travelers, Lyn's immersion into other cultures has given her a creative sensibility that draws upon a wide array of cultural, artistic and historical sources. Lyn uniquely combines a BA in Industrial and Environmental Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an MA in Museum Education from the nationally acclaimed program at George Washington University. This two-pronged expertise allows her to create exciting exhibitions that are elegantly designed, operationally sound and intellectually inspirational. Lyn started Hands On! Inc. in 1984 when she co-founded Great Explorations, the Hands On Museum, in St. Petersburg, Florida. That accomplished, she spun off Hands On! to apply her knowledge of design, visitor behavior and sustainability to museum projects all over the world.
Greg H. Belew
Executive Director and Architectural Liaison
Greg is a licensed architect who joined Hands On! 19 years ago after a highly successful career as an independent architect and exhibit designer. An exceptional craftsman, Greg has personally executed the extensive restoration and renovation of two historic houses in the St. Petersburg area. Greg's depth of experience has given him a comprehensive knowledge of what it takes to manage the critical juncture between exhibition content, design and fabrication, which he has successfully directed for more than two dozen Hands On! projects around the world. Greg also coordinates between our clients, their contractors and renowned architects such as James Stewart Polshek, Moshe Safdie, Lake/Flato and MGA Partners to define a project's infrastructure and manage the complex interface between exhibition and architectural environment.
Charlie Shaw
Master Fabricator & Founder of C.W. Shaw Inc. Exhibit Fabricators
What Charlie Shaw brings to Hands On! is at the foundation of who we are. Like the rest of our team members, Charlie is an extraordinary creative thinker and problem solver, but he also possesses the exceptional skills, technical knowledge and understanding that come from over three decades of designing and building electro-mechanical devices, electronics, millwork and steel structures. Charlie began taking electronics courses at age 11 from the local Science Center in St. Petersburg. At that age, he was also teaching himself to weld. By the time he graduated from high school he was designing and building custom furniture in addition to custom kitchens, spiral stairs and any kind of millwork imaginable. In an age where specialization is the norm, Charlie's profound expertise in so many realms of knowledge is invaluable. Equally impressive is the company he's built at CW Shaw, Inc. As their workload has increased over the years, he's assembled and educated a staff of highly qualified technicians and craftspeople who are able to execute projects to the highest standards.
Ed Pease
Senior Environmental and Exhibit Designer
Ed brings his expertise as an architect and environmental designer to create award-winning exhibitions that integrate flawlessly with the building architecture in both style and performance. A licensed architect, Ed has more than 25 years of experience in the design and construction of museums and fine arts centers, historical restoration and new residences. In addition to architecture, Ed works in a variety of media, and his photography, painting and sculpture have been recognized in numerous exhibitions and installations. Ed holds a BA in Environmental Design and an MA in Architecture, and continues to share his knowledge and experience as an adjunct instructor at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where he has taught architectural design since 1991. Ed has also been a visiting lecturer and design critic at Hampton University, James Madison University, Umbau School of Architecture, and ISARK School of Architecture in Reykjavik, Iceland. In addition to the many awards his designs for Hands On! have earned, Ed has received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Virginia Society AIA and the FNMA Award for Excellence in the Design of Affordable Housing.
Sharon Rupe Handy
Senior Exhibit Developer & Communications Specialist
Sharon is the intellectual heart of Hands On!. In addition to being the only member of our team to qualify to appear on "Jeopardy!," Sharon plays multiple roles in every project we take on. Her unusual dual background in writing and accounting has given her an extraordinary depth of experience that has made her an integral part of more than two dozen projects during her 18 years at Hands On!. She serves as a content developer and project manager, focusing on the formation of exhibition themes, experiences and educational approaches, exhibition master plans, exhibit prototyping and evaluation, computer-based interactive media and communications. In addition, she develops and manages budgets and schedules to ensure that all projects run smoothly. Sharon holds a BA and MA in Literature, has numerous publications and presentations to her credit, and is an experienced science grant writer who has authored successful proposals totaling more than $16 million.
Kathy Gustafson-Hilton
Senior Exhibit Developer & Creative Thinking Facilitator
Sought after by people throughout the museum industry, Kathy is a recognized leader in the facilitation of creative thinking. She uses skills honed through more than 25 years of acting, theater, film and arts management and 17 years with Hands On! to help clients build strong decision-making frameworks for their projects. Working closely with Lyn at the front-end of projects, Kathy develops and facilitates a process for each client team to come to a mission-driven, visitor-focused, shared vision of their project. Kathy helps teams to set exhibition goals and cutting-edge approaches to content that reflect the personality of each organization. She also serves as Hands On!'s community liaison and works with advocates, stakeholders and focus groups, in addition to managing artists who contribute to our projects. Kathy's skill at building relationships among these groups is unsurpassed. Additionally, she is a member of the national Conference Program Planning Committee for the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and has been a speaker at the American Association of Museums (AAM), Association of Children's Museums (ACM) and ASTC conferences.
Laura Gattis
Exhibit Designer & Graphics Specialist
Laura brings a refined design sensibility and exceptional technical expertise to everything she does at Hands On!. She is an accomplished industrial designer with experience in the fields of graphic design and architecture. Laura also has extensive experience in project management. She plays a vital role in the development and execution of exhibit design, exhibition layout, space planning, graphics and design documentation for all of our projects. Laura's ability to coordinate between architects, fabricators and designers maximizes our collaborative efforts with clients leading to strong, visitor-friendly environments. Laura graduated with a BS in Industrial Design from Auburn University.
