Hometime Bios...


Dean Johnson
Dean Johnson, 55, was born in Mankato, Minn., and grew up in Edina, near Minneapolis. He attended college at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting.

Johnson worked as a cost accountant, a sales representative, and an independent builder before launching Hometime Video Publishing in 1984. In addition to his role as co-host, Johnson is executive producer of Hometime and president of Hometime Video Publishing.

The father of two, Johnson is married to his high school sweetheart, Kathi. His children are currently attending college—with their daughter enrolled in nursing and son studying business. Together, the family enjoys downhill and cross-country skiing, and try to get to Colorado every year to ski the Rocky Mountains.

You might have noticed some of the Johnson clan on camera in the last couple years as Dean's folks, wife, kids and even the family dog, Tucker, have all been included in a Hometime project or two!

Miriam Johnson
Miriam Johnson—no relation to Dean—is the most recent face to join Hometime. Miriam grew up here in Minnesota and moved back to the area not long ago after ten years in Los Angeles learning the ins and outs of the entertainment industry.

Miriam and her husband, Paul, have recently completed a fairly extensive renovation project on their newly acquired 80-year-old home. Miriam takes a hands-on approach around the house and boasts being a true “do-it-yourselfer.” She also enjoys creating and building furniture in her spare time. Paul is an elementary school teacher and musician, and together they share their home with their cat, Little. When schedules permit, they both enjoy getting away from it all to camp and hike in the mountains.

Miriam has been enjoying the fun, the pranks, and the down-to-earth atmosphere at Hometime with her coworkers. She feels the variety of projects feeds her passion for figuring out those how-to challenges and she loves working alongside homeowners!

And last (but surely not least), Miriam and Paul would like to announce that they recently added a new young member to the crew...little Sula Catherine (weighing in at 7lbs. 6oz., and 21 in. long). Congratulations!

Dan Laabs
(a.k.a. Lenny)
Dan has been a Construction Coordinator with Hometime for over 12 years. He is responsible for ensuring that each project is done well, and is completed on schedule and on budget. Before coming to work for Hometime, Dan was a foreman for a large construction company in the Minneapolis area. Dan has been married for thirteen years to his wife, Julie. In his free time, Dan enjoys coaching a variety of sports for his son, Taylor, golfing, playing basketball, and gardening. A few of Dan's favorite projects have been the Lodge-Style Log Cabin and the Autumn Woods home. Some of you may recognize Dan from the set of many projects…he's been a show regular, for quite some time!

Judd Nelson
Judd is in his tenth year as Hometime's Construction Manager. Judd's main responsibilities include designing, ordering materials, scheduling subcontractors, and helping out on the actual construction of a project. Before going into construction, Judd taught art at a public school here in the Twin Cities. Judd's hobbies include creating unique metal sculptures, painting watercolor, and playing bluegrass on his guitar. Judd and his wife, Kathy, have 2 sons, Tyler and Chris, and a daughter, Brooke. The Lodge-Style Log Cabin holds many fond memories for Judd, who worked on the project for almost 2 years. Judd has been behind-the-scenes of many episodes helping Dean and the crew—most recently the treehouse project.

Tom Weckwerth
(a.k.a. "Bucki")
Tom has been part of the Hometime crew for 11 years. As Location Manager, Tom is the "go-to guy." He makes sure everyone knows when and where the next shoot is, keeps tabs on the correct wardrobe, and ensures the proper lighting. Between shoots—and sometimes during—Tom is often found working on the actual construction project. In addition to golfing, fishing, and playing drums in a band, Tom loves spending time with his daughter, Riley, and wife, Michelle. Thus far, the Lodge-Style Log Cabin is Tom's favorite project. You might have noticed Tom "hamming it up" on camera many times before. He's been known to jump out of boxes, closets, or anything else to scare Dean and the crew!

Mark Gutzmer
Mark is Hometime's Audio and Continuity Technician. For the past 9 years, Mark has been responsible for making sure Dean and the crew are heard clearly from your television sets and the camera is in good working order prior to each shoot. Mark loves to golf, ski, and fish. He also enjoys utilizing the home-improvement knowledge he's picked up from work to do projects on his own house! Mark and his wife, Joan, have a daughter, Helena, and son, August. Like the rest of the crew, Mark's favorite Hometime project is the Lodge-Style Log Cabin. Shying away from the spotlight most of the time, Mark doesn't get as much camera time as the others, but we've been known to sneak him into a shot whenever possible.

Jeff Lyman
Jeff has been with Hometime for the past 19 years and works as Producer/Director. Before entering his current field, Jeff ventured over 7,000 miles across America via boxcar! Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, skiing, rock collecting, and spending time with his wife, Susan. Jeff's favorite Hometime project was traveling to Ireland to spruce-up an Irish cottage, while his most memorable moment was meeting President Jimmy Carter during work on a Habitat for Humanity project. Since often times he is running the camera, Jeff has never been in the spotlight—we just might have to change that!