Rachel Davis – President
General Manager and Co-owner, Advance Mechanical
I grew up in the family HVAC business. I have been at Advance Mechanical for over 10 years, and I purchased the company about 3 years ago.
My father founded Advance Mechanical Heating and Air. My first job was to help clean the office when I was about 5. I also remember riding to job sites with my dad. I began to help in the office part-time during high school and college. I came back to work full time about 10 years ago. I have worked in many different industries including insurance, manufacturing, and retail. After experiencing a layoff in the manufacturing industry, I came back to the family business. Every day is different, and I absolutely love the challenge. I think that the trades are a great career and there are excellent opportunities for those who choose to enter them.
H.B. Moore – Treasurer
Regional Vice-President, Piedmont Service Group
44-years trades business veteran
I entered the HVAC trade the summer following high school graduation as a sheet metal mechanic’s helper at the “new” Rex Hospital in Raleigh. I worked summers around my class schedule at Wake Tech. Upon graduation, I went to work for Piedmont Trane, now Piedmont Service Group. My first nine years were spent as a service technician. In 1990, I was offered a commercial/industrial service sales position in eastern NC. In 1993, I moved to Greenville as General Manager to open our first branch location. In 2000, I became one of our six owners. Today, our Greenville location has 45 employees, and we service and maintain over 300 commercial and industrial locations throughout the east.
Tonya Miles – Secretary
Work-based Learning Coordinator, Pitt County Schools
I am a National Board-Certified Teacher with a Master’s degree in Vocational Education from East Carolina University. Throughout my career with Pitt County Schools, I have always worked within Career and Technical Education to prepare students for bright futures. I have served as a Business and STEM teacher at North Pitt High School, Career Development Coordinator and now serve as the Work-based Learning Coordinator for Pitt County Schools.
Tim Manning – Member at Large
President, Manning Masonry
Unofficially I have worked in the family business all my life. Officially, I have been at Manning Masonry since 2002.
We are a third-generation turnkey masonry contractor. I worked alongside my grandfather, father, and numerous uncles growing up in Williamston, NC. A little-known fact is that both my maternal and paternal grandfathers were master masons. I supposed I was predestined to be in the masonry business. I am very fortunate to work alongside my father and hope one day I will have the privilege of seeing the fourth-generation flourish in this business.
Clay Griffin – Member at Large
Branch Manager, Pitt Electric
I am a Branch Manager of Pitt Electric, one of the founding Tradesformers partners. I joined Pitt Electric in 2015. Founded in Greenville in 1981, Pitt Electric has grown to almost 300 employees with a geographical footprint of 4 locations covering markets from Charlotte to the coast . We are a proven resource for commercial electrical construction and service in NC. Prior to taking the helm of our Greenville office in January of ’22 I served as a project manager in our construction division. I am an eastern NC native and graduate of East Carolina University.
Simone Pate – Emeritus Member
Retired, Pitt County Schools
I have spent over thirty years in Pitt County Schools. My roles have included department chair, Special Populations Coordinator, and Career Development Coordinator. The last six years my role was the first Work Based Learning Coordinator for Pitt County Schools. As Work Based Learning Coordinator, I founded the first apprenticeship program in Pitt County that worked with local high school students. I’ve also served on the foundation board for Pitt Community College for many years. As a founding member of Tradesformers, I am extremely invested in the opportunities it provides for students and to expand our workforce.
Patrick N. Jacques – Pitt Community College Liaison
Dean, Construction and Industrial Technology at Pitt Community College
I got into the trades due to experiences I had in high school. While attending Havelock High School, I took several CTE courses and developed a passion for construction, primarily drafting, and design. I attended Coastal Carolina Community College for Architectural Technology, which sparked my interest in education. I soon attended East Carolina University and started out focused on Design and Drafting, and later changed my major to Vocational and Technical Education. I taught 3 years in the public school system before accepting an offer to attend Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana for a MA in Technology Education. I completed my master’s program in 11 months and accepted a job teaching Architecture at Coastal Carolina Community College. I taught at Coastal for almost 25 years. In January of 2021, I accepted a position as Dean, Public Service and Applied Technology at Robeson Community College in Lumberton, NC. After two years, I was fortunate to receive an offer back in eastern NC as Dean of Construction and Industrial Technology at Pitt Community College.
