Greetings and thanks for visiting my faculty page at the SRJC.  Even if you are not seeking a career in welding, I hope that you consider attending a welding class and trying something new.  Have you considered exploring how much fun it is to heat metal to 10,000 degrees and then manipulating that molten puddle to join two pieces of metal?  In its simplest form, that is welding!  Now take that basic skill, add some imagination, and metal can be your canvas to create so many things: from buildings and bridges, to beer and wine tanks, to metal artwork, your imagination is the only limitation.  

A little about me:  I was born in Santa Rosa and attended Roseland and San Miguel Elementary Schools, Comstock Junior High School, and Piner High School.  I’m married to the love of my life and we have two beautiful daughters.  My hobbies include playing lots of soccer (indoor and outdoor), metalworking, woodworking, and landscaping my house.  I love to eat almost any type of food, especially Mexican and Italian food. 

After high school, I attended the Santa Rosa Junior College (The JC) taking general education classes including attending some welding classes.  Eager to get to work, I was hired as a shop helper in a welding shop (the Pub Brewing Co) that made beer tanks.  I started welding a little and that was it, I was hooked.  Each day I could not wait to get back to the welding shop to see what I could create with flat bar, coiled sheet, tube, pipe, and a blue print.  Stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum, copper, brass, thick, thin, it did not matter to me.  I excelled in the welding trade and had the opportunity to travel the country and overseas installing beer tanks that I helped fabricate.  I was fortunate to become a welding trainer, quality control manager, and later the shop foreman and general manager of a welding shop that contained approximately 20 welding fabricators. 

After four years at my first welding job, I helped launch a partnership with the best man at my wedding, Andy, along with a former client.  We formed Liquid Assets Systems.  For the next four incredible years (the best work years of my life), we built the company from zero to almost 50 employees.  I managed/operated a 30,000 sq. foot shop on a few acres and we were considered one of the top beer tank manufacturers in the country.  Although I wore many hats as an owner, one of my primary responsibilities was the hiring and training of welders for the fabrication/welding shop.  During those years we fabricated thousands of beer tanks and installed them in numerous countries around the world.  The welding shop maintained a staff of certified welders along with a National Board “U” Stamp certification required for fabricating pressure vessels in certain cities.  With the ever growing wine trade, we added wine tank fabrication to our product line as well as other miscellaneous pieces of equipment used in the dairy and pharmaceutical industry. 

After four years with Liquid Assets, I struck out on my own and formed another welding and fabrication company, IDIAZ Services.  I tested for and earned my California Contractor’s Welding License, C-60, and proceeded to service the wine industry.  If there was something made with metal in a winery, I was there for my clients ready to fabricate and install it.  Because of my varied experience, many clients looked to me for ideas and design for their winery.  We were the first to design and fabricate the Tankito 300®.  We also branched out to equipment rigging and installation, miscellaneous structural steel, and custom railing using old-school blacksmithing techniques.  After seven years of serving my clients with professionalism and quality work, I decided to change it up and move on to my next career.  I spent the next 17 years working for the City of Santa Rosa and recently retired.  I'm now pondering the next chapter of my life as I continue to teach welding at the JC.

So that’s a little about me and my career in the welding trade.  I love the art of welding and fabrication.  Having trained many people with no prior welding experience to working and learning along side other skilled journeymen welders, some of whom own local welding companies today, I can say without any doubt that sharing my experience with others has given me great satisfaction and pride to be part of the welding trade. 

I welcome your visit to my biography page and hope that you consider taking a welding class at the JC!