Dannar has been involved in welding since 1992. "I spent several years booming from welding job to welding job until I started teaching in 2001," he said. He spent eight years at a welding instructor at Pine Ridge Job Corps in Chadron, Neb., and two years as a welding instructor at Montana State University Billings.

He is a certified welding inspector and certified welding educator through the American Welding Society; a certified welding trainer and certified core curriculum trainer through the National Center for Construction Education and Research; a member of the American Society of Nondestructive Testing; an OSHA trainer for 10- and 30-hour safety training; and he is a past member of the South Dakota Artist Blacksmith Association. He also served as a Merit Badge Counselor for the Boy Scouts of America and is a level 1 ultrasound technician.

Having moved to Williston in mid-August, his short time here so far has been "a really good experience. I've actually been learning a lot," he said.

He has spent his first semester here traveling between high schools, working with students in an effort to build the welding program, which will be housed in the Career and Technology Education Building, which is under construction at this time with a projected completion in the Spring 2011.

The first year of the two-year welding program will be developed to teach students the basics of welding with shielded metal arc welding, second semester will feature flux core and hard wire using wire feed.

The second year of the program will be geared toward learning to weld pipe and gas tungsten arc welding (TIG) welding, he said.

He has high hopes for the program and sees it growing quickly. "I think there's going to be a real big interest in the community," he said. "I've already received requests for some short-term training at night, some introductory classes, and potentially some metal artwork-type class. Most of that will take place after (the CTE) building is completed, which will hopefully be in the spring. The college has already purchased 12 brand new welders to go in the new lab."

When students have completed the welding program, besides earning an Associate of Applied Science Degree from WSC in welding technology, they will be able to receive certification from the American Welding Society, ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) or even API codes, he said.

When he's not welding, he enjoys blacksmithing, scroll sawing, fishing, hunting and working with the Boy Scouts. He and his wife, Lynette, have three children, who will all be joining him in Williston in October.

"So far, the community has been real friendly and helpful, and the faculty and staff here at WSC have been very helpful in helping me get things going as far as welding program," he said.