Teaches in: Welding Technology
About Me
I started welding at 19 on a structural steel crew in rural Ohio, and I've spent the last 22 years working my way through every stage of the trade. From hand-grinding slag on a stick welding gig to running a full fabrication shop on commercial builds, I've done the work that most courses only talk about. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with teaching apprentices how to lay clean beads, and that led me to earn my AWS Certified Welding Educator credential and eventually build training programs for construction crews across the Midwest.
My teaching style is direct. I show you the technique, explain why it works, then you practice until it's right. No shortcuts. I focus on what actually matters on a job site: reading blueprints accurately, setting up your equipment properly, understanding the metal you're working with, and staying safe while you do it. Students who finish my courses can walk onto a construction site with real confidence because the skills they've built are the same ones I've used on thousands of welds in the field.
Expertise
Experience
Heartland Trades Academy
Lead Welding Instructor and Curriculum DeveloperIronbridge Structural Fabrication
Senior Fabricator and Shop ForemanLakeshore Steel Construction
Certified Welder, Structural DivisionPrairie Industrial Contractors
Welding Apprentice and JourneymanAchievements
- AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) since 2014, renewed in 2022
- AWS Certified Welding Educator (CWE), one of fewer than 600 active holders in the U.S.
- Published 12 articles in Practical Welding Today and The Fabricator on MIG and TIG techniques for construction applications
- Developed a 200-hour welding curriculum adopted by three community colleges in Ohio and Indiana
- Presented on weld defect prevention in structural steel at FABTECH 2019 and 2021
- Maintained a 97% first-attempt pass rate among students taking the AWS D1.1 structural welding qualification test
Teaching Impact
- 1 Course
- 4.72 Average Rating
