Meet the Team
Meet the instructors that provide the skills, knowledge, and experience students need to find high-paying, in-demand welding jobs across the country.
Travis Bird
President
Bird started out in 2000 at a local welding shop. He went to welding school in 2003 to learn the trade, and by 2004 he had progressed to working in refineries and power plants across the U. S. In 2007 T. Bird began running a rig truck and worked various projects such as pipelines, compressor stations, fab yards, etc. In 2016 he founded Arkansas Elite Welding Academy. In 2020, Travis was named the Arkansas Small Business Person of the Year.
Travis Faulk
Instructor, Financial Director
Travis Faulk started his welding career in 1995 working shutdowns as a pipe welder and later traveling the United States installing boilers. In 2003, Faulk started his own business upgrading the piping in food grade plants across the southeast U. S. Faulk became a Pipeline Inspector in 2009 and later a Construction Supervisor. Faulk obtained his CWI in 2017 and his CWE in 2019. Serving as an adjunct instructor since the founding of Arkansas Elite Welding Academy, he became a full time instructor in 2019. Travis is a veteran of the United States Army.
Grant Ragland
Lead Instructor/Registered Nurse
Grant started his welding career in June of 2019 after completing the Elite Pipe Program at Arkansas Elite Welding Academy. He spent two years on the road as a pipe welder, welding in new construction and food processing plants, before coming to AEWA full time in 2021. Grant is also a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Dennis Black
Instructor
Mr. Dennis started his welding career in 1970, welding in a shop with his dad. In 1976, he took a job welding on a barge in the North Sea. He then spent 29 years working in various plants, specializing in stainless steel and boiler tube welding. In 2005, Dennis started pipelining until 2017, when he became an instructor at AEWA. Mr. Dennis is a veteran of the United States Army.
Hunter Linn
Instructor
Hunter began his career directly after graduating high school in 2016 by attending Arkansas Elite Welding Academy where he was part of the Academy’s very first class. After graduation he traveled across the Unites States working outages and new construction in chemical plants and refineries. He has returned to Arkansas Elite to give back the knowledge he has obtained to the next generation of welders.
Reid Birch
Communications Coordinator/Instructor’s Assistant
Reid began his welding career in a fabrication shop in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2016. After a college tennis career, Reid decided to attend welding school at Arkansas Elite Welding Academy. Graduating in January of 2021, he hit the road working jobs in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Reid’s passion for video work and managing social media accounts, combined with his knowledge of welding, uniquely qualify Reid to serve as AEWA’s Recruiter and Social Media Coordinator. Reid joined the AEWA team in 2022.
Hunter Edgar
Yard Maintenance & Material Control
​In addition to serving in the Marine Corps and working as a dental assistant, Hunter has a retail background that covers everything from sales to tech support. In 2022, he started part time at Arkansas Elite and quickly moved into a full-time position in Materials and Maintenance. He works to ensure students have the materials they need to succeed.
Sancy Faulk
Enrollment Director
Sancy began her career in higher education administration as a Dean of Students in 2003. She then served as a college vice president from 2005 until 2021. She has supervisory experience in the areas of admissions, development, financial aid, housing, public relations, and student services. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and a M.S. in College Student Personnel Services & Administration. She came to AEWA in 2021.
Jake Odom
Student Advisor/Housing Coordinator
Jake began working in the gas industry locally as an Electrical & Instrumentation technician and has traveled the state working in various refineries, chemical and petrochemical plants, and food processing facilities. Jake started his tenure with AEWA in 2020, to work locally, and ensure students are meeting their goals in and out of school.
Kelly Patrick
Accounts Payable
Kelly brings a wealth of professional experience to AEWA. She has more than 30 years of experience in various customer service roles, finance administration, and property and casualty insurance. Kelly currently holds a property and casualty insurance license, is a licensed Notary Public, and is a licensed Admissions Representative. Kelly was AEWA’s first employee.