ALEXANDRIA, VA—Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Mark Wagner, Assistant State Director at North Dakota Career and Technical Education in Bismarck, ND, as the 2027 ACTE Region V Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award Recipient. This award recognizes the finest career and technical education (CTE) educators at the middle/secondary school level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to the improvement of CTE in their institutions and communities.
Mark Wagner has made significant and lasting contributions to the advancement of high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE), consistently placing student success at the center of his work. His career spans classroom instruction, administrative leadership, statewide policy development, and systems reform, making him a driving force behind transformative change in CTE across North Dakota.
Throughout his career, Wagner has served in a wide range of educational roles, including CTE instructor in two program areas, adjunct instructor for North Dakota State University and North Dakota State College of Science, administrator at both Class A and Class B schools, and director of an area CTE center. His experience teaching both secondary and adult learners has given him a broad perspective on workforce preparation and student achievement.
He began his career in Agricultural Education, where he developed a student-centered philosophy that combined academic rigor with meaningful, hands-on learning experiences. During his 24 years at Beulah Public Schools, he served as an Agricultural Education instructor, Director of Technology, Assistant Principal, and Cisco Networking Academy instructor. He later served for eight years as director of the North Valley Area Career and Technology Center in Grafton, where he continued expanding opportunities for students through innovative CTE programming.
Most recently, Wagner served for ten years as North Dakota’s CTE Assistant State Director before retiring last July. In this role, he played a key part in overhauling the state’s student accountability system for CTE programs. His leadership improved transparency, strengthened data integrity, and created more effective methods for evaluating program success and student outcomes.
A strong advocate for CTE at both the state and national levels, Wagner is a past president of NDCTEA and NDCTEA Administrators. He has also chaired and served in numerous leadership roles within Association for Career and Technical Education and on influential state boards, including the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders. Through these positions, he collaborated with legislators and education leaders to advance CTE priorities, strengthen alignment across programs, modernize standards, and support implementation of the federal Perkins V Act.
Wagner’s career reflects an extraordinary combination of visionary leadership, policy expertise, and dedication to student success. From modernizing facilities and curriculum to shaping statewide systems, his contributions have elevated the quality, accessibility, and long-term impact of Career and Technical Education throughout North Dakota.
Wagner is one of five finalists for the 2027 national title. The national winner will be announced at the ACTE Awards Gala, an award presentation recognizing the best CTE educators in the country. The event will take place on December 2, at 6:00 p.m. The Awards Gala is sponsored by Goodheart-Willcox, The Army, and Stratasys. For more information about the ACTE Excellence Awards, visit our webpage.
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About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
