News Archives - Harmel Academy of the Trades

Harmel Welcomes Rob Willsea as Its First CEO

Harmel Academy of the Trades is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Willsea as its new Chief Executive Officer. Willsea joins Harmel Academy following executive leadership roles in advanced manufacturing, where he led large organizations, developed nationally recognized apprenticeship programs, strengthened workforce partnerships, and implemented operational systems that improved organizational performance. Throughout his career, […]

Harmel Welcomes Thomas Breazeale

As Harmel Academy of the Trades welcomes its largest incoming class to-date today for the 2025-26 academic year, Harmel is most thrilled to welcome Thomas Breazeale as the “Porter” and Admissions Manager for the growing Academy. In this role, Mr. Breazeale will be responsible for both garnering interest from and guiding prospective students in discerning […]

Harmel Welcomes Carol McCarthy

Harmel Academy of the Trades is pleased to announce the addition of Carol McCarthy to the staff in the role of Administrative Assistant. With years of experience in the offices of a variety of businesses, Carol will now be supporting the operations, outreach, and program teams with their day-to-day tasks. In addition, Carol has a […]

Harmel Academy of the Trades announces campus move

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Harmel Academy of the Trades Announces Campus Move May 7, 2025 – Grand Rapids, Michigan Harmel Academy of the Trades is moving from its current location on the campus of Kuyper College to the Browne Center at Aquinas College. Having just completed its fifth year of operation, Harmel Academy is an innovative […]

National Catholic Schools Week

Catholic Schools Week is celebrated nation wide January 26 – February 1, 2025 this year. We received a note of encouragement from Bishop Walkowiak, our shepherd in the Grand Rapids Diocese. Bishop Walkowiak has always been a champion for Catholic Schools as an epicenter for evangelization, and has supported Harmel from the beginning. Below is […]

First Men In Awards 2024

At the Inquisition, and thanks to the generosity of our donors, the most recent batch of First Men In Scholarships were awarded! There were six men in Harmel Academy’s original graduating class. After they had completed their first year at Harmel, they were asked to share one piece of advice to all future Harmel students. These Original […]

Three Things #009

We’re getting close to Thanksgiving Day and there’s lots here to be thankful for… [read on] Three Things is our signature monthly news to follow along with the current cohort’s antics and adventure of apprenticing themselves to Jesus Christ through the skilled trades in a community of prayer, work, and study. Join the list here!