Merkel is the director of HVAC Service Training for the International Training Institute (iTi) of Rochester, N.Y., which is the training arm of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA) as well as the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Association (SMACNA).
As Merkel said, "My duties are somewhat different than most HVACR instructors who are employed by a vocational trade school." His classroom consists of 160 Joint Apprentice Training Committees (JATC) around the country. Merkel is a different kind of instructor, indeed.