Charissa’s journey into the trades began after spending 13 years as a Store Manager at Men’s Wearhouse. Having always enjoyed working with her hands, she decided to pursue a new path in the Sheet Metal Industry after encouragement from her brother. She was indentured in October of 2013, and turned out as a journeyperson in December of 2018.

Her career has been deeply rooted in architectural sheet metal, with experience as a Shop Architectural Panel Foreperson at General Sheet Metal and later as an Architectural Shop Foreperson at Arctic Sheet Metal, where she helped establish a new department for their Architectural division. She has extensive experience in AutoCAD, CNC router operations, and shop fabrication management.

Charissa first joined the Sheet Metal Institute as a Part-Time CPR Instructor in May 2023 and transitioned into a Full-Time Instructor role in November 2024. Her passion for teaching stems from her love of learning and sharing knowledge with others.

Certifications: OSHA 30, Fire Life Safety Level 1 Technician, AWS D9.1, First Aid/CPR

Outside of work, Charissa enjoys pencil drawing, riding motorcycles, kayaking, hiking, camping, and home renovation projects.