Gregg Helmich has spent years building connections with tradespeople and companies around the world, using them to strengthen the building trades program he teaches at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC).
During high school, Gregg took every shop class that he could. He loved the work, and his teachers made lasting impressions. “The impact they had on me was exponential, planting seeds of knowledge and taking time to get to know me,” he explains. Gregg knew early on that he wanted to pass that same knowledge and support along.
After traveling with a music ministry for two years after high school, Gregg attended Murray State University for a four-year degree in industrial arts/technology education. He started his career in Kentucky, where he launched a tech ed program for a high school. Eventually, he made the jump to NIACC, where he is now in his 20th year as the building trades instructor.
“The impact [my teachers] had on me was exponential, planting seeds of knowledge and taking time to get to know me”
– Gregg Helmich, Building Trades Instructor
The curriculum and tools have evolved over the years, but Gregg credits his first Building Science Symposium, about three years ago, with significantly advancing his approach to teaching. Before attending, he figured he could cover only the basics of hands-on carpentry in a one-year course, but the event inspired him to add building science to the curriculum. And that isn’t the only effect it had.
“The Symposium completely changed my approach to networking,” Gregg shares. Although he had been partnering with companies for 25 years to support his teaching programs, the Symposium introduced new contacts and showed him the power of social media.
Those connections have led to new guest instructors, sponsorships, and unexpected opportunities. Huepar, a laser manufacturer in China, discovered Gregg online, invited him to tour their plant, and donated 20 lasers to the school. They also asked him to write them a theme song, which he recorded during his visit.
For Gregg, it’s another example of how sharing what you know can help you build something bigger than yourself.
— Jennifer Morris, editorial assistant
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