Sheet Metal Institute

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Staff

Meet Our Staff

 

Our full-time staff has nearly 250 years of sheet metal experience and over 40 years of teaching experience. We come from different parts of the industry, offering diverse knowledge and experience in the sheet metal trade. The sheet metal industry needs highly skilled and motivated workers. Through courses offered at our training center, you will get the high quality education and training designed to give you a rewarding career.

Administrators

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Rob Postma

Executive Administer of Training
rob@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Since 1990, Rob has been working with metal.  From his high school machine shop and working as a machinist to brazing and TIG welding bicycle frames, Rob had a passion for fabricating metal. It wasn’t until Rob discovered sheet metal that knew he had found his career.

In 2002, Rob entered the sheet metal trade as a production helper.  He worked for 13 years at Thompson Metal Fab, in Vancouver, Washington, where he eventually became a building trades journeyman. In 2015, Rob worked for Alliant Systems for 4 years as a foreman.

In April of 2019, Rob became an instructor at the Sheet Metal Institute.  Nine months later, Rob became the SMI Executive Administer of Training.

Outside of work, Rob enjoys sailing, travel, and skiing.

 

Rob Postma

Executive Administrator of Training rob@sheetmetalinstitute.org

John Tillotson

Coordinator
john@sheetmetalinstitute.org

John attended Montana State University in Bozeman from 1993-1995, where he was the sports editor for the school paper. Deciding he didn’t want to be a sportswriter for the rest of his life, he dropped out of college and started working in construction. John was working for a plumbing contractor in 1997 when he heard about the sheet metal apprenticeship program. He signed up the next day and reported to a local shop the following day. During his apprenticeship, he worked in the shop and field doing residential, light commercial, commercial, and industrial (hi-tech) sheet metal. He did well academically in his apprenticeship and competed in various local and regional contests. In 2004, John packed up everything in his Tigard apartment and moved back to the Eugene area. Shortly thereafter, accepted a full-time teaching position for the Sheet Metal Institute. His favorite facets of the trade include tig welding and computer drafting.

Certifications/Education: Bachelor of Arts National Labor College; Certified Welding Inspector American Welding Society; First Aid / CPR Instructor Health and Safety Institute

One of John’s favorite quotes is, “Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else,” which always applies to his life, except on powder days.

John Tillotson

Coordinator john@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Rachael Wright

Office Assistant
rachael@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Rachael’s career includes 15 years in management and customer service, with a focus on operational management, training, and development.  Throughout her career, she has mentored many of her employees.  The biggest struggle she saw when mentoring young people was figuring out what they were going to do when they finished high school.   When she saw her partner enter a career in the trades and how it changed their lives for the better, Rachael knew she wanted to help others find the same success.  

 

Rachael has been working at the Sheet Metal Institute for one year.  Her past employers include the Oregon Clinic and Tommy Hilfiger. 

 

Rachael is passionate about outreach, educating people about the apprenticeship program, and the trades in general.  She enjoys getting to know people, helping them to develop and hone skills, and watch them grow and succeed.

 

Outside of work, Rachael and her family enjoy camping, fishing, and overlanding.   Rachael also enjoys refinishing and building things. 

 

Rachael Wright

Office Assistant
rachael@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Connie DelRossi​

Office Manager
connie@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Connie began working for the Sheet Metal Institute in September of 1997.   She came to SMI with no prior knowledge of the sheet metal trade, apprenticeships or how the union operated.  Throughout the years she has been with SMI, she has gained a broad knowledge of the apprenticeship program and sheet metal trade.  She has tremendous respect for the industry and how dedicated the members are to mastering their craft.   She takes great pride in playing a role assisting with the success of the members, helping to achieve their career goals.   As the office manager, Connie wears many hats.  She enjoys interacting with the variety of people who are an integral part of the industry including applicants, members, government entities, and contractors.

Connie has one son.  She loves football and has been a diehard Raiders fan since 1984.

Connie DelRossi

Office Manager
connie@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Instructors

Jim Ramos

Full-Time Instructor
jim@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Jim attended San Jose State University in California from 1982 -1984 as an Administration of Justice major. He took a summer job 1984 as a sheet metal pre-apprentice at Local 309, which later became Local 104. He really enjoyed working with sheet metal and decided to stay in the apprenticeship until he turned out in 1989. During his apprenticeship, he worked in the shop and in the field for various companies including residential, light commercial, and heavy industrial sheet metal. He did well academically in his apprenticeship and competed in various local, regional and national contests. In the early 1990’s, Jim moved to the Portland area and started working in heavy shops, HVAC field installation, and then architectural metal. He found his favorite to be architectural metal field installation. Jim states, “The architect’s imagination to design buildings clad with metal becomes our artwork and craftsmanship to be seen by generations to come.”

Jim started teaching at the Sheet Metal Institute in 2013, specializing in teaching architectural metal classes, and industrial HVAC classes.

Certifications/Education: ASME Rigging Trainer; Crosby Communication Systems ; ITI Industrial I; ITI Welding Instructor Fundamentals; ITI Grinding and Polishing; ITI Instructor Development 101/201/301/401; ITI TAB Learners and Learning; ITI Fire Life Safety Level 1 and Level 2 Instructor; ITI Architectural Instructor Training; ITI Architectural Metal Wall Panel 101; First Aid/CPR Instructor; SMART Dynamic Leadership Training

In his spare time, Jim enjoys working on projects around the house and spending time in the woods.

Jim Ramos

Full-Time Instructor
jim@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Todd Stevens

Full-Time Instructor
todd@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Todd spent two years at Washington State University as a music major. He moved to Portland in 1985 to play music locally.  He learned the JATC was accepting applications.  He joined the sheet metal trade in 1995 and started his apprenticeship. 

His past employers include Markman, PMC, Alliant, Temp Control, and Apollo where he worked HVAC and industrial mostly in the shop.

Todd started teaching at the Sheet Metal Institute in August 2015.  He enjoys working with sheet metal because he believes with the skills you learn, you can build anything.

Certifications:  CWI Weld Supervisor; Fire Life Safety, First Aid and TABB

Todd enjoys golf, motorcycles, skimboarding, and snowboarding.

Todd Stevens

Full-Time Instructor
todd@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Brandon York

Full-Time Instructor
brandon@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Brandon has been in the field of sheet metal for 13 years.  He started his career working non-union in the field working in architectural sheet metal.   Several years into his career, he discovered the union and decided to join.  Instead of just buying his card, he joined the apprenticeship program so he could learn all the other aspects of the sheet metal industry.  He worked for General Sheet metal in their shop

running equipment, doing layout, fabrication, welding and fabricating ACM panels.  Brandon eventually moved into the office to do CAD work and CNC programming.  Brandon took a strong interest in teaching sheet metal when he competed and won first place during a regional apprenticeship competition hosted by the Sheet Metal Institute.  He has been an instructor at SMI since 2019.   

Certification/Education: Computer Networking Degree; OSHA 30; Fire Life Safety Level 1 Technician; AWS D9.1 303-9G/G; First Aid / CPR

Outside of work, Brandon enjoys overlanding, hiking, riding motorcycles and quads with his wife and two sons. 

 

Brandon York

Full-Time Instructor
brandon@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Paul Culp

Full-Time Instructor
paul@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Paul has 34 years of experience in metal fabrication, 25 years as a union journeyman.
He worked for his father as a race car fabricator and was influenced by his father to enter the sheet metal trade.

Paul has been an instructor at the Sheet Metal Institute since January 2020. He has specialized in specialty metal fabrication including custom stainless steel, copper, and brass. Paul considers architectural metal as a close second. Paul is proud of the jobs he has been involved with throughout the Eugene/Springfield, Oregon areas. He has spent time during his career doing all sizes of HVAC work, industrial work, tool hookup/process pipe welding.

Paul’s previous employers include General Sheet Metal, FM Sheet Metal, Valley Stainless, Harvey & Price, and McKinstry. He has had numerous welding certifications throughout his career. From 2015-2017 he attended manufacturing technologies and business programs at Lane Community College in Eugene.

Paul is married and has five children. In his spare time, he enjoys dirt track racing. He and his wife own a company that builds and sells race car fuel cells in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

 

Paul Culp

Full-Time Instructor
paul@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Bob Schaefer

Part-Time Instructor
bob@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Bob began his apprenticeship 1978 and completed it in 1982. He received journeyman status in 1982. Most of his experience has been in the HVAC industry as well as some architectural and industrial work. Bob worked for Streimer Sheet Metal Works his entire career spending 14 years as a shop foreman. He is now retired. He has been involved in teaching in the apprenticeship program at the Sheet Metal Institute since the mid 1990’s. Bob began by teaching apprentices when the program was a night school. When the program changed to a day school six days a week, Bob taught apprentices on Saturdays. He currently instructs Thursday nights for the study hall class, reviewing what apprentices have learned that week and helping them prepare for the following week.

Bob takes a personal interest in helping apprentices learn and grasp different concepts presented to them through the apprenticeship program. Bob is always willing to help out around the training center when something needs repair.

 
 

Bob Schaefer

Part-Time Instructor
bob@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Rick Doty, Jr.​

Full-Time Instructor
richardd@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Rick has been in the sheet metal trade for 26 years, joining the Local Union 16 apprenticeship program in August 1994. Rick started in the trade because he wasn’t sure if he wanted to spend the time and money necessary to attend college. Family friends, who owned a union sheet metal shop, introduced him to the career possibilities in sheet metal. The company was willing to train him as an apprentice.

Throughout his career, Rick has worked for several Local 16 shops including Empire Sheet Metal, General Sheet Metal, Vancouver Roofing and Sheet Metal, McKinstry and Artic Sheet. Over the years, Rick dreamed of teaching at the Sheet Metal Institute. In December of 2019, his dream came true.

Outside of work, Rick likes to fish, hunt and travel with his wife.

 

Rick Doty, Jr.

Full-Time Instructor
richardd@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Nick Margherio

Full-Time Instructor
nick@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Nick has been in the sheet metal trade for 11 years. He started in the trade because he was looking for a career. When he was working as a RV technician and attending engineering school, a friend of his told him about the union and the apprenticeship. He believed the skills he learned as an RV technician and instruction he received in engineering school could lead to a rewarding career in the sheet metal industry. Nick joined the sheet metal apprentice program in Springfield in 2010. In 2012, he transferred to the sheet metal service technician program and attended school at the Local 66 in Everette, Washington.

Nick started working as an instructor at the Sheet Metal Institute in 2019. He specializes in the HVAC/R industry and is most fond of working on VRF systems and Chillers.

Certifications/Education include: Associates of Applied Science Degree Mount Hood Community College: Service Journeyman Card; EPA 608 Universal Certified; Diakin Level 2 Technician Factory Certified; Limited Energy Technician Class B License Holder; Boiler Class One License Holder; Mitsubishi City Multi Factory Trained; Liebert DS/VS iCOM Controls and Networking Certified; CPR/First Aid Trained; OSHA 30; Rigging and Signaling; Fire Smoke Damper Technician; Aerial Platform Trained

Outside of work, Nick enjoys the outdoors, hunting, camping, and off-road sports.

Nick Margherio

Full-Time Instructor
nick@sheetmetalinstitute.org

Ben Wood

Full-Time Instructor
ben@sheetmetalinstitute.org

 

Ben has been in the sheet metal trade for 25 years with metal fabrication as his primary background.   From ornate architectural features to automated machine guarding, Ben has designed and fabricated a wide variety of things.Ben was in the apprenticeship program at Sheet Metal Institute Local 16 from 1995-2000.  He worked at Schmeer Sheet Metal during his apprenticeship.  His sheet metal career began at Arctic Sheet Metal where he did shop work and high tech/ industrial HVAC.  Ben has also worked for Streimer Sheet Metal at Intel and as a millwright for Georgia Pacific. 

In 2017, Ben became an instructor at the Sheet Metal Institute.  His favorite part about working at the SMI is adding value to the trade

Certification:  CWI

Outside of work, Ben’s interests include the ministry and volunteering for non-profit work, hiking, kayaking/paddleboarding, and running with the family dog, Juneau.

Ben Wood

Full-Time Instructor
ben@sheetmetalinstitute.org