Russ Miller learned as he worked — his experience was all gained from on-the-job training. After about 10 years at that business, a large, 60-plus-person commercial company, he switched jobs to a smaller place that ultimately ended up getting bought out to become AirComfort Heating & Cooling, serving Columbus and Fremont, Nebraska.
Cecil Williams got his first job in heating and air conditioning 13 years ago, while he was still a high school student attending Kiamichi Technology Centers in southeastern Oklahoma.
When Clay Kennard launched his career in the trades, he didn’t start as a technician. Kennard went to school for accounting, and he worked as an accountant at a mechanical contractor, back in ’79. Then he realized that life behind the desk just wasn’t for him — so he decided to switch over and become a service tech.
Jacobs got his HVAC certification from Offday Careers, then went to Delaware County Community College for his degree in applied science/HVAC. He graduated when he was 27, worked at a sheet metal shop in New Jersey, then got hired at DiFilippo’s Service Co. in Paoli, Pennsylvania, starting as an installation tech and working his way up.
Why He’s Tech of the Month: Fresh out of high school, Clint Powers was looking for a career. He knew he wanted to work with his hands rather than in an office environment, so he looked up nearby trade schools.