ACTE Excellence Awards
Awards Celebration, Free to All Registered Virtual VISION Attendees.
Any reason to get dressed up is a good one — even in your own fancy virtual space! The ACTE Awards celebration, with all its glitz and glam, will recognize those individuals and organizations, who have made extraordinary contributions to CTE.
The ACTE Excellence Awards recognize those individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to CTE, programs that exemplify the highest standards and organizations that have conducted activities to promote and expand CTE programs. Award winners serve as inspirational leaders to ACTE: they embody the core values of serving their students and being committed to CTE. All ACTE Excellence Awards are presented at the ACTE Awards Gala in conjunction with ACTE’s CareerTech VISION.
Region I Award Winners
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| Kristina Guttadora, NJ Region I Teacher of the Year |
Rosalie Sauter, NY Region I Counseling & Career |
Nicole Zergebel, NY Region I Administrator |
Terry Morse, MI Region I Postsecondary |
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| Jennifer Probst, NY Region I New |
Constance Spohn, NY Region I Lifetime |
Region II Award Winners
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| Luke Riddle, SC Region II Teacher of the Year |
Brian Elliott, NC Region II Counseling & Career |
Christopher Bailey, NC Region II Administrator |
Kimberly Lee Mitchell, AL Region II Postsecondary |
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| Kaitlin Van Heusen, FL Region II New |
Tammy Camel, KY Region II Carl Perkins Community |
Judith Sams, VA Region II Lifetime |
Dale Layfield,SC Teacher Educator |
Region III Award Winners
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| Kandy Smitha, IN Region III Teacher of the Year |
Laura Cook, IL Region III Counseling & Career |
Jean Rakun, MN Region III Administrator |
Krystle Gremaud, MO Region III Postsecondary |
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| Lisa Orren, MN Region III New |
Lorin Curtis, MO Region III Carl Perkins |
Martha Eldredge Stark, IL Region III Lifetime |
Sally Arnett-Hartwick, IL Region III Teacher |
Region IV Award Winners
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| Amanda Eastridge-English, OK Region IV Teacher of the Year |
Tracy Hardy, MS Region IV Counseling & Career |
Teresa Pinkston, OK Region IV Administrator |
Jennifer Snyder, AR Region IV New |
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| Kristal McCathern, OK Region IV Carl Perkins |
Brenda Drawdy, TX Region IV Lifetime |
Cynthia Miller, NM Region IV Teacher |
Cecil Wainscott, OK Region IV Postsecondary |
Region V Award Winners
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| Kitti Wheeler, WA Region V Teacher of the Year |
Nora Zollweg, WA Region V Counseling & Career |
Aron Schmidt, AZ Region V Administrator |
Nicole Hampton, AZ Region V Postsecondary |
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| Lori Merrill, AZ Region V New |
Rachel Aszklar, WA Region V Carl Perkins |
Lisa Doll, AZ Region V Lifetime |
Carol Erwin, NE Region V Teacher |
The ACTE® Excellence Awards recognize excellence and dedication within the field of career and technical education among ACTE members. Recipients of these awards are exceptional individuals who have contributed to the success of CTE through the quality of their work and their involvement in the CTE community. Candidates and winners are recognized at three levels: state, regional, and national. As of 2017, the Excellence Awards program has been integrated with ACTE’s High Quality CTE Framework. New nominations will follow updated guidelines, which can be found below.
All Excellence Awards are administered by the ACTE Awards Committee, which comprises one representative from each of ACTE’s five Regions and a chair. The Awards Committee is responsible for recommending awards programs to the Association’s Board of Directors, setting criteria for awards, reviewing applications, recommending award recipients to the Board and overseeing all aspects of the recognition program for award winners. Applications for the ACTE Excellence Awards are accepted online via the ACTE Awards Portal.
There are eight (8) Excellence Awards:
Teacher of the Year
| This award recognizes the finest career and technical teachers 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. |
Administrator of the Year
| This award recognizes administrative CTE professionals at the school, district, county, state or federal level who have demonstrated leadership in ensuring teacher and student success and have made significant contributions toward innovative, unique and effective career and technical education programs. |
Postsecondary Teacher of the Year
| This award recognizes the finest career and technical teachers at the postsecondary level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to the improvement of CTE in their institutions and communities. |
Counseling & Career Development Professional Award
| This award recognizes school counselors and career development professionals who have demonstrated commitment to connecting students with opportunities for success, shown innovation in career exploration and development, and have advocated for CTE as a viable option for all students. |
New Teacher of the Year
| This award recognizes new CTE teachers who have made significant contributions toward innovative and unique career and technical education programs and shown a professional commitment early in their careers. |
Teacher Educator of the Year
| This award recognizes teacher educators who have demonstrated innovation in teacher education, leadership in improving CTE, and commitment to preparing teachers to deliver high quality CTE programs. |
Carl Perkins Community Service Award
| This award recognizes individuals who have used CTE to make a significant impact on their community and demonstrated leadership in programs and activities that promote student involvement in community service. |
Lifetime Achievement Award
| This award recognizes CTE professionals for their leadership on behalf of ACTE, their innovations in CTE and their contributions to the field over an extended period of time. |