Dr. Khattab has 30+ years of experience as a teacher, researcher, and consultant in construction management and higher education.
He served as a professor and head of Colorado State University’s Construction Management Department (CM) for 12 years. At CSU, Dr. Khattab worked with administration, faculty, staff, students, and industry partners to build a “Program of Excellence:” a 10-year strategic plan to assure quality education for Construction Management students.
Dr. Khattab is also a past president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international educational organization advances construction education for 115 schools nationwide. He has served as a member of the American Council of Construction Education (ACCE) Board of Trustees, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) boards of trustees, and the National Roofing Contractors Alliance (NRCA) Construction Management Schools Initiatives committee
Dr. Khattab has successfully led several international initiatives sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Education for Employment Foundation (EEF). The Fulbright Commission named Dr. Khattab a Fulbright Specialist for his work to improve employment opportunities in the Middle East through innovations in higher education. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Nebraska.
Heather Sherwood is the Vice President for WSCC. In her current role, she supports the WSCC President in establishing and maintaining high program standards. She is responsible for course development under the Specialty Contractor Institute to both support the WSCC Faculty in continuing educational needs and meet the changing demands of the industry. Heather has extensive experience administering Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship programs, and is passionate about partnering with the Higher Education community to promote Registered Apprenticeship education throughout all occupational sectors.
Bio coming soon.
Andrew Gilliland is an experienced Training Director with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. Andrew is skilled in nonprofit organizations, negotiation, budgeting, HVAC, and value engineering. He has a Bachelor’s degree focused in education from NLC.
Sarah Harkssen has been a plumbing foreman for a few years, and is now excited to take on her new role as the Plumbing Campus Lead at WSCC. She holds a master plumbing license and various certifications. During her apprenticeship, she won numerous awards, placed second in the UA district 5 apprenticeship competition, and helped form and is an officer of the women's committee with other women from UA Locals 3 and 208. Since graduating from the apprenticeship, she has been enjoying teaching and leading not only within her role as a foreman, but also by being a math instructor at her union. Sarah recently obtained an Associate of Occupational Studies from WSCC, and is thrilled to now be able to help others in her union accomplish this as well. In her spare time, she likes to paint, fence, play video games, and spend time with her cat. She had a previous career in animal medicine, but became a plumber because she loves problem solving and building things she can be proud of.
Beto is a commercial and residential plumber with over 9 years of hands-on experience. He has been a member of UA Local 58 since 2008. He achieved his plumbing journeyman licensure in 2011. His noteworthy projects include power utility infrastructure for Vestas, new construction and expansion for multiple healthcare facilities of Parkview Medical Center, and original construction of Black Hills Power Plant serving all of Pueblo County.
Beto has six years as a Training Director of the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee, overseeing 15 instructors and 100 apprentices concurrently and 4 years as an Instructor of Plumbing and Medical Gas curriculum. He holds Training Director Certification through the International Pipe Trades Association.
Dan has 23 years in the plumbing and pipefitting trades. He has worked on many projects, from Alaska to Minnesota, working on everything from military installations to hospitals, breweries to refineries.
Since completing his apprenticeship in 2002 Dan steadily made his way up the ladder, from job steward to foreman, from general foreman to superintendent. His greatest accomplishment is his family and second is his union family. Dan served as Vice President of Local 192 for four years, selected by his peers to attend the UA National Convention as a delegate, as well as attending two UA Instructor training programs, receiving his EPRI Certified Rigging Instructor certificate as well as NCCCO Signal Person Instructor card. He is currently the Training Director at Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 192 in Cheyenne Wyoming.
A Master Plumber since 2016, Johnnie has 19+ years of experience plumbing in commercial and residential construction. His noteworthy projects include expansion construction projects at Denver International Airport, a major addition at the Colorado Convention Center, and original construction of The Pepsi Center, The Children’s Hospital, Empower Field at Mile High (Broncos Stadium), and Colorado Ocean Journey.
Johnnie is a UA-Certified Training Coordinator, an ASSE Water Quality Certified Instructor, a Medical Gas Systems Certified Instructor. He also maintains current ASSE Backflow and OSHA 30 certifications. He has 18 years as a trainer in both classroom and field settings, enhancing the skills of apprentices and journeyman plumbers in compliance to UA standards. As a Denver Plumbers JATC Training Director for 4 years, Johnnie manages the efforts of 24 instructors in delivering 36+ training courses to over 125 Denver area apprentices each year to assure their future success as journeymen plumbers.
Eric has 25 years in the pipefitting trade, with major new construction projects for Amgen Pharmaceuticals, Hewlett-Packard, Coors Brewery, The Children’s Hospital, and Lockheed Martin.
Since completing his apprenticeship in 2003, Eric has helped members of Local 208 to learn new methods and technology. He was elected by the UA Local 208 membership to serve on the Examining Board, Executive Board, and as a National Convention Delegate twice. He has 17 years as a trainer of apprentices, teaching orbital welding, safety, and rigging among other topics. He became Assistant Training Director in 2016 and Training Director in 2019, overseeing up to 50 instructors in quality delivery of training for 240+ apprentice pipefitters and hundreds of journeymen pipefitters each year. Selected to teach at the UA Instructor Training Program in Ann Arbor MI. Teaching peers the duties and responsibilities of being a Training Director or Coordinator since 2021. Was appointed to the American Council for Construction Education Construction Workforce Education Committee in 2022, and Training Committee for Construction Workforce Education in 2023.
Eric holds 16 credentials including EPRI Certified Industrial Rigging Instructor, NCCCO Certified Signalperson Instructor, OSHA Authorized Construction Outreach Trainer, and OSHA Authorized Disaster Site Worker Trainer. He is a graduate of The UA Instructor Training Program and the UA Training Coordinator Program. Eric Completed his Associates in Applied Sciences for Industrial Teaching in May of 2021.
Joe has over 16 years of successful experience as a Pipefitter, providing quick response for critical retrofit construction projects for Denver Public and Douglas County schools, Rose Medical Center, and Coors Brewing.
Joe has 4 years of direct experience providing training for apprentice and journeyman pipefitters, and recently joined the JATC as an Assistant Training Coordinator, overseeing teams of up to 46 instructors in quality delivery of 70 courses for 250+ apprentice pipefitters and continuing education for hundreds of journeymen pipefitters each year. He completed his work toward UA Coordinator Training Certification in August 2022 as well as obtaining an associate degree in industrial training at the same time. In August of 2023, Joe completed the UA Instructor Training program in Ann Arbor, MI.
As an elected member of the Local 208 Executive Board, he reviewed applications for provisional journeyman licensure. He was also elected to the Local 208 Home Association, participating in preventative maintenance and repair for the local’s 40,000 sq. ft. facility. In addition to City & County of Denver Journeyman Pipefitter licensure, he holds EPRI Industrial Rigging Certification.
Cliff Rivard has been in the sheet metal industry for over ten years and has experience in the various facets of the trade. He earned his teaching certificate from EGCC and an Associate of Occupational Studies degree from WSCC, both of which have enhanced his instruction of first year math at the Denver campus. He is elated to take on the role of Sheet Metal Campus Lead for the WSCC.
Daniel has 10 years of experience as a Plumber & Pipefitter. His noteworthy projects include the SCAH renovation for Tri-State Generation & Transmission and Xcel Energy’s Rocky Mountain Energy Center, as well new construction of Community Hospital in Grand Junction and Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, and St. Jude Medical Center in Jackson Hole, WY.
Daniel has served as an instructor with JATC since 2014 and as Training Coordinator since 2016, overseeing a staff of 8 instructors in offering 30+ apprentice and journeymen level courses to 60 members each year. As President of Local 145 since 2015, he has worked daily to improve training and work opportunities for a total active membership of 180. He was recently selected to serve on Mesa County Workforce Development Board.
Daniel holds a Master Plumbing license, current Foreman and Weld Inspector certifications, and 4 previous welding certifications. His teaching certifications include UA CPR & First Aid Instructor, CPWR OSHA 30-hour Instructor, and Multicraft Core Curriculum (MC3) Instructor.
Brian Summers started his Sheetmetal Apprenticeship in June 1982 in Colorado Springs. In 1983, Brian Competed in a 7 state Regional Apprenticeship Contest and placed third. He also competed at the state level and placed first, 2 seconds, and a third during his four-year Apprenticeship. Brian has worked for various Sheetmetal Contractors throughout his career. His area of expertise in the field is hospital remodels and has experience in shop fabrication as well; including old school manual lay out techniques in pattern development. Brian started teaching Apprenticeship classes for nighttime training in Colorado Springs in 1998 and became a full-time instructor in Denver in 2011. He moved to Grand Junction in 2014 to run the school there. In 2017 the Apprenticeship Fund bought a building in Grand Junction. Brian oversaw the transition and remodel of the building to make it our new home. His current duties include recruiting applicants, running the day-to-day functions of the school, curriculum development, teaching classes, providing manpower to employers, and maintenance and repairs to the facility.
The vision of WSCC is to provide the opportunity for each member of our community to build and sustain an exceptional career while making a positive difference in our community and our country.