Executive Update: March 15, 2023
Important Dates
March 21: “The SkillsUSA Advantage” Report Webinar
May 4: National Signing Day
May 8: SkillsUSA’s 58th Anniversary
May 7-13: National Week of Service
June 17-19: SkillsUSA Leverage, Activate and Engage Training, Atlanta
June 19-23: National Leadership & Skills Conference, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta
Aug. 15-18: State Director Association Professional Development and Training Conference, Columbus, Ohio
New Social Media Specialist for the Office of Communications
We’re excited to announce that Brooke Gatchell joined SkillsUSA’s national staff on March 13 as our new social media specialist. Brooke knows SkillsUSA well from a variety of perspectives. In her 11 years of involvement with the organization so far, she’s held roles as a competitor, officer, facilitator (on the regional, state and national levels), program coordinator and chapter advisor. She also served as a SkillsUSA national officer during 2018-19. Brooke brings an already deep commitment to our mission, claiming that it “changed the trajectory of my life.” Please join us welcoming Brooke to our national team!
Final Call for “The SkillsUSA Advantage” Report Webinar
Join other stakeholders on March 21 at 3:30 p.m. ET for a webinar on the new “SkillsUSA Advantage” report, which highlights how SkillsUSA experiences create purpose, passion and skill in every student. SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Ricardo Romanillos will discuss the report’s findings that SkillsUSA members consistently outperform peers who are not enrolled in career and technical student organizations (CTSOs). Attendees will receive resources, including two digital reports and a PowerPoint deck to help you share this information with school administrators, community leaders and others as you advocate for SkillsUSA and career and technical education. Register by March 19 and participate in the session to be eligible for door prizes.
State Conference Program Templates on the Brand Portal
Cover templates (front and back) for your 2022-2023 State Leadership & Skills Conference digital or print programs are now available on the SkillsUSA Brand Assets page. Once on the page, click the “Customizable Templates” button. There you’ll find templates for letter-sized (8.5″ x 11″) and half-letter-sized (5.5″ x 8.5″) covers. A video tutorial that walks you through the process is available to assist you with customizing and printing the covers. For questions or assistance, contact Scott Price.
Student Scholarships Available for SkillsUSA Activate and Leverage
The SkillsUSA Leadership Development Scholarship provides financial support for top students to participate in SkillsUSA’s Activate and Leverage leadership trainings to be held in Atlanta, June 17-19. The scholarships are funded by former SkillsUSA board president and Caterpillar executive Robert L. Flint. State directors must submit the applications for scholarship candidates, and the deadline is May 5.
Generate Great PR for Your State Conference
Leverage your State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC) to generate positive attention for your SkillsUSA association, individual students and schools, and for SkillsUSA as a whole. Public relations efforts can yield future financial or in-kind support from industry partners and program support from the school system. To help gain that positive PR, SkillsUSA encourages state directors to:
- Form a state public relations committee prior to your SLSC.
- Distribute a press release prior to SLSC with dates and event highlights.
- Email a press release to participating schools and local and state media outlets.
- Send a Media Alert to local and state media outlets a few days prior to your SLSC.
- Distribute a press release after SLSC to highlight medalists and honorees.
- Share the release with the media, participating schools, partners and public officials.
- Include your delegates, new state officers and Chapters of Excellence schools in your press releases.
A SLSC Media Kit with more detailed information is posted on the State Association Gateway and in the Press Room. We’ve also provided sample state press releases you can personalize for your events.
2022-23 Advisor of the Year Deadline is Approaching
This year’s Advisor of the Year (AOY) information and resources for state SkillsUSA directors are located on the State Association Gateway. There are two separate guides: one for state associations that use the SkillsUSA Register site to collect and judge state-level AOY applications and the other for states that select their AOY using their own process and then submit a winner to the national AOY program. The deadline for state directors to submit recipients is April 1. For questions, contact Marcia Strickland.
NLSC 2023 Courtesy Corps Members Needed
SkillsUSA needs 120 or more National Courtesy Corps (NCC) members to support the 2023 National Leadership & Skills Conference. This much-appreciated group supports the technical committees and the overall conference experience, and it’s a great way for students to network with industry partners and SkillsUSA students from across the nation. NCC members receive free registration plus housing, local transportation, meals and entertainment. NCC participants are housed at the Georgia Tech Woodruff North Residence Hall in Atlanta. For eligibility requirements, visit the National Courtesy Corps web page. For questions, contact Tracy Whitehead. The deadline for nominations is May 16. State directors will receive a list of applicants from their state to approve on May 18.
Press Release Template for State Conference Participants
New on the SkillsUSA Advocacy Site is a press release template for state conference participants and others to share competition results with local media. Parents, instructors, students or anyone can send emails. Please spread the word about this important tool at your state conferences. For questions, email Jane Short.
State Awards Reminder for Advisor of the Year
SkillsUSA supplies state-level Advisor of the Year (AOY) awards at no charge to present at your state conferences. Each state may order an award for a secondary AOY and one for a college/postsecondary AOY. To order your award, email Kim DeVenuto at the SkillsUSA Store. Awards are custom-produced and shipped from the manufacturer, so order early and allow three weeks for delivery. Be sure to include this information in your email: “SkillsUSA State Advisor of the Year Award” as the subject, the correct spelling of the name of the advisor to be honored, your state association, your shipping address (no P.O. boxes), and the date you need your award delivered. For questions, contact Laura Rauch.
State Director Updates
Texas High School: Crystal Latham-Alford is the interim state director for Texas high school division. The high school state personnel have not changed and will handle mail and other items as they have in the past. Continue to use the phone number 903-887-4013 to reach Crystal, as all calls will be forwarded to her.
Kentucky: Effective March 1, Kimberly Woodall became the new Kentucky state director. Former state director Melanie Jamison will be retiring on March 31. The address and office phone for the state office has not changed. Kimberly’s email is Kimberly.Woodall@education.ky.gov.
Due Dates
April
April 1: President’s Volunteer Service Award applications due
April 1: State deadline to advance gold Chapter of Distinction applications for selection as Models of Excellence
April 1: SkillsUSA Master Scholarship applications due
April 1: Sharon Melton Myers Scholarship applications due
April 1: Advisor of the Year state recipients due
April 3: NLSC Registration open
April 10: ECMC College Grant applications due
April 10: Lowe’s Gable Grant applications due
April 21: National Signing Day registrations due
April 28: National Anthem entries due by 5 p.m.
April 30: CareerSafe National Youth Video Safety Contest entries due
May
May 5: Applications due for Activate and Leverage Scholarships
May 16: National Courtesy Corps nominations due
May 16: NLSC and Pre-NLSC (Activate, Leverage and Engage) registrations due
May 16: NLSC hotel reservations due
May 19: Confirm NLSC state hotel reservation block, if applicable
May 22: NLSC Travel Scholarship applications due
June
June 1: National Officer applications due
June 1: NLSC Request for Special Accommodations forms due
July
July 26: Student Research Foundation Scholarship applications due
