Instructor Bios

  • Matt Myers

    “I’m a fourth-generation plumber. I apprenticed in 1977, became a journeyman in 1984, a master in 1988, and an Arkansas State Inspector in 2000. I joined the trade at an early age because of my father’s plumbing business. I most enjoy the ability to help people in need and the opportunity to share a career’s worth of knowledge.”

  • Jacob Monroe

    “I am an eight-year journeyman plumber. Specifically, I’ve plumbed schools, churches, restaurants, and office buildings. I also have my backflow prevention testers license. I come from a family of plumbers. My uncle was the head plumber of a local company for more than ten years. I love this trade in that I’m able to use my hands every day. This trade is not only appealing because of the physical aspects, but also the mental one.”

  • David Hall

    “I’ve been in the plumbing field for fifty years. I am a master plumber with my backflow prevention testers license and repair tech license. I got into the trade because of my family, and my favorite aspect of plumbing is teaching the trade to the next generation of plumbers.”

  • Herbert Ogles

    “I have completed my licensure requirements as a master plumber and a medical gas system installer. I also have experience working as a plumber since 1993 and am a City Inspector for Jonesboro. I have done multiple repairs in homes, small businesses, large structures such as hotels and factories and completed repair work for Arkansas State University at the Jonesboro campus. I enjoy helping people and have volunteered plumbing services as a contribution to my community for families in need.”

  • Chase West

    “I am a master plumber who has worked in the field for eight years. I started working for my father, who has a plumbing company. While working there, I’ve designed plumbing systems and installed drainage, gas, and water distributions. I love working on commercial remodels and troubleshooting complex service issues.”

  • Josh Manley

    “I am a master plumber who has been plumbing since 2012. After graduating high school, I received a phone call from my current employer asking if I would be interested in trying plumbing, and I’ve been in the trade ever since. I like solving complex problems and helping customers in desperate situations.”

  • Trevor Harris

    “I am a master plumber with a boiler operator EPA certification who has been in the field for fifteen years. I got into the profession by working with family. I love teaching and working with copper.”

  • Jason Dollars

    I became a Master Plumber in 2022 after starting my plumbing career doing lawn irrigation about 18 years ago. In 2017, I became an apprentice plumber for a company in Paragould. By 2021 I had received my credentials as a Journeyman plumber through the Jonesboro Area Plumbing Association school. I am also a certified backflow prevention tester and repair technician. My instructor career started as a substitute which has now evolved into a full-time position. Being an instructor has helped me to open up more and realize people learn and understand through all kinds of different approaches.

  • Heath Harris

    “I’m from the Jonesboro area and an alumnus of the Jonesboro Area Plumbing Association school. I received my master’s plumbing license in 2002. I have over 25 years of plumbing experience and specialize in service/repair work. I was self-employed and ran a successful plumbing business for over 20 years and am now employed by a local plumbing company since 2016. I began as an instructor at JAPA in 2003 before becoming the chairman of JAPA in 2013.”