Don Miller is Institutional Director of Total Tech, LLC. His work in the HVAC industry for the past 44 years has included the County of Orange in Southern California, where he maintained commercial split systems and commercial chillers. He owned and operated his own air conditioning service company for eight years in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he worked on both residential and commercial equipment. He accepted a position with Carrier Mid South in Nashville, Tennessee in 2003 where he worked as Customer Assurance Manager. One of his responsibilities in his position was training technicians and contractors in the mid south area.  His passion for the industry and his desire to make a difference in the trade drove him to found Total Tech in 2006. Don’s certifications include CMS in Controls Specialist from the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES), NATE Certifications in Heat Pump, Air Conditioning, Gas Furnaces and Senior Efficiency Analyst. He was also awarded the RSES Imperial Eastman Award for Controls Specialist in 1994.

Shawna Miller has been associated with the HVAC industry for over 20 years. She and her husband, Don Miller (founder of Total Tech), were owners of an HVAC mechanical contracting company in Oklahoma, where she was responsible for answering and scheduling calls, accounting, and human resources. Shawna has in-field experience, working with Don on-site and assisting with repairs during this time. She also has a background in banking and office administration. She attended Middle Tennessee State University for 2 years while pursuing her Financial Institution Management degree, but decided to change direction when Don was in need of an Office Administrator at Total Tech. Once there, she knew she was where she was supposed to be. Shawna is the school Registrar and handles all school inquiries and student enrollments. She also handles all accounts payable, accounts receivable, and financial reporting. She wears a lot of hats at Total Tech and loves every minute of it! Working with others who have a desire to better their lives or change career paths is extremely rewarding to her. Working at Total Tech is much more than a job... it’s her calling! Shawna and Don have been married for 28 years and have 5 children and 9 grandchildren.

David Allen has over 14 years of experience in the residential plumbing field. With humble beginnings as an apprentice at a family members plumbing company, he quickly realized how much he enjoyed the trade and thought that this could be more than just a job. He made the commitment to learn the trade and thereby would better not only himself but his family also. David’s Plumbing career has served him well over the years, but when the opportunity came open for him to grow his career even further, he seized it. David assists in overseeing the day to day operations of the facility and is open to help in any capacity.

Kathy Witzel has had a career in the Information Technology field for over 20 years. During that time, she obtained Microsoft Certification, as well as training in Network Administration and Wireless Technology. She is an active duty veteran spouse and has held Managerial positions in Digital Training Facilities for active duty service members while stationed in Europe. She has provided technical support and customer service during her professional career as well as mentoring Army spouses and  soldiers as a Senior Spouse. She is passionate about assisting service members and their families in their transition into civilian life. Kathy gets to fulfill her passion of helping others by assisting Total Tech graduates with employment upon completion of their programs. She attended Kaplan University (now known as Purdue Global University), where she was on the President’s list. Kathy has been very happily married to her husband, Bryan, for nearly 34 years. They have 7 children and 5 grandchildren. 

Kevin Ballard began his Plumbing career at the age of 22.  He knew the trades were a way to make a good living, so he decided to go to work for a Residential Plumbing company in Vermont where he worked for 14 ½ years.  After this length of time putting in very long days on most occasions, Kevin desired to get into more regular work hours, so he went to work for Middlebury College in the Maintenance Department where he was employed for 5 years.  After residing in Vermont for 41 years he was ready for a change and decided to make Tennessee his home.  Once he relocated he gained employment at East Tennessee State College where he worked Plumbing in the Maintenance Department.  He was there for 2 years and desired to move to Middle Tennessee.  He received an employment opportunity with Hiller Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical where he has been for 16 ½ years working in Residential and Commercial Plumbing.  After working 38 years in the field he was looking to slow down and had a desire to pass his extensive knowledge on to the next generation of Plumbers coming into the trade.  When the position came open for a Plumbing Instructor, he was the perfect candidate for the position.  Total Tech is fortunate to have such a knowledgeable  Plumber on staff to educate students in the Plumbing trade. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys working on automobiles and completing carpentry projects.

Amanda has been exposed to the plumbing industry most of her life.  Her dad and brother are both plumbers and she rode in a truck with her dad growing up, learning beside him.  She began her working career as Service Manager of a plumbing company in North Carolina, then moved over to healthcare working as a Patient Care Assistant and office support personnel for a couple of years.  She continued her clerical career as a Shipping Coordinator at a flexible packaging company in Portland, Tennessee.  Amanda is passionate about helping others and watching others succeed and really wanted to find an employer she could find fulfillment with, so she joined the Dispatch team at Hiller Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical and worked with technicians in the field.  Her office experience made her the perfect fit for the Office Manager position at Total Tech, and working with students fulfills her passion of helping others.  Total Tech is fortunate to have such a caring staff member.  In her downtime, Amanda loves reading books, kayaking, hiking, spending time with family, and being involved with her church.

Brandon is a Marine Corps Veteran serving 5 years active duty.  He worked 3 years as an HVAC Installer prior to his Service. Upon his discharge from the Marine Corps he worked in construction taking care of various tasks from drywalling, painting, and tile to Plumbing and Electrical.  He got back into HVAC Installation working at Campbell Crossing on Fort Campbell Army Base for almost 3 years.  Brandon has a heart to educate others in the HVAC trade and was looking for an employer where he could fulfill his goals.  The position for HVAC Instructor at Total Tech came open at an opportune time for him and he was offered and accepted the position.  Total Tech is all the better for having Brandon on staff and is greatly appreciated by all staff and students.

Ryland has been in the HVAC industry for 26 years and spent 25 of those years in Central Florida. Starting in 1995 in a warehouse, moving up into installation for 5 years then transferring to the service department where he worked installing and servicing residential and commercial systems. He then became a Trainer for the company for 4 years until moving to Tennessee. Upon moving to Tennessee, he installed and serviced residential and commercial systems for 1 year before becoming an instructor at Total Tech. He is NATE certified in: Air Conditioning service and installation and Heat Pump service and installation. He also has certificates with ACCA, ICE and OSHA. Ryland has worked for many years Training Technicians in the field and is passionate about not only improving the technical abilities of those he has and continues to train, but also prides himself on instilling a high level of customer service and eagerness to continue personal development throughout their career. 

Duane started his trade development at a young age working in his family’s plumbing business in Kannapolis, NC, later graduating with a Basic Welding Certificate from Rowan Community College. Over the years, Duane has worked in many trade capacities, including Boiler Technician, Steam Propulsion Engineer, Water and Oil Chemistry Lab Tech, Damage Control Division Supervisor, Water Treatment Specialist, Field Service and Installation Manager, Tech Service / Install Training Supervisor, Heavy Equipment Operator, Welder, Residential Plumber, Commercial Plumber, and Industrial Plumber. After relocating to the Nashville area, he came to work for Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical as a Team Leader for 3 years before accepting a role as a Plumbing Instructor at Total Tech. He is passionate about sharing his vast knowledge with others and helping them work towards lifelong careers. Duane is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving on active duty and then with active reserve. He has been married for over 30 years, has three children (2 of whom work in the trades as well), and 6 grandchildren. He is an active member of Freedom Church and participates in mission work. 

Originally from California, Nick started out as a machinist’s apprentice working for his aunt and uncle for 2 years before moving to Louisiana where he picked up plumbing quickly and gained a vast array of knowledge of different types of plumbing systems, new and old. He worked in the greater New Orleans area doing a combination of residential, commercial, and service plumbing for 10 years. Over the years he has designed and installed piping systems for homes and residential buildings, including custom homes.  Nick takes pride in delivering a product that his clients are happy with. His passion for teaching the up-and-coming generation of tradesmen to be proud of what they do, and to do it the right way, is what makes him a perfect fit for Total Tech.  

Sonya served our country in the United States Army for 11 years and is currently in the Army Reserves.  During her time in the military she was a Health Care Specialist where she not only performed the work, but also trained other service members health care and Certified soldiers in Combat Life Saver.  Sonya has always had a healthy respect for the trades and made the choice to get into the Electrical field.  She worked for Hiller Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical as an Electrician and saw the need for an Electrical Instructor at Total Tech.  Her heart has always been to help others and to give whatever she could, so with her training experience in the military and electrical experience in the field the Instructor position was a natural fit for her.  She has helped many students gain the necessary knowledge to become Electricians with various companies.  Total Tech is very fortunate to have her on the team.

Brian began his career in the electrical trades at the age of 24 where he learned from his father, who was a union electrician for 47 years. He started out with residential wiring combined with residential service work for 12 years, which included custom homes up to 40,000 square feet. He then moved into commercial and industrial installations as well as service work in both data centers, and amazon distribution centers. He traveled all over the country, while working for a nationwide electrical company, handling commercial and industrial jobs for 20 years. He has also worked electrical wiring in the oil fields and natural gas plants as well as natural gas compressor stations. After this much in field experience, Brian was ready to give back to the next generation of electricians educating them in the electrical trade, so Total Tech was a perfect fit for him.