Our presenters

James Barnhart started as a 2M Miniature/Mico-miniature repair technician in 1986 and progressed to being an 'A' level instructor in the Navy's 2M program. He has worked in the electronics field since the mid 1980's and trained many technicians in PCB repair and was a trainer of new instructors for the Navy's 2M program. During his time in the Navy, he was involved in the rewriting of the 2M courses and the addition of SMT repair techniques.  James has been an instructor with BEST since 2011, traveling the Midwest in our Mobile Training Center giving courses to some of the best electronics companies in the country. He is well-known in the training community due to his extensive industry knowledge and experience.  

Jodi comes to BEST with over 25 years of extensive soldering experience. She has worked in all areas of the electronics industry, from assembly to PCB rework/repair and inspection. Jodi brings excitement and personality to every class that she teaches. Whether she's teaching a beginner level course such as Soldering 101 or an advanced IPC course like IPC 7711/21, Jodi has the ability to bring her real-world experiences to the classroom and relate to students on a personal level. When Jodi isn't training, she's assisting the BEST in-house technicians with various rework projects and making improvements to the production processes at BEST.

Kris Roberson brings a diversified background to BEST in terms of his 20+ years as a corporate trainer in both mechanics and electronics.  He has a deep understanding of the IPC standards having served as the Director of Training with IPC for several years. Kris has been an instructor with BEST since 2019 and asset to our team since day 1. His passion and knowledge for soldering and the electronics industry always leads to an entertaining and thought-provoking course. 

Norman Mier is a retired veteran of the U.S. Marine Corp. with over 20 years of experience in the electronics rework and repair industry. He received his training through the Navy's Micro Miniature (2M) Electronic Repair Program progressing through every level of rework and repair recognized in the industry.  Norman has been a BEST instructor since 2000 and has trained various industry leaders in advanced surface mount technology along with developing custom courses for their equipment.  He has been involved in process improvement efforts for many of these companies while being a widely recognized as an industry expert in solder training.