ACTE-McDonald's Teacher of the Year
imparts more than technical knowledge and skills to his students at Canadian Valley Technology Center in El Reno, Okla. He also prepares them for careers or college by teaching them to use computers and the Internet, manage time, keep good records, work well with others, interact with people and make presentations.
Clemons helped shape the Canadian Valley air conditioning and refrigeration program, which is open to both secondary and postsecondary students, and has kept it on the cutting edge of technology. He also works hard to incorporate students of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, genders and races into his classes.
Each year, Clemons organizes his students, along with students from other departments, to build a house in the community, and then he urges his students to apply their newly learned skills in service to Habitat for Humanity, churches and housing for the homeless.
As an aid to new teachers, Clemons helped the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education develop an online teacher technical assistance tool, CareerTech Connect.
In addition to being an effective, highly regarded educator, Clemons is also active in his community through the American Legion, the Elks and church work.
ACTE-McDonald's Outstanding Career and Technical Educator
, as systems director of the Educational Grants Program for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in St. Paul, Minn., administers the Carl D. Perkins Applied Technology Act of 1998 for the State of Minnesota?a $19-million-plus responsibility. Her work has made the state a recognized leader by the U.S. Office of Vocational and Adult Education, and she has helped other states in similar efforts.
Jacquart was influential in the development of the first Minnesota State Plan for Vocational Technical Education and was part of a state School-to-Work leadership team that coordinated the efforts of all program participants. She excels in collaborating with state and national agencies and has been a strong proponent for the integration of academic and career and technical education.
Jacquart serves her community as a volunteer mentor for high school students and by helping with ?St. Paul Kids Vote,? a program to interest students in the political process. In collaboration with Adair County Human Services, she developed and delivered a pilot project of four parenting classes to provide court-ordered education for abusive and teenage parents.
ACTE-McDonald's Outstanding New Career and Technical Teacher
is a marketing/management instructor at the Northeast Technology Center in Pryor, Okla., where she has moved her offsite program onto campus, refocused the curriculum and taken the program in exciting new directions. She broadened recruiting to serve 12 high schools and reached out to all surrounding communities in the two-county area. SmithÑwho also runs her own marketing consulting business?expanded on-campus marketing opportunities through the creation of an e-business and online store. As a result of her efforts, enrollment in the program has more than doubled.
Before coming to Northeast Technology Center, Smith worked for the Tri-County Technology Center in Bartlesville, Okla., where she established a new marketing program, promoted the program to area schools and employers, recruited both high school and postsecondary students, and purchased equipment and supplies.
In addition to the time and dedication she devotes to her students, Smith also donates her time to church and charitable work.
ACTE-McDonald's Outstanding Teacher in Community Service
Machelle Louise Bonde is a family and consumer sciences instructor and Title IX coordinator in Sioux Valley School District, S.D., who inspires her students to be leaders in citizenship and community service. Under her guidance, the Sioux Valley Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter has been recognized at all levels for its community service projects. Members have won 11 national awards, more than any other FCCLA chapter in the country.
Bonde?s students provide service to people of all ages as well as to community organizations through projects such as Love Boxes for Make a Difference Day, a teddy bear drive, fundraising drives and the Mr. Sioux Valley Pageant.
School and community projects include home safety lessons for latchkey children, teen tutors, a children?s fitness fair, the Safe Halloween Carnival, a Christmas Angel and Toy Tree, a bicycle safety rodeo, a before- and after-school enrichment program, a children?s career fair and Character Counts lessons.
Bonde is a caring role model who is truly making a difference in her students? lives and in her community.
Arch of Fame
has been a dedicated leader in every aspect of career and technical education and has touched many lives. Currently, he is a credentialing officer for Colorado Community Colleges in Aurora, Colo., and the executive director of Colorado ACTE.
Blackman has made a significant difference in his profession as a business education teacher, a department head, a district vocational education director and a state program manager. He has been heavily involved in ACTE at the regional and national levels, and Region V has benefited from his service as vice president on the Board of Directors. His leadership has led Colorado ACTE to become a premier state association.
Blackman has also had a tremendous impact upon his students. ?By the time I concluded the program, Mr. Blackman had helped me to do things of which I only dreamed,? says a former student of his in Future Business Leaders of America who is now a chief of staff for a Washington congressman. ?Since graduating from college I have held a number of jobs that have required me to use the skills, strong work ethic and leadership that were all instilled in me under his fine mentoring. Due to Mr. Blackman?s influence, I have achieved my dreams.?
has served as the associate superintendent and state director for applied technology education in Utah for nine years, but for 30 years, he has been dedicated to applied technology and career and technical education, working as an outstanding spokesman for such opportunities for students. He is a committed advocate for economic development through technical training, working tirelessly with educators, legislators, higher-education representatives and community members to ensure that all students? needs are considered for postsecondary education.
In his current position, Brems has brought about significant enhancements and improvements, including doubling state career and technical student enrollments and tripling state financial resources for such programs; helping bring Utah career and technical education to the forefront as a credible, valued part of the state?s public education system; establishing the Utah Skill Certification Program; and implementing the state?s school-to-careers program, bringing more than $15 million in federal funding to Utah schools for activities targeting student preparation for the workforce.
Brems has also been very active with ACTE and Utah ACTE and is described by a state education official as ?a leader with vision, a leader with integrity and a leader of action.?
According to an official at the U.S. Department of Education, ?His professional experience at all levels of career and technical education has enabled him to help lead change and people through the many challenges facing our community.?
Award of Merit
, president of L.A. Downey & Son, a construction company in Durham, N.C., has been a true partner and advocate for career and technical education of young people. His contributions have made a major difference at the local, state and national levels.
Downey has been a member of the State JobReady Partnership Council since its inception in 1995, serving as chairman since 1999. JobReady is designed to engage students in educational experiences that demonstrate the connection between school and the real world and to equip youth for success in further education and training. One of the program?s goals is that all students have some type of work-based learning by the time they graduate from high school through such experiences as job shadowing, service learning or apprenticeships.
Downey?s Careers in Construction program, designed to expose Durham students to career possibilities in the construction field, delivers speakers? presentations about construction careers and sponsors a series of age-appropriate, hands-on problem-solving competitions.
?In my career, I have been fortunate to work with many individuals dedicated to preparing young people for future success in the workplace,? notes an official of the state Department of Commerce Workforce Commission. ?Bill Downey is among the best of those individuals.?
Outstanding Service Award
, a certified special populations coordinator in Raleigh, N.C., has demonstrated her leadership skills at all levels of education throughout her community, the state and the country. Her instructional program is recognized by the state as an ideal model for vocational education support services, and she has presented this model at conferences throughout the country.
Frye is also co-founder of ALIVE and NC-ALIVE, national and state career and technical education professional associations. In 1997, through her efforts, ALIVE became North Carolina?s first state division for members of diverse populations in career and technical education, ensuring leadership opportunities for members of diverse populations in NCACTE.
Over the years, as a result of her professional reputation and success, teachers from all across the state have visited her high school program. Now, after 30 years of distinction as a teacher and counselor, Frye is serving a two-year term as a member of the Career and Technical Education National Research Center Advisory Council.
Frye has won many awards and achievements and has served career and technical education in the positions of auditor, presenter, officer, co-founder, publisher and coordinator. But perhaps even more important is the impression she has made on her students.
One former student says, ?Through Ms. Frye?s efforts and patience, my dreams have now become success stories.?
, currently the director of the Montgomery County 21st Century Community Learning Center in New York, has always been alert to the need for new initiatives in career and technical education and has worked with decision makers to set goals and develop programs. New York State has greatly benefited from the growth and development of quality career and technical programs in the past two decades as a result of her work, dedication and vision.
Spohn is known nationally as a respected representative of New York in tech prep and school-to-career and serves on many state boards and committees that have set the direction of workforce education in New York. On a national level, she has served on the Board of the Center for Occupational Research and Development/National Tech Prep Network and the Leadership Team of the National Association for Tech Prep Leadership.
Spohn has been active with ACTE, the National Association of Vocational Home Economics Teachers and National Tech Prep Network and with the Executive Committee of NYSACTE. She has served as president of NYS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, director of the Two-Year College Development Center at University of New York, and coordinator of the Greater Capital District Tech Prep Consortium.
?She is a tremendous resource who is called upon frequently by school districts, state departments, professional organizations and business and industry for her advice, leadership and technical support,? notes an education official. ?Most importantly, however, she has maintained her reputation as a model educator, one to whom all educators can look to as the standard of excellence.?
of Bountiful, Utah, currently serves as chairman of the Utah State Board of Education as well as a member of the State Board of Regents, but he was a superior public school teacher for 27 years. He has also been a trainer for business and industry and a Utah state legislator.
As a tireless advocate for career and technical education, Burningham works to ensure that all students have the opportunity for this type of education and champions his cause with state board members, politicians, business leaders, educators and community members.
As a popular high school teacher, Burningham won teaching awards and was awarded an honorary life membership in the Congress of Parents and Teachers. He also served as director of the Bountiful Community School, coordinating a program that offered training in diverse career opportunities to nearly 1,000 students of all ages each year.
As a business and industry trainer, Burningham taught hundreds of seminars to employees in various settings and was frequently recognized for outstanding contributions to those workers. As a representative in the Utah State Legislature, he sponsored and followed critical bills to passage, including bills defining licensing for social workers and counselors as well as legislation that dramatically improved the quality of libraries throughout the state.
His local high school principal cites Burningham as, ?the individual who has contributed more to education than any other I have ever met.?
Awards for Excellence-Automotive Training
Richmond Technical Center/Automotive Service Technology Program, Richmond, Virginia
Santa Fe Community College/Automotive Technology Program, Gainesville, Florida
Clark College Automotive Program, Vancouver, Washington
ACTE-NIOSH Safety Competition Award
, Instructor, Building Trades/Carpentry, North Iowa Area Community College
