STAFF
Patrick Pico
Patrick Pico is a second generation Sheet Metal Worker with over 30 years of experience in the Sheet Metal and HVAC Industry. Pico completed his sheet metal apprenticeship in Local 104 in San Jose, California in 1995. He represented Local 104 in four regional apprenticeship contests and two national apprenticeship contests as an apprentice. Pico began as a shop fabrication sheet metal worker working in industrial sheet metal, architectural sheet metal and general HVAC fitting fabrication. He moved into the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB) discipline of the HVAC industry, working as a field foreman. He has been active for over 25 years as an educator in Local 104 training centers, as well as, contributing nationally to the International Training Institute (ITI), and National Energy Management Institute(NEMI) as a certification judge, proctor, instructor and subject matter expert on multiple textbooks published by the ITI. Pico holds many industry certifications including Certified TABB Technician and Supervisor, multiple Fire Life Safety certifications, Mechanical Acceptance Testing, sound/vibration testing, Indoor Air Quality and is an OSHA certified instructor. Pico was inducted into the TABB Hall of Fame in 2018 for his contributions to the HVAC industry.
Raymond D Gucho
Raymond D. Gucho is a Local 104 apprenticeship graduate with 19 years as a member working in the areas of field layout and detailing, trade coordination, coordinated labor, field installation, fabrication, along with service and controls. Additional trade experience includes the following: HVAC foreman for local Mechanical Contractor; an EPA certification; OSHA 10; Bluebeam; BIM; and 3D laser scanning along with SMACNA classes. Gucho holds and Associate of Arts from Laney College in Oakland, California. When he is not working, he is most interested in custom or hot rod cars, automotive design, architecture, building science and woodworking. He also coaches youth football in his free time.
Brad De Young
Brad De Young is a Local 104 apprenticeship graduate with over 27 years of continued service in Local 104. Brad had the opportunity to detail and plan projects during his apprenticeship.
His experience has included Foreman, General Foreman, and Project Management roles. Including architectural metal, installation of kitchen systems, grease duct, fire life safety, clean rooms, labs, industrial, explosion containment, and HVAC systems.
These responsibilities have included overseeing jobs as a general contractor, including project scheduling of sub-contractors, project billing, and liaison to the owner’s representative, architect, and engineer, and project coordination. Projects have included, design assist, design build, and plan and spec jobs.
What drew Brad to join the Training program was enjoying working with apprentices and newer Journeypersons, seeing their successes, and helping build their skills to have successful careers with in the sheet metal Union.
Brad feels the 3 most important aspects of our trade is safety, communication, and continued training. He feels it is very important to maintain an attitude of willingness to always continuing to train and learn.
When not working Brad enjoys family, spending time in the outdoors, including exploring local hiking trails with his 3 children.
Henry Funcke
Henry Funcke with over 39 years of experience started as a Local 272 apprentice before merging into Local 104. Funcke has extensive experience in the following areas: shop layout; commercial and residential HVAC and architectural design (layout, fabrication and installation); sheet metal roofing systems; service work (residential and light commercial) and general foreman on HVAC and architectural jobs. He has spent over 31 years as a sheet metal instructor training apprentices. Funcke holds multiple NTF and ITI certificates for various training on industry requirements, along with a California Board of Regents Lifetime teaching credential. He has completed courses such as the OSHA 500 and instructor trainings through Canada College, U.C. Berkeley Extension, NTF (Ohio State) and ITI in New Mexico and Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, he currently holds the following certificates: Fire Life Safety level 1, Building Envelope certification, EPA 608 Universal Certification, Forklift Train the trainer certification and a SMACNA Supervisory Training certification. Funcke is an avid reader, guitar player (classical, jazz, and blues) and enjoys fishing/hunting with a crossbow.
David G. Fordahl
David G. Fordahl is a Local 104 Building Trades Sheet Metal graduate with 35 years of experience in the areas of sheet metal fabrication, field installation, estimating, air conditioning and refrigeration service and repair. He has held the following positions: sheet metal foreman, service department manager and apprenticeship instructor. Dave has completed trainings and certifications in the following areas: Certificate of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Laney College; EPA 608 Proctor; NATE Proctor; OSHA Instructor; ITI Instructor Training; CPR First Aid and MATT level 1. As a former United States Marine Corps Infantry Platoon sergeant, he has had the privilege of serving with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion 7th Marine Regiment and India Company 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment. In addition, he has served as an engineer on the United States’ Coast Guard Cutter Rush and volunteered for military service during Desert Storm with the 4th LAAM Battalion 4th Marine Air Wing.
Ben Seoud
Ben is a Local 104 Building Trades Service graduate with 10 years experience working in residential and commercial HVAC installation, service , startup/commissioning, sheet metal fabrication, sheet metal field installation, air balancing and water treatment systems. He earned several certifications including: OSHA 10, CPR, scissor lift, grade-all, fork lift, ITI Instructor 101, and ITI service instructor 1-4. He has been a part-time instructor for Local 104 training center since 2017.
Nate Vennarucci
Nate Vennarucci is a 10 year veteran with Local 104. In that time Nate has become proficient in shop fabrication, field installation of HVAC systems, HVAC system design, welding, detailing, field layout, and testing adjusting and balancing. Nate is experienced in the technological advancements of the HVAC industry including Revit, Autocad, Bluebeam, Trimble (total station), Navisworks, Evolve, and 3d scanning. As a lead foreman detailer, Nate detailed, coordinated, and ordered many high profile labs, stadiums, hospitals, conservatories, and housing projects throughout the bay area.
He has completed courses and certifications such as the OSHA 500, Fire Life Safety level 1 certification, Matt level 1,Hilti powder actuated tools, various aerial lifts and the Tabb certification. He has completed the ITI instructor development 101 and is a licensed Autodesk instructor.
Jaime Baquera
Jaime is a Local 104 graduate with 14 years’ experience working in shop fabrication, welding, coil line, various press breaks, power rollers, soldering, architectural fabrication and install, installation of various HVAC systems, field HVAC foreman, and layout. He earned and maintains several certifications, including: CPR, Hilti gun, scissor lift, grade-all, fork lift, OSHA Outreach Instructor C, Instructor 101, and plan grid.
In his spare time, he loves fishing, hunting, the outdoors, baseball, football and eating Italian food.
Dave Mills
David Mills has over 31 years of experience as a member of Local 104. His trade experience includes general foreman/foreman on HVAC and architectural jobs; commercial and residential HVAC and architectural installation (shop layout, fabrication); sheet metal roofing systems and service/start-up (residential and light commercial). Mills has spent 17 years as a sheet metal apprenticeship instructor. He has completed courses and certification such as the OSHA 500, Fire Life Safety level 1 certification, ITI certificates and the EPA 608 Universal Certification.
Ben Alva
Ben is a graduate of Local 104 with 10 years of experience and has been an instructor since 2019. Prior to instructing he was a foreman on commercial and light commercial jobs in the Bay Area. During his career he has become proficient in shop layout and fabrication, field installation of HVAC systems, HVAC system design, layout, field detailing, Bluebeam, Plangrid, Procore, welding, and soldering.
Since becoming an instructor Ben has earned several certifications, including: CPR and First Aid, OSHA 500 Outreach Instructor, Instructor 101, MATT level 1 Technician, Duct Leakage Testing.
In his off time Ben enjoys spending time with his family, going to outdoor recreation areas, and gold/gem hunting in the El Dorado foothills.
Seth Fain
Seth Fain has been working 18 years in the Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 union. He became an apprentice in 2004 before becoming a journeyman in 2009. Fain spent 13 years working for Monterey Mechanical and then two years with FW Spencer. FW Spencer is a OSHPOD job performed with all sheet metal welding and fabrication from basement to roof. Jobs included all shaft work to backup generator, to roof top duct supports including all stainless steel lab and kitchen exhaust systems. In addition, he also worked a year and a half with Therma Mechanical. Fain has been instructing for SMW104 JATC for two years. He holds the following welding certificates: GMAW, FCAW, GTAW and SMAW. Fain has completed ITI instructor training 101, ITI welding fundamentals and ITI OSHA 510B. Fain has mostly specialized in industrial sheet metal for the first part of his trade welding and fabrication, heavy gauge, and school layout. Fain’s hobbies are spending time with family, camping, off-roading and motorcycles, both dirt and street.
Nick Keizer
Nick Keizer is a fourth generation Sheet Metal Worker with over 16 years of experience in Local 104. His experience includes 10 years as a general foreman in the San Francisco Bay Area, running large crews as Marina Mechanical’s lead ASM specialist. Nick spent years shaping their ASM and HVAC departments, implementing new technology to improve productivity and standard practices. In 2020, Nick became a full-time apprenticeship instructor, and has assisted in the development of new state-of-the-art curriculum. Nick holds certifications in OSHA 500, CPR, Building Envelope Technician, as well as many others. He is proficient in Bluebeam, Plan Grid, BIM 360, and Microsoft Office.
Chris Coatsworth
Chris Coatsworth is a Local 104 apprenticeship graduate with over 18 years of experience in the field of testing, adjusting, and balancing of various types of projects and systems. He has completed TAB, service, installation experience working in clean rooms, labs, pharmaceutical labs, office spaces, large cafeterias and industrial buildings. Coatsworth has been a TAB foreman/general foreman since 2010. In addition, he has been a part-time instructor for a Local 104 training center since 2008. He currently holds the following certifications: TABB Technician since 2004; TABB Supervisor since 2008; TABB Fire Life Safety Level 1 since 2009; TABB Fire Life Safety Levels 1 & 2; and EPA Universal Certification for handling and recovery of refrigerants. Coatsworth also placed 3rd in the National TAB Apprentice competition in 2006. He enjoys raising his four year old daughter, in addition to camping, traveling, attending sporting events and catching a new film at the movie theater.
Edward Root
With over 26 years as a union sheet metal worker, Edward Root began his sheet metal career April 4, 1992 as a truck driver for Airco Mechanical Inc. In 1993, Root started his five year apprenticeship training in Local 104 District 2. Root has been a field foreman, shop foreman, and a PM sheet metal worker. For the last four years, he has been a Local 104 District 1 Instructor. He has completed OSHA certifications, PM classes, Cam Duct training along with CAD and ITI trainings (101,201,301). When he is not working you can find Root traveling to a new destination or camping outdoors.
Richard Graham
Richard Graham is a Local 104 apprenticeship graduate with 25 years as a member working in the testing, adjusting and balancing field. Graham is a TABB certified and MATT technician, as well as a TAB Supervisor.
He enjoys camping, paddle boarding and mountain biking in his spare time.
Robbie Fernandez
Robbie is a 14 year veteran within Local 104. In that time Robbie has become proficient with shop fabrication, welding, soldering, various shop tools, layout and sketching. Most recently Robbie was heavily involved in the Architectural design and fabrication, as well as installation of various HVAC designs.
Robbie holds certifications in CPR, Hilti Powder actuated, several types of lifts and forklifts. He is also an Osha 500 Outreach Instructor and has completed ITI Instructor Development 101 training.
When not working Robbie enjoys playing ball with his kids, coaching, building things and walking his pitty.