About Me
A story of hands-on expertise, teaching, and pursuing new passions.
Meet Jim
Hello, my name is Jim. I'm a native of the Midwest, an adopted son of the South, and California is now my home. I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in political science after several years of working in a variety of fields, including the construction business, offshore petroleum, agriculture, and real estate.
Welding Above Water, Leading Below
I started out as a construction pipe welder, and after a few years found that I enjoyed teaching this skill to others. After a few years as a welding professor, I turned my deep interests in the welding arts into a career in underwater welding. I worked on the research and development of underwater welding processes and procedures, and I trained deep-sea divers in the art of electric arc welding underwater. After the research, the training, and the testing, I would then become a team leader on the various deep-sea welding projects worldwide.
Trading Waves for Plows: Life on Land and Sea
The bottom of the ocean is a fascinating place, but the job is best left to younger sailors, and so, during the off-seasons, I began several small offshore construction-based companies that prospered and failed as the petroleum markets changed. These economic changes afforded me the opportunity to switch gears and become involved in what I call survival farming. That's right: corn, soybeans, hay, cows, chickens, goats, and an extremely large garden all serviced by diesel tractors, hybrid seed, oil-based chemicals, electric fences, blood, sweat, and swearing.
Navigating Life Through Technology
Yielding once again to macroeconomic changes, i.e., falling prices of my farm products, I entered academia in search of a recession-proof job. That is when I became addicted to the Internet and technology, and for the next several years, I immersed myself in the finer details of computer information networks. However, once again, the winds of global economics shifted.
Changing the World, One Byte at a Time
As I sought a meaningful career, yet one where I didn't have to change the world all at once. No, I learned long ago that I could not change the world each morning as I walked out the door; rather, I learned that it is much more realistic to try improving it one small byte at a time.
Realtor License
During my college days I was lucky enough to land a part time job managing a 65 unit apartment complex housing college students across the street from campus. That was a kinda/sorta fun experience, and I later formalized my interests in real estate by taking the classes and exams and earning a Realtor license.
Back to Welding and Teaching...again
After few years of college and real estate I leaned in on my experiences of working in heavy construction, offshore projects, fabrication, and technical trades, and found my way back in school teaching the welding arts to college students and now helping high school students learn the skills, discipline, safety habits, and confidence needed to begin their own path into welding and metal fabrication.
