Xcelskydiving.com Proprietors: Michael & Mercedes Wadkins
Michael Wadkins
I have a profound passion for teaching within this sport and I am very enthusiastic and dedicated to maintaining a high standard in the AFF, Static Line, IAD and Coach instructional programs. I thoroughly enjoy teaching instructors how to instruct skydiving. With my extensive military training background and years of instructional experience in both skydiving and the military, I have the experience needed to prepare candidates for success, regardless of the discipline they choose.
I have over 17 years of skydiving experience ranging from 4-ways, big ways, and all realms of USPA student skydiving operations.
I am a goal-oriented and focused professional with more than 20 years of experience building and leading integrated training and management operations for the U.S. Army MP Corps in the United States and abroad. I am a certified US Army Master and Senior Instructor and skilled public facilitator. I possess comprehensive and successful management qualifications in professional instructor development training programs within the USPA instructional realm. My areas of USPA expertise and qualifications include the following:
· Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (Masters -Homeland
Security pursuant)
· U.S. Army Retired MSG/E-8
· U.S. Paratrooper (10 years)
· U.S. Army Certified Master & Senior Military Instructor
· Diversified certified military “Training Evaluator” with over 10
years of experience in evaluating major comprehensive
military training exercises as well as evaluating courseware,
content, applicability and methods of instruction.
· Proven track record of success in project management and
training & development in both the U.S. Army and the civilian
USPA skydiving instructor sector. Well versed and
comfortable in any training environment.
· Seasoned skydiving professional with a 17-year USPA
membership
· Thousands of instructional student skydives (Static Line, IAD,
AFF and Tandem)
· Tandem Instructor since 1997: Rated Strong Enterprise
Systems and Relative Workshop (both Vector and Sigma)
· Conducted and participated in numerous USPA Instructional
Rating Courses for over 12 years
· USPA Static Line Instructor since 1995
· USPA Rated PRO since 1996
· USPA AFF Instructor since 1996 and accumulated over 2,000
actual AFF instructional jumps.
· AFF Evaluator & AFF Designated Evaluator since 2004
· USPA AFF, IAD, Static Line and Coach Course Director
· USPA Coach Course Director and Static Line Course Director
since 2002
· Advanced Instructor Course (AIC) Graduate, Skdive University
· USPA S&TA
Mercedes Wadkins: This will be the lovely woman whom most of you will be talking to in regards to coordinating fees, registering, scheduling and answering questions etc. She is the driving force behind the scenes handling critical aspects of the business like Website and logo Design, Advertising, & Sales.
As she says “Behind every successful man is a good woman telling him what do….."
