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
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
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
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 since 2019. 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 enjoys working on her house, doing puzzles, and spending time with her son.
Rachael Wright
Office Assistant
rachael@sheetmetalinstitute.org
Ben Wood
Training Coordinator
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 the 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 was hired on as an instructor at Sheet Metal Institute. In January 2022, he was promoted to Training Coordinator. In his new role, Ben wears many hats. His overall responsibility is to work with the staff to keep things running smoothly and provide the best apprenticeship education possible for the contractors and SMART Local 16. Ben works with the instructor’s updating curriculum. This includes incorporating new technologies into the training and managing the needs of the apprentices for certifications and upgraded classes. A big part of Ben’s job includes outreach. He represents SMI at career fairs and trade awareness events throughout the region. As an on-staff Certified Welding Instructor, Ben manages the welding department to maintain SMI’s accredited testing facilities.
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
Training Coordinator
ben@sheetmetalinstitute.org
Instructors
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.
Paul Culp
Full-Time Instructor
paul@sheetmetalinstitute.org
Will Thompson
Full-time Instructor
will@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
Eric Clayton
Full-Time Instructor
eric@sheetmetalinstitute.org
Allan Cassaro
Full-time Instructor
allan@sheetmetalinstitute.org
Allan started working with metal when he and his dad worked on old Fords in their garage. In 11th and 12th grade, Allan took a welding class at his high school in San Leandro CA. After graduating from high school in 1983, he started a career in welding at a production welding shop. He began his Sheet Metal apprenticeship in 1986, working in a commercial kitchen equipment shop while going to school. In 1991 he received his journeyman card.
After working at various industrial shops in Oakland, CA, Allan landed a job in 1995 with Therma Inc in San Jose, CA. While at Thelma, he built many special projects, honing his skills until 2006. That same year, he and his wife sold their home in Hayward, CA and moved to Oregon City, OR. He received a position in Portland working in the computer layout office for Handset Stainless. Due to the economic slowdown in 2008, Allan was let go from his job. He decided to “go back to his roots” taking a position with Steve’s Auto Restorations in Portland building hot rods. Although the pay was less, Allan experienced great job satisfaction. It didn’t take him long before he was back in the Sheet Metal trade working for Streimer Sheetmetal in Portland. After spending nearly five years at Streimer and working for various other shops, Allan became a training instructor at the Sheet Metal Institute in December 2021.
Allan is a father of five boys and three girls and husband to a wonderful wife, Christie. He loves dirt bike riding, fishing, music, food and movies.
Allan Cassaro
Full-time Instructor
allan@sheetmetalinstitute.org
Bob Schaefer
Part-Time Instructor
bob@sheetmetalinstitute.org