Thanks Doug! I'm getting in touch with Sam already, good to know his background. Tim at Shamrock was also recommended to me, so thanks for that too. I'll check out your man Herbie & check up on those Chicago-area students!
It is odd that there seems to not really be a demand/scene for frambuilding in the Mississippi-middle Midwest. You would think that the Chi/STL/KC, even Memphis area would be teeming with them, since north (Minn) & west (Co) & east (Tennessee/Georgia/Ohio) have quite a few established. It's not like we don't ride bikes around here!