LEADERSHIP
GAIL YENNY
Owner
Responsible for keeping T-Shirt Engineers on the leading edge of technology, Gail grew up in Grand Island, and then it was off to Kearney State College to receive her BA in education. Students identified with her as the bright spot in any day as she taught Physical Education in area schools. In 1981 she decided to launch (with co-owner Jane Thorngren) T-Shirt Engineers.
Gail loves sporting of all types from camping, canoeing, fishing, but she is rabid for the Lady Vols. So much so that she and Jane have attended a number of final four games. Go Vols!
JANE THORNGREN
Owner
Jane is the embroidery-digitizing expert. Textures, colors and stitches to create the perfect garment. Jane grew up in Moline, Illinois and came to Grand Island via Midland College in Fremont. She too earned her BA in education and taught art in the years prior to starting T-Shirt Engineers (with co-owner Gail Yenny).
Jane is the marketer, party-planner and self-proclaimed “life of the party”. She says it’s only a gathering until she shows up. Who’s to argue? Jane gives of her time and talent to children, and volunteerism throughout the Grand Island community.
DESIGN TEAM
WENDY CARLSON
Wendy graduated high school in Central City, Nebraska (just a piece down the road) and has an educational background in agriculture. She attended the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, and later went to Chadron State College to study speech communication with a minor in general agriculture. So how does that equate to becoming a graphic artist? It doesn’t!
Wendy is self-taught, and as unbelievable as it may be, she can put your thoughts into a graphic design—toot sweet. (Very fast) She is a performer at heart and thrills audiences with her Patsy Cline impersonation and other stage productions.
GREG STUTZMAN
Greg grew up in Cairo, Nebraska graduating from Centura High School and also attended Chadron State College. Prior to joining T-Shirt Engineers Greg spent a decade in the sign business doing graphic art and painting. As a graphic artist at TSE, he is meticulous in detail and is able to create stunning logos and other graphics to the delight of our customers.
Greg’s creative talents include cooking, crafting, and working to beautify his home, both inside and out, complete with pond and pool.
ADMINISTRATIVE
JULIE HAMIK
Julie, sister to John Chapman, has worked at TSE forever. She left for a while to get her BA in business at Kearney State College, but returned to run the show. As office manager, she handles promotional items, sales, purchasing, shipping and receiving along with other duties, Julie takes it all in stride in a workplace that is oftentimes hectic.
Julie loves reading, sports, music and concerts. In addition to her extracurricular duties, she has three children, a husband and a dog. Now we’re talkin’.
JANE GOERING
As the bookkeeper at TSE, Jane comes from Albion, Nebraska and the University of Nebraska with a business degree. She handles all the numbers including payroll and helps with all adding, subtracting, proofreading and other duties when called upon.
ORDER DESK
ANGIE LISKIE
Angie helps Julie with front store sales and other office duties. She grew up in Grand Island graduating from Grand Island Senior High. A varied office career makes her the perfect fit for TSE. She seems to be calm and quiet—an unknown commodity around the office, but is dedicated to make sure our customers are first in every way.
Angie has two great kids and enjoys knitting and crocheting and volunteering in the Grand Island community.
EMBROIDERY
LESLIE MORACZEWSKI
Growing up in Ashton, Nebraska, Leslie is part of the embroidery crew.
Graduating form Loup City High School and working in the nursing home environment for a number of years. Leslie was ready to start a new challenge at TSE. Eldercare aside, Leslie jumps in wherever needed and also is part of the traveling team to northern Minnesota each year.
TEAM
SHAYLA COLLINS
Shayla is a proud graduate of Central City High School Class of 2004. During her school days she was quite the athlete – dominating on the Golf course and even making it to the State Golf Tournament.
After high school, Shayla attended Massage Therapy School… where she quickly realized that giving massages for a living wasn’t exactly her calling. So she switched gears and joined Menard’s, where she became a pro at cabinets and appliances – basically if it belonged in a kitchen, Shayla knew it inside and out.
From there she took her talents to Centura High School, working in Grounds & Maintenance: which is why she is still the first to grab a shovel or wrench when something needs fixing at work. In 2023, Shayla “came to her senses” and joined our crew here at T-Shirt Engineers where she now runs a tight ship in the Printing Dept. Thanks to her Grounds & Maintenance background, she also volunteers on that committee — so if the lawn looks good and the prints look better…..
Shayla has 2 Mini-Aussies that come to work with her every day. Stella first and then came Fenway. When she’s not wrangling her furry friends she likes hanging out with her niece and 4 nephews.
McKENNA SONCKSEN
Meet McKenna, a proud Burwell native and Burwell Jr-Sr. High School alum. (Should I mention it’s Home of the World Famous Burwell Rodeo?) After graduating from Hastings CCC in December of 2022 with an Associate Degree in Graphic Design, she worked as a marketing assistant at the Hastings YMCA. She then joined the T-Shirt Engineers crew in September 2023 – and we’ve been better embroiderers since!
When she’s not busy turning thread into art, McKenna enjoys listening to music, drawing with charcoal, designing for mom’s business, and making jewelry (basically she CAN’T STOP CREATING!). She is also the proud parent of Albert, a blind cat with an excellent sense of direction – most of the time. Her love of animals runs deep, proving that her heart is just as big as her talents. Should I mention she has an excellent sense of humor?
SAMANTHA STUMP
Meet Samantha! Samantha is a proud graduate of GISH, where she mastered the clarinet, gazed at the stars in Astronomy class, and got a little too comfortable with paint under her fingernails in Art class. Her love of creativity led her to CCC in Columbus, Nebraska, where she majored in Art – and probably spent more time in the studio than she’d ever admit.
After college, Sam joined the team at Stuhr Museum, working in the curator department as the registrar. There, she discovered her passion for history, artifacts, and special events – or as she puts it, “touching really old stuff and making sure nobody else does.”
In March 2023, Sam brought her many talents to TSE, where she has been making her mark ever since. When she’s not keeping up with current events, she’s running her Etsy shop, Tangle and Bone, and spending weekends in the summer at art fairs – because who needs rest when you’ve got creativity?
At home, Sam is ruled by two feline overlords: a 5-year-old porch cat who decided to move in and a 4-month-old kitten she rescued off a highway near Smith Falls! Together, they ensure her life never lacks excitement or cat hair.
PRINTING
ZANE LISKE
Before joining T-Shirt Engineers, Zane explored a variety of career paths – AMC Theatres, Olive Garden, and even the fast-paced world of pizza delivery. But the day he stepped into TSE, something clicked. Zane has become printer extraordinaire.
Zane loves music, politics and is an avid online gamer. Zane’s life changed drastically last year when he married the love of his life and longtime girlfriend, Lexi. They now have a 4-year-old daughter, Rikki, who sometimes comes to the office to raise havoc. They have 3 cats and 1 dog. That keeps him on his toes!
JOHN CHAPMAN
John, brother to Julie Hamik, grew up mostly in Grand Island and attended Central Catholic grade and high school. He was a cook in the restaurant industry before going into construction as a contractor. That makes him the perfect fit at TSE since John takes the artwork from Wendy and Greg and creates the piece you take with you. Digitally printed clothing, banners, and signage—you name it and he gets it finished and ready to go out the door.
John is quite the cook and gardener. Sometimes, one complements the other. Sometimes it doesn’t. He also claims to be the valedictorian of his class!
DOGS
DUCK
Duck joined our family when she was 4 yrs old – we were the Chosen Ones. Somehow, she already came with the name “Duck”, which is pretty ironic for a Golden Retriever who refuses to go near the water. She may not swim, but she takes her Beach Patrol duties very seriously – no bird, big or small (even a Great Blue Heron!) dare to trespass on her sand. Duck is a world class worrier and needs to know exactly what’s going on at all times — she has serious FOMO and has a heart of Gold.
FENWAY
LUCY
Lucy is our 14-year-old Black Lab/Golden Retriever/Springer Spaniel Mix who graciously agreed to adopt us when she was 6½. Originally from the Animal Shelter in York, Nebraska, she’s been the definition of a “good dog” – with one small exception. If it has a strap, Lucy believes it’s a snack. Backpacks, purses, camera bags… all fair game. She keeps us humble (and constantly buying replacements).
STELLA
Stella, aka Stellybelly, our 7 year old Aussie with beautiful blue eyes. She is equal parts brains and charm. Her cleverness knows no bounds. Stella can manipulate anyone into gving her a treat. Currently, we’re working on her manners because let’s say she is not a fan of the delivery crew. But hey, she’s just protecting the office. She might have a bit of an attitude, but under that Aussie exterior, there’s a heart full of love. So if you’re ever lucky enough to meet her, be prepared for a wiggle butt and Stellybelly smile that could brighten anyone’s day.