ACTE Announces Cook as 2022 NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leadership Fellow
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2022
Contact: Jori Houck, jhouck@acteonline.org
ACTE Announces Cook as 2022 NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leadership Fellow
Alexandria, VA—Today the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Luanne Cook of Virginia as a Fellow for the 2022 NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leadership Program, sponsored by ECMC Foundation and powered by ACTE (formerly known as the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – sponsored by ECMC Foundation). Seventeen fellows were selected for the 2022-2023 cohort. The NextLevel Fellowship provides professional and career growth opportunities to the next generation of leaders in postsecondary CTE programs through a nationally-recognized program that is engaging, individualized, and memorable.
Luanne Cook is the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Recruiter and Retention Specialist with Allegany College of Maryland. Having spent most of her career as a licensed social worker, she has embraced the role of reaching underrepresented special populations by supporting their desire to obtain higher education and join the workforce. Her secondary role as a Retention Specialist utilizes strategies to address retention deficiencies and implements her knowledge of community and campus resources to connect students to benefits and reach their goals. Boosting a student’s confidence while providing equitable and accessible education opportunities in Career Education increases their value to family and community, an endeavor she is passionate about.
This is ACTE’s fourth cohort of postsecondary CTE professionals in leadership development activities. Through this program, fellows build their leadership abilities as they work alongside peer professionals and an experienced mentor in this year-long professional development experience. Fellows also elevate their interpersonal skills and capacity to communicate, collaborate, network, problem solve and use time and resources effectively. The core capstone project is to identify a professional objective to address in each fellows’ institution and carry it out to realize a lasting impact. This program is intended to develop the organizational leadership and management skills of postsecondary CTE professionals, with an emphasis on addressing the needs of underserved populations. The NextLevel Fellowship also includes a research study to help determine what efforts best contribute to leadership development among postsecondary CTE professionals and the creation of resources that can be widely distributed to support others in the field.
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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.
About ECMC Foundation
ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation whose mission is to inspire and to facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes—especially among underserved populations—through evidence-based innovation. ECMC Foundation makes investments in two focus areas: College Success and Career Readiness; and uses a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to invest in both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Working with grantees, partners and peers, ECMC Foundation’s vision is for all learners to unlock their fullest potential. Learn more about ECMC Foundation by visiting ecmcfoundation.org and ECMC Group by visiting ecmcgroup.org.