Ewing Education Services instructor, Raul Gonzalez, will be teaching several of Ewing’s irrigation classes this year. Read our Q&A with Raul to learn more about him and the class.

Where do you live, and what’s your favorite thing about living there?

I live in Eagle Rock, Calif., a small suburb that is part of the Metro Los Angeles area. It is centrally located and I can usually reach many of the So Cal points of interest in 30 minutes or less.

How did you get involved in the Green Industry?

I started in an entry level position at a Southern California Buckner (a major irrigation manufacturer at that time) distributor in December 1969. I had some drafting background, a valid driver's license, decent communication skills, and loved to talk!

At that time, a distributor's principle role was to specify/design, in order to sell the irrigation project. The "education process" included learning those tasks, as well as doing the material "take-off" in order to stage the material for delivery.

Manufacturers protected the process by having exclusive distributors. This arrangement required that the distributor service their irrigation equipment at the branch or in the field, so distributors also had to learn how the irrigation equipment worked.

The distributor personnel had to be skilled in all these areas in order to provide dependable service to their customers and end-users. This education was usually provided by someone that had been exposed to that process previously. For me, that was Johnny Ramirez, salesman and draftsman extraordinaire. He was my mentor in the business, and in other very important social skills.

I’ve learned that distribution is really a "people" business that happens to provide parts (irrigation parts at the start of my career)...and did I mention that I LOVE TO TALK?

What classes will you be teaching this year?

Irrigation Workshop (in English and Spanish), Principles of Irrigation Design and Landscape Irrigation Auditor Workshop.

Who should attend these classes and why?

Attendees will learn the principles of properly diagnosing an irrigation system to determine it's weaknesses, and what might be done to fix problem areas so that it's efficient, and minimizes water waste and costs. 

What is your favorite thing about teaching in the Green Industry?

I absolutely enjoy traveling, meeting, and helping folks who want to improve their professionalism!

Mac or PC?

PC.

Cake or pie?

Apricot pie!!!!!

What’s your favorite TV show?

Long gone, but not forgotten: Star Trek. And currently, Suits.

To register for an irrigation class, or another your area, visit www.EwingEducationServices.com.