- On Friday, August 13, during the state association directors’ conference, Laurie Gostley-Hackett, manager of philanthropy and community relations at Air Products, presented a check for $100,000 on behalf of Air Products to SkillsUSA. I updated the group on our plans to honor John McGlade, chairman, president, and CEO of Air Products during the inaugural CEO Champion of the Year Award dinner. Air Products will be the dinner host at the Waldorf-Astoria on October 18. I also told them we have plans to stream the event live on the Internet so every state association can be involved. Laurie’s passion for SkillsUSA was obvious. I’m pleased to say that both Toyota and Snap-on have also pledged support for the dinner. A list of high-level dinner attendees will be compiled to help generate excitement and we hope we will encourage CEOs and executives of other current SkillsUSA partners to attend. Formal invitations will be sent via e-mail by September. Questions and requests for more information can be directed to Chris Powell at cpowell@skillsusa.org or 703-737-0621.
- We’ve finished faxing the lists of Championships medalists to Congress and to the governors. We’ve received a lot of requests for home addresses already and expect more will be coming. And, we’re well underway for the Washington Leadership Training Institute this month.
- Staff had a great chapter management workshop in Annapolis with a group of advisors new to SkillsUSA in Maryland. State Association Director Chuck Wallace set everything up.
- I recently returned from Bristol, Tenn., where I attended the IRWIN Bristol Night Race with Board Member Nick Morrisroe and I had a great time.
- And, last week I attended the Youth Development Foundation meeting hosted by Delmar, Cengage Learning in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Highlights
September 1st, 2010Student Officers Getting Assignments
August 15th, 2010We had a great time with the 15 national officers on July 22-29. Some of them said they didn’t want to go home because they were having such a good time here. There was lots of bonding and growth among the students. And, they’ve already left their mark on the National Leadership Center—they planted a dogwood tree in commemoration of their time here and the upcoming work of their team. Before the end of training, the officers elected Ariel Padilla (Texas) as the chair of the Joint Executive Council (JEC) and he will be the national officers’ representative to the board of directors. Loree Hayden (Ill.) was elected vice chair of the JEC representing college/postsecondary and Janie Martinez (Texas) was elected secretary of the JEC and is representing the high school division.
We’ll be testing their training soon. Two officers will be accompanying me on their first Goodwill Tour at the end of August when we go to Winston Salem, N.C. for a Lowe’s vendor luncheon. Also, Katie Grimnes (Wash.) and Ricky Jordan (Mass.) will be the officers speaking at Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon during the Washington Leadership Training Institute.
Highlights
August 15th, 2010- On July 30, staff directors held an off-site retreat just across the river in Maryland to prepare for activities beginning this fall with particular emphasis on membership and marketing. We began with a Vision 2020 discussion and moved through funding priorities, the CEO Champion of the Year initiative and SkillsUSA WorldTeam. We’ve got a good management team with lots of ideas.
- The State Association Director Annual Professional Development and Training Conference was just held in Herndon, Va. on August 10-15. New state association directors arrived on Tuesday, August 10, and began their training that evening. Experienced directors arrived on August 11. They had a packed schedule with lots of best practice sessions on association management. We had seven new directors attending, and 41 directors and assistant directors in all, and 34 state associations were represented.
- We recently held a meeting at the center with E-Group to compare notes on the SkillsUSA Store at conference and to prepare for this coming fall. There have also been lots of meetings preparing for the Washington Leadership Training Institute.
Reminder: Washington Leadership Training Institute September 18-22, 2010
August 15th, 2010The Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI), a five-day advanced leadership program for students and advisors, will be held September 18-22, 2010 at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport near the SkillsUSA National Leadership Center and Washington, D.C. Students who are interested must apply and be accepted through their respective state director’s office and have state approval prior to registering. Student sessions focus on how an individual can affect change: The impact of the individual as a leader, citizen and employee; learning advocacy skills and strategies, and participation in Congressional visits “on the Hill” are the culminating activities of the Institute.
Advisors will have a separate training track centered on becoming an advocate for career and technical education. WLTI forms are available online at www.skillsusa.org/events/wlti.shtml. Please contact the national office (1-800-321-8422) if you wish to have WLTI forms mailed/faxed to you. Questions about the application process can be directed to Deborah Kenn Tripp at 1-800-321-8422, Ext. 637.
Ratings are in for WLTI. They’re Up and They’re Good
November 1st, 2009The students attending the Washington Leadership Training Institute wrote comments such as: “WLTI is one of the best things that has happened in my life” and “The experience was life changing and amazing.” I guess that’s why students ranked their conference satisfaction surveys at 4.55 on a scale of one to five with five being the highest. In the 23 areas receiving a ranking, none received a score below a four. Advisors had similar reactions. Their overall ranking was 4.53, and they wrote comments such as “I felt this was worth the work I put in” and “Transportation, sessions, outings – all were outstanding for me and my students.”
Deb Tripp ran our WLTI conference debriefing session with staff recently. She said one of the secrets to the ratings was that there was something new or different in each day’s schedule to keep the program fresh and relevant. She also reported that the community service activity during WLTI produced 406 letters to service personnel and were sent to Military Mission for delivery.
The week following WLTI, students at one school in South Carolina sent an additional 100 letters to Military Mission. We certainly struck a chord there. Two more comments from students: “Arlington and the Pentagon were WOW beyond explaining” and “I believe SkillsUSA should look into donating a tree to Arlington Cemetery. It’s something we can do that will be there a very long time.”
WLTI students Impress(ed) on the Hill
October 15th, 2009We’re still reviewing delegation reports from the students’ visits to Capitol Hill. We’ve received more detailed reports than in the past, and we know that 16 states held meetings with at least 70 different Senate and House offices on September 22. The students are always told to find common ground when visiting their senators and representatives, and at least two visits by Texas delegations yielded some surprises:
“As we toured the Capitol, we met a gentleman who is a legislative aide for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson from the 18th District in Texas. He asked us if SkillsUSA was the organization formerly known as VICA. We said yes, and he told us he had been a member when he was in high school and that VICA had laid the foundation for his success as an adult.”
Another student wrote: “Congressman Solomon Ortiz (27th District) was attentive to what we had to say. He related to what we were talking about because he had been involved in VICA. He explained how VICA had helped him get a job when he needed it most.”
The students also made strong and positive impressions on Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor Ortiz and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education Glenn Cummings. Following his visit, Mr. Cummings wrote: “I cannot tell you how happy I was to speak to your excellent group of students. It was a thrill for me to have such an attentive and passionate crowd when it comes to CTE … I would very much like to learn more about your skills assessments and performance measurements – they sound terrific.”
We’re proud of the students and advisors who participated in WLTI for carrying forward the message of career and technical education and SkillsUSA.
Highlights
October 15th, 2009On the last day of the WLTI, we met with representatives from the U.S. Army’s agency. They told us that because the economy has been bad Army recruitment has been good. As a consequence, they’ve met their recruiting goal, and their budget has been cut 42 percent. We were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Instead, they told us there are only three approved sponsorships this year and SkillsUSA is one of them. Their funding for SkillsUSA will remain level. They said the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is one of their best events all year, and they’re looking into scholarships for students to attend WLTI.
* The final transactions between Midwest Trophy and our new SkillsUSA Store were completed. The folks at E Group reported they have received the last of the inventory and everything looks good.
* In the “out and about section:” Tom Holdsworth and I had a great visit with board member Jim McKenney to discuss areas of greater cooperation between the American Association of Community Colleges and SkillsUSA, particularly on the legislative front; Marsha Daves and Bruce Potter recently returned from Alaska where they worked with chapters under the W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant; Tom Holdsworth and a representative from TSA (Technology Student Association) traveled to Baltimore on September 29 to present on the Engineering Alliance to supervisors of technology education in Maryland; I recently traveled to New Hampshire for a meeting with intelitek, and I spoke at a STEM conference there; and, (drum roll, please) last weekend I took my young grandson, Will, to Disney World. We had an awesome time!
- On the last day of the WLTI, we met with representatives from the U.S. Army’s agency. They told us that because the economy has been bad Army recruitment has been good. As a consequence, they’ve met their recruiting goal, and their budget has been cut 42 percent. We were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Instead, they told us there are only three approved sponsorships this year and SkillsUSA is one of them. Their funding for SkillsUSA will remain level. They said the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is one of their best events all year, and they’re looking into scholarships for students to attend WLTI.
- The final transactions between Midwest Trophy and our new SkillsUSA Store were completed. The folks at E Group reported they have received the last of the inventory and everything looks good.
- In the “out and about section:” Staff and I had a great visit with board member Jim McKenney to discuss areas of greater cooperation between the American Association of Community Colleges and SkillsUSA, particularly on the legislative front; Staff recently returned from Alaska where they worked with chapters under the W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant; Staff and a representative from TSA (Technology Student Association) traveled to Baltimore on September 29 to present on the Engineering Alliance to supervisors of technology education in Maryland; I recently traveled to New Hampshire for a meeting with intelitek, and I spoke at a STEM conference there; and, (drum roll, please) last weekend I took my young grandson, Will, to Disney World. We had an awesome time!
Our Second National Conference This Year
October 1st, 2009
The Washington Leadership Training Institute is complete. It was our 42nd WLTI and in my opinion, it was one of our best. While the National Leadership and Skills Conference is our best-known event, the WLTI is as close to the original mission of SkillsUSA as the Championships. Right from the beginning, the Washington Leadership Training Institute was to be our way of giving students and teachers a voice on Capitol Hill. It was their way of talking to elected officials about the importance of career and technical education and the students who have chosen this course. These delegates have now joined a long line of red blazers who have made their feelings known on the Hill since 1966. State Farm Insurance Companies sponsored the 2009 Washington Leadership Training Institute.
Delegations from 24 states – including Puerto Rico – with 70 instructors and 16 state association directors attended WLTI. The keynote speaker was Deputy Assistant Secretary Ismael (Junior) Ortiz from the Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor. Our feature speaker on Monday was Deputy Assistant Secretary Glenn A. Cummings, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), U.S. Department of Education. We also had presentations from the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Association for Career and Technical Education, Capitol Advantage, the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education consortium. This is always an excellent opportunity to show the administration and other essential partners of SkillsUSA what CTE and we can do for America.
Delegations from 24 states – including Puerto Rico – with 70 instructors and 16 state association directors attended WLTI. The keynote speaker was Deputy Assistant Secretary Ismael (Junior) Ortiz from the Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor. Our feature speaker on Monday was Deputy Assistant Secretary Glenn A. Cummings, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), U.S. Department of Education. We also had presentations from the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Association for Career and Technical Education, Capitol Advantage, the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education consortium. This is always an excellent opportunity to show the administration and other essential partners of SkillsUSA what CTE and we can do for America.
The highlight of their trip was to meet with their members of congress to discuss CTE’s role in economic development and rigorous education. We have an initial count of 89 congressional visits. The delegations also participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery and a remembrance at the 9-11 Memorial at the Pentagon.
Highlights
August 15th, 2009Highlights
The 2009-10 new national officers excelled in training and have selected their officers. The presidents are Andrew Zigler from Texas (high school) and Annalee Santos from Florida (college/postsecondary). Brandon Mullings from Florida is the college/postsecondary vice president and JEC (junior executive council) chair. The entire 2009-10 national officer listing was published in the August 1 Executive Update.
Plans are underway for this year’s Washington Leadership Training Institute, and we are delighted to announce that Deputy Assistant Secretary Glen Cummings from the U.S. Department of Education has accepted our invitation to be the luncheon speaker on Monday, September 21. We’ve also invited Jane Oates, the new Assistant Secretary for Labor, to be our opening speaker and Dane Linn, Director of Education for the National Governors Association, to be with us as part of a panel presentation for advisors.
SkillsUSA’s WorldTeam will be coming to town on August 27 for a final team gathering before leaving for Calgary. We have requested and are hopeful that Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will host a recognition event for them.
Levels 1 and 2 of the new PDP online will be beta tested by about 30 teachers in August with plans to have these levels finished and ready for purchase by September 2.
The Engineering Alliance initiative is moving forward. The Web site will be up this fall, and online leadership modules and contests are scheduled to be completed and ready for teachers in January.
- The 2009-10 new national officers excelled in training and have selected their officers. The presidents are Andrew Zigler from Texas (high school) and Annalee Santos from Florida (college/postsecondary). Brandon Mullings from Florida is the college/postsecondary vice president and JEC (junior executive council) chair. The entire 2009-10 national officer listing can be found here.
- Plans are underway for this year’s Washington Leadership Training Institute, and we are delighted to announce that Deputy Assistant Secretary Glen Cummings from the U.S. Department of Education has accepted our invitation to be the luncheon speaker on Monday, September 21. We’ve also invited Jane Oates, the new Assistant Secretary for Labor, to be our opening speaker and Dane Linn, Director of Education for the National Governors Association, to be with us as part of a panel presentation for advisors.
- SkillsUSA’s WorldTeam will be coming to town on August 27 for a final team gathering before leaving for Calgary. We have requested and are hopeful that Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will host a recognition event for them.
- Levels 1 and 2 of the new PDP online will be beta tested by about 30 teachers in August with plans to have these levels finished and ready for purchase by September 2.
- The Engineering Alliance initiative is moving forward. The Web site will be up this fall, and online leadership modules and contests are scheduled to be completed and ready for teachers in January.
Washington Leadership Training Institute – September 19-23, 2009 Reminder
July 15th, 2009The Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI), a five-day advanced leadership program for students and advisors, will be held September 19-23, 2009 at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport near the SkillsUSA National Center and Washington, D.C. Students who are interested must apply and be accepted through their respective state director’s office and have state approval prior to registering. Student sessions focus on how an individual can affect change: The impact of the individual as a leader, citizen and employee; learning advocacy skills and strategies, and participation in Congressional visits “on the Hill” are the culminating activities of the Institute.
Advisors will have a separate training track centered on becoming an advocate for career and technical education. WLTI forms are available online at http://www.skillsusa.org/training.html. Please contact the national office (1-800-321-8422) if you wish to have WLTI forms mailed/faxed to you. Questions about the application process can be directed to Deborah Kenn Tripp at 1-800-321-8422, Ext. 637.
The Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI), a five-day advanced leadership program for students and advisors, will be held September 19-23, 2009 at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport near the SkillsUSA National Center and Washington, D.C. Students who are interested must apply and be accepted through their respective state director’s office and have state approval prior to registering. Student sessions focus on how an individual can affect change: The impact of the individual as a leader, citizen and employee; learning advocacy skills and strategies, and participation in Congressional visits “on the Hill” are the culminating activities of the Institute.
Advisors will have a separate training track centered on becoming an advocate for career and technical education. WLTI forms are available online at www.skillsusa.org/events/wlti.shtml. Please contact the national office (1-800-321-8422) if you wish to have WLTI forms mailed/faxed to you. Questions about the application process can be directed to Deborah Kenn Tripp at 1-800-321-8422, Ext. 637.
