---
title: "James “Ja” Packard II - Western Welding Academy Instructor"
url: "https://www.westernweldingacademy.com/instructors/james-packard"
---

![](/_astro/booth-row-blue.Duch9v_-_1GXF8m.jpg)

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Instructor · Western Welding Academy

# James Packard

2nd Shift Coordinator

[Train with the crew](/apply) [All instructors](/who-we-are)

![James Packard, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/james-packard.CP2pbMeq_Z29iiik.jpg)

James PackardWWA instructor

In their words

## Meet James Packard

I got into welding in high school when a friend of mine who was a couple years older graduated and went to work as a welder. When he showed me his paycheck I was hooked. I have 25 years experience in construction/mining. I went to work in 1997, started welding for a living in 1998 and had my first welding truck in 1999. I bounced between construction and mining companies welding anything from stainless steel pipe and heavy mining equipment to building LNG plants and compressor stations until I started weld inspection in 2019. Welding has taken me from Great Falls, MT to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

I really like experiencing our students starting from never having touched any welding equipment before to becoming extremely talented welders. I also like seeing some of the natural talent come in and just kill it when welding. I thought I had all the tools needed to be a good welder, but once I started working at the Academy with all the other great instructors and seeing their talent, I started to pick up their techniques. I feel I am a better welder now than I have ever been. I think WWA is unique in that we won’t just fill a position with a warm body to keep a certain ratio. We search for and recruit only the best/most talented people we can find. It’s quality over quantity.

The crew

330 years of combined instructor experience

85% of class time in the booth, with an instructor in the booth with you.

[Meet them on a tour](/schedule-a-tour)

The crew

## Meet the other instructors

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    Chris Fink
    
    1st Shift Lead Instructor - TC2
    
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-   [
    
    ![David Zajac, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/david-zajac.CNHC3Vr8_2togq4.jpg)
    
    David Zajac
    
    1st Shift Classroom Instructor
    
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-   [
    
    ![Glenn Ogden, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/glenn-ogden.DAI9l-4D_ZSE73k.jpg)
    
    Glenn Ogden
    
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-   [
    
    ![Joe Stockdale, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/joe-stockdale.B7vK3OqV_Z179ySN.jpg)
    
    Joe Stockdale
    
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    ](/instructors/joe-stockdale)
-   [
    
    ![John Parks, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/john-parks.De8g8mLc_Z2e3VCl.jpg)
    
    John Parks
    
    Director of Instruction
    
    ](/instructors/john-parks)
-   [
    
    ![Lance Whisenant, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/lance-whisenant.9OJfKHRC_1Uy6nN.jpg)
    
    Lance Whisenant
    
    2nd Shift Instructor - TC1
    
    ](/instructors/lance-whisenant)
-   [
    
    ![Matt Hahn, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/matt-hahn.BKIa_G_t_ZH4bRB.jpg)
    
    Matt Hahn
    
    1st Shift Instructor (TC1)
    
    ](/instructors/matthew-hahn)
-   [
    
    ![Nate Farnsworth, Western Welding Academy instructor](/_astro/nate-farnsworth.BinIlJE-_Z7Neb8.jpg)
    
    Nate Farnsworth
    
    2nd Shift Lead Instructor - TC1
    
    ](/instructors/nate-farnsworth)

## Learn from welders who've done the work

Apply in minutes or come meet the crew on a campus tour.

[Apply now](/apply) [Schedule a tour](/schedule-a-tour)[(307) 284-5313](tel:+1-307-284-5313)