Wednesday, February 15, 2023
We invited our CTE community to lift up a CTE teacher, coordinator, or administrator who deserves a pat on the back, a “Thanks!,” or a “Good job!” Here are the folks receiving shout-outs, along with the people who nominated them. Entries are in alphabetical order by last name and have been edited for length.
Phil Brueggemann, Business Information Technologies Teacher and DECA Advisor, Elkhorn Area School District
I am nominating Phil because this is how his colleagues describe his commitment to kids and the district: "He does so much outside the classroom for students. He's been helping with the HSBN, DECA, coffee shop, blood drive, etc. I literally can't get him to take a day for himself because he spends most of his weekends and breaks grading and giving students feedback." —Chris R. Trottier, Director of School-to-Work Opportunities, Elkhorn Area School District
Tracy Brunton, Agriculture Teacher/CTE Coordinator, Potosi School District
Mrs. Brunton is one of the most energetic teachers that I have worked with in my career. She is continually making her classroom experience engaging and most importantly, the students LOVE her! She is on top of her CTE programming and student placement in the Youth Apprenticeships in our area. She believes and cares for all her students. Her commitment is like no other and in a rural community, everyone knows Mrs. Brunton! —Sara Davis, school counselor, Potosi
Michael Dahle, Business Information Technologies Teacher/Esports Coach, Elkhorn Area School District
Mike was hired during te height of the COVID pandemic, and it was clear immediately he would advance the CTE Department. As the state director for Esports and an EAHS coach, Mike continues to advance Esports as a tool for engaging students in CS/IT. In addition, he has collaboratively coached the EAHS Esports Team that has won state championships and continues to grow exponentially. Mike's commitment to career-connected learning and his large network has afforded the district, staff, and students new opportunities to engage in experiential learning. —Chris R. Trottier, Director of School-to-Work Opportunities, Elkhorn Area School District
Anna D'Amelio, CTE Coordinator, Monona Grove High School
Anna has been at MGHS for only a couple of years, but her impact has been incredible. Her desire to learn and her passion for growing both herself and the programs at MGHS are driving forces in all that she does. She connects with students, staff, families, and employees with professionalism, always with the focus on the students' growth and learning. Her positivity and energy are such an asset. We are lucky to have her as part of our MG Team. —Susan Bishop, counselor, Monona Grove High School
Josh Fassl, Director of Dane County School Consortium, Madison Metropolitan School District
Josh works tirelessly to give students opportunities in CTE classes, work-based learning, and youth apprenticeship. When Dane County School Districts faced challenges in this area, he rose to the occasion, founded Dane County School Consortium, and directs the statewide coalition of similar organizations and CESAs. —Ryan Leonhardt, Workforce Advisor, Transfr Inc.
Jamie Gonzalez, International Baccalaureate Coordinator and Spanish Teacher, Ronald Reagan High School, Milwaukee
I have partnered with Jamie and Reagan High School to provide students with opportunities to learn about assisted living though job shadows, as well as part-time employment/YA experiences. Jamie's willingness to provide her students with as many career exploration opportunities as possible is apparent. We worked together to create a hands-on job shadow experience that was engaging and efficient for Reagan students. This has become a successful event that occurs each semester, and has produced multiple opportunities for students to be caregivers/CNAs while in high school and college. It has also opened doors for students when they obtain a college degree. Jamie’s students are always prepared with a polished resume and soft skills that you do not expect high school students to have. Jamie and Reagan High School are easy to work with and most definitely deserve a shout-out for the great work being done. —Sam Smith, HR Business Partner-Talent Acquisition Manager, Capri Communities LLC
Tony Ingram, CTE Instructor, Winneconne School District
Tony is passionately committed to the knowledge and opportunity CTE creates for students. He is so committed that when he “retired” from the base academy, he relocated to Winneconne to teach CTE there. —Ryan Leonhardt, Workforce Advisor, Transfr Inc.
Stephanie Johnston, Vice President of Career Programming, Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County
Stephanie has been opening pathways and driving CTE enrollment for years in her work with Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP). As VP with BGC, she is helping launch and program the largest career center in BGC history. She works tirelessly to give all students, including those whose gender or race are not represented in trades, the opportunities created by CTE learning. —Ryan Leonhardt, Workforce Advisor, Transfr Inc.
Tammy Krug-Pickart, CTE Coordinator and Joscelyn Deanovich, Career Specialist, Fond du Lac High School
Tammy and Joscelyn both work extremely hard to promote our CTE programming. Some recent examples include increasing our youth apprenticeship (YA) participation, conducting a middle school CTE high school visit day, holding a Women in the Trades event, and much more! They are always creating opportunities for our students to engage and learn within CTE! We are lucky to have such an awesome team working with our students! —Tiffany Michalkiewicz, Counselor, Fond du Lac High School
Michelle McGlynn, CTE Coordinator, Waunakee Community School District
Michelle works to ensure that all students have the opportunity to experience CTE in her school district. She goes out of her way to provide a good experience for students. She is an excellent CTE leader. —Greg Benz, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Jackie Miller, CTE Coordinator, Ag Teacher, Alternative Education Coordinator, Wonewoc-Union Center School District
Jackie has an unmatched passion for helping students pursue the career path that is right for them, and embodies the spirit of college- AND career-readiness. Under her guidance, wisdom, and compassion, students feel empowered to follow their hearts to the career of their dreams. Not content to rest on her laurels, Jackie is constantly trying to incorporate the latest skills and provide ample opportunities for students to go directly from receiving their diploma to a high-paying job. Working with Jackie is a dream come true as a school counselor. I can go to Jackie with any student who is showing an interest in a trade, and she will not only the knowledge and support that come from her role as a CTE coordinator, but also will identify resources, job opportunities, and apprenticeship locations to nurture their talents. Thank you, Jackie, for everything you do! —Samantha Swanson, 6-12 School Counselor
Dennis Mossholder, CTE Teacher, Madison East High School
Dennis is an amazing educator and a passionate advocate for his students. He is always advocating for CTE programs and finding creative ways to engage his students in the trades. His current students create wonderful pieces with his careful and meticulous way of teaching. Former students often come back to talk with him as he is always excited to see where they are or where they are headed in life. He genuinely cares for each of his students and helps them understand how his class can connect to other courses or even their lives outside of school. East is extremely grateful to have Dennis! —Tyler Kastner, College & Career Coordinator, Madison East High School
Travis Mueller, Technical Education Teacher, Wrightstown Middle School
Travis Mueller has worked diligently with his colleagues to completely redesign the MS STEM Makerspace. Based upon the forward thinking of our school board and the investment they have made into this area, Travis was able to take a space that was, at best, traditional technical education with "vintage" equipment and transform it into an area that boasts components of computer-aided design and manufacturing as well as robotics and coding. It has been exciting to see our students come alive as they engage in hands-on experiences that stretch their levels of problem-solving and critical thinking. Along with the improvements to the learning environment, Travis has retooled the units of study to better align not only with the Wisconsin Standards, but also with Academic and Career Planning tenets and growing community partnerships with local industry. As an administrator in the district, I am excited for the learning taking place and the opportunities our students will enjoy based upon these changes. —Robert Caelwaerts Principal, Wrightstown Middle School
Adriana Plach, Continuous Improvement Coordinator, Pewaukee High School
Adriana does an amazing job! She advocates and cares about her students. She tries to find them new and exciting opportunities to fit their needs. She is well deserving of a shout-out for all the hard work and partnerships she's built. —Courtney Long, Administrative Assistant, Saputo Inc., Lancaster
Britta Rotering, Supervisor of Career & Technical Education, La Crosse School District
Britta is great at connecting our students with meaningful apprenticeship opportunities and supporting school counselors in CTE pathways. She is connected with career days for our students and building more apprenticeships in the community. —Susan McParker, School Counselor
Michael Thomas, Technology and Engineering Teacher (machining and fabrication), Elkhorn Area School
Mike was hired directly from industry, and he immediately stepped in to assist us in the purchase and design of a new manufacturing facility. He has continued to work with local partners to feed the employment pipeline, and local businesses regard Mike's students has the best trained of any school in the area. Over his career, he has partnered with local businesses to manufacture their products in our shop, and he continues to seek opportunities to grow as a professional. —Chris R. Trottier, Director of School-to-Work Opportunities, Elkhorn Area School District
Austin Thorson, Technology and Engineering Teacher (automotive), Elkhorn Area School
Austin works tirelessly for students. He has remodeled his curriculum to align with best practices, created an Auto Club that competes regionally and nationally with great success, and hosts Open Shop Night, which allows students, families, and community members to work on their vehicles in the Elkhorn Area School District auto shop. Austin has developed strategic partnerships and is highly respected and regarded by local automotive centers for feeding the employment pipeline with talented and trained students. —Chris R. Trottier, Director of School-to-Work Opportunities, Elkhorn Area School District
Ben Warning and Travis Schindel, Technology/Engineering, Bonduel School District
Ben and Travis have been teaching for the Bonduel School District for 21 years. They work directly with the trades and hear firsthand what skills industry leaders in the community are looking for in students, which guides their curriculum decisions. Many of the classes Ben and Travis teach are transcribed with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) for dual credit, which required them to be trained/certified as adjunct instructors. Their commitment and passion for their students drive them to stay on the cutting edge and instill that into their students daily through project-based learning. The focus for ALL their students is to gain an understanding of manufacturing and the trades, understand the value of these careers, and fully explore them as viable career options. Ben and Travis also make it a priority to educate parents by hosting events for parents/community members to explore the shops, labs, and the machinery. Their collaboration with manufacturing/trades leaders helps develop future talent for local organizations while closing the skills gap. Along the way, they work to instill the “Four Cs: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity for careers.” —Laura Warning, School Counselor, School District of Bonduel
Jenny Wehmeier, Family Consumer Science Teacher, Elkhorn Area School District
When Jenny was hired, she immediately set a clear vision for the Family Consumer Science program. She organized her team to review and analyze the entire curriculum while aligning it to industry standards; started an FCCLA chapter that now competes locally, regionally, and nationally; worked with DECA to start the ElK Café; and finalized a catering business so students could participate in experiential learning. The Family Consumer Science Department has grown significantly since Jenny's arrival, and her commitment, leadership, and will to create amazing opportunities for all students continues to be the driving force behind their success. —Chris R. Trottier, Director of School-to-Work Opportunities, Elkhorn Area School District
Noah Werner, Technology Education Teacher and ACP Advisor, School District of Greenwood
Noah ensures that all our students are getting the necessary Academic & Career Planning (ACP) lessons each week! He creates and oversees the delivery of all ACP lessons, organizes and supervises our youth apprenticeship (YA) and School-to-Work programs, and takes the lead in setting up mock interviews for our juniors. These are just a few things that Noah does to go above and beyond, ensuring our students graduate college- and career-ready! We are lucky to have him! —Joe Green, District Administrator, School District of Greenwood
Jon Winter, CTE Coordinator, Wausau School District
Jon served as my mentor during my CTE Coordinator internship. During this experience, I was able to see firsthand the level of care and commitment Jon puts into the CTE departments at his district. Jon has gone above and beyond to make sure the students of the Wausau area have an exceptional CTE experience by finding creative ways to fund and enhance CTE programs. Jon's willingness to take on an intern to help grow CTE speaks to the kind of selfless professional he is and his commitment to CTE. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him. —Kyle Jeffress, Tech Ed Teacher (aspiring CTE Coordinator), Ladysmith High School