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Spring Quarterly Newsletter

Hello, Region V Members!

It has been such a joy serving Region V and all of you. The past three years have just flown by, it’s hard to believe that it’s over already! “Celebrate endings – for they precede new beginnings.” Jonathan Lockwood Huie. It’s time to celebrate Region V and the transition to our new vice president, Craig Statucki, from Nevada, that begins his term a little early. Craig will begin on April 15. Craig is passionate about career and technical education (CTE), and he will be an excellent Region V vice president. When you get the chance, please congratulate Craig on his new role!

I am so thankful to our policy committee members and committee chairs. Everyone brings a unique lens to the policy committee and brings excellent ideas and innovative ways to support our members. The policy committee is like a board of directors for the region. There are six policy committee members that support you as well as four committee chairs that keep our committees functioning well. I would like to thank the following amazing people for their dedication to Region V and their support over the past three years:

• Shelly Thome, Arizona, Policy Committee Member
• Alyssa Alcos, Hawaii, Policy Committee Member
• Trish Zugg, Alaska, Policy Committee Member
• Shari Jerde, North Dakota, Policy Committee Member
• Nora Zollweg, Washington, Policy Committee Member
• Rachel Gonzalez, Utah, Policy Committee Member
• Craig Statucki, Nevada, Awards Chair
• Jayme Fitzpatrick, Arizona, Marketing, Membership, and New Ideas Chair
• Dodie Bemis, South Dakota, Nominating Chair
• Tim Knue, Washington, Legislative Chair

Every transition brings change. There are many transitions coming for me in the next few months. I am grateful to ACTE for hiring me as their new chief financial officer and will begin working with ACTE to begin the transition. Since I will be transitioning starting April 15, Craig will step in early as the new Region V vice president. I am thankful to Craig for being willing to step in and start a couple of months early. I am excited to continuing serving you in my new role. 

Sincerely,

Shani Watkins

VP, ACTE Region V

Region News

Region V Important Dates

Your Region V policy committee members have been hard at work preparing several opportunities for us to meet and collaborate with Region V members. Check out this calendar of events and opportunities to engage and connect with one another, both virtually and in person! As opportunities are added, we will continue to update this document and share with you! Region V Calendar. This calendar includes hotlinks to a variety of helpful tools and materials for you. Check them out! 

2024 Region V Conference

A Huge Shout Out to Hawaii ACTE for putting on an incredible Region V conference in Honolulu from April 9–12. The conference was attended by at least one member from each of our Region V represented states and territories. Attendees had the opportunity to go on several pre-conference experiences, including the Bishop Museum and a Submarine Tour, as well as experience local cuisine, learn local traditions, and participate in a sunset dinner and cruise to Diamond Head. During the opening session, we were treated to a hula dance performed by a member from each state and territory. This was such a great experience to watch, the dancers were fantastic!

This year, the Region V auction focused on direct support for the victims of the Maui fire. The team raised more than $6,000 and 100% of those funds will go directly to support the Maui victims.

At the end of the conference, there were two grand prizes for those that were at the closing employer event. The first prize was 30,000 miles from Hawaiian Airlines; congratulations to Tina Statucki, from Nevada, for winning the miles! The second prize was a free registration to the ACTE VISION Conference in San Antonio this November/December; congratulations to Tony Sharpe, from Washington, for winning the free registration! 

2025 ACTE Region V Conference

Region V is excited to announce that the 2025 ACTE Region Conference will be held in beautiful Las Vegas from April 30 – May 3. The Nevada ACTE Team is already hard at work to develop an amazing conference for you. Click here to learn more and register for the conference.

Region V Turns 50 in 2025 

Region V is almost 50! As part of the conference in 2025, the conference planning committee is looking for pictures from Region V past conferences. If you have any pictures from prior conferences, you are willing to share, please send to Jenn Fisk.

Membership - Accept the Challenge 

Region V has many individuals that attend our conferences, and yet, they are not taking full advantage of the many benefits of being an ACTE member. Region V is the best region and you deserve to earn the additional supports that are included in your annual ACTE membership. Just a few of the benefits include, access to Techniques Magazine, Networking and Professional development, Advocacy and Awareness, Member Only Discounts, Recognition, and more! When you become an ACTE member you automatically become a Region V member. To become an ACTE member click here.

Take the One Question Region V Survey

Please take our one question Region V survey! This month’s question: How do you encourage creativity and innovation in your students?

Inclusion, Access, Equity, and Diversity (IAED) Mentorship Program

ACTE's commitment to Inclusion, Access, Equity, and Diversity (IAED) and to developing leaders in CTE is on display with the highest numbers of participants in the IAED Mentorship program since its inception. The 2024 cohort consists of 38 Mentees and 21 Mentors. We are proud to announce that 21 of the total 59 participants are from Region V! Thank you for your continued leadership.

Apply Now to be on a Region V Committee!

Are you looking to get more involved in Region V? There are many ways to be involved, including participating on the policy committee or joining one of the four Region V committees (Awards, Membership, Marketing, and New Ideas, Nominating, and Legislative).

Bring your voice and CTE experience and apply now to participate on one of the many committees. To submit a nomination form, click here.

Region V Conference & Awards

2025 ACTE Region V Conference

Now that the 2024 Region V Leadership Conference is over, we want to let you all know that Nevada will be hosting the 2025 Region V Leadership Conference! The first Region V Conference was held there in 1976, so in celebration of the 50th anniversary, they will be hosting again! The conference will be April 30 - May 3, 2025, at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, so mark your calendars now! Registration opens next month, but you can check out the website here.

Region V Award Winners

The Association of Career and Technical Educators (ACTE) Region V held its annual conference on April 9–12 at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, HI.  

The Publication Awards and Innovative Program Award

The Publication Awards and Innovative Program Awards were presented on Wednesday. The following states received ACTE Region V Publication Awards and received a digital badge to display on future publications:

ACTE Advocacy: Montana

Conference Program: Nevada

Membership Recruitment: Nevada

Newsletter: Nevada

Website: Guam

The Innovative Program Award

The Innovative Program Awards recognize innovative CTE programs from each Region V state that are unique, novel, and are serving to improve and promote the image of CTE. Receiving Innovative Program Awards this year were:

Steve Novak and Trish Zugg, Alaska, TangoFlight & MSBSD Aviation Technology Program

Eric Bennett, Arizona, Racing the Sun at Shadow Ridge High School in the Dysart Unified School District

Molly Barta and Jordan Hasquet, Montana, Business in the 406 program at Skyview High School

Corina Mattson, Nevada, Teaching and Training at Northwest Career and Technical Academy

Paul Zettler and Zach Buchhop, North Dakota, Information Technology (IT) program at Grand Forks Public Schools

Josh Christiansen and Tara Fastert, South Dakota, Agriculture, Foods, and Natural Resources Program at Harrisburg School District

Andrea Call, Pepper Poulsen, and Mike Haynes, Utah, Jordan School District Entrepreneurship Academy

Marcus Sullivan, Washington, Mechatronics through STEM

ACTE Region V Excellence Award Winners

On Saturday, 64 state award winners from Region V states and the island of Guam vied for the title of ACTE Region V Excellence Award winner. These awards recognize members for their contributions to CTE. The following people were chosen as award recipients for 2024.

ACTE Region V New Teacher of the Year

Sarah Huber was presented with the ACTE Region V New Teacher of the Year award. This award recognizes teachers who have made a significant contribution toward innovative CTE programs and have shown accomplishments early in his/her professional career. Sarah is a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher for Cross County Schools in Stromsburg, Nebraska.

ACTE Region V Postsecondary Professional of the Year

Jennifer Kline was presented the ACTE Region V Postsecondary Professional of the Year award. This award recognizes the accomplishments and innovations contributed to the CTE community by a postsecondary teacher/educator. Jennifer is a Program Manager at GateWay Community College in Phoenix, Arizona.  

ACTE Region V Teacher Educator of the Year

Scott Caldwell was presented the ACTE Region V Teacher Educator of the Year award. 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. Scott is the JROTC Director for Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada.

ACTE Region V Teacher of the Year

Dave Dein was presented the ACTE Region V Teacher of the Year award. This award recognizes teachers who have provided outstanding CTE programs in their respective fields and communities. Dave is a Supply Chain and Logistics-Commercial Truck Driving CTE Teacher for Patterson Joint Unified School District in Patterson, California.

ACTE Region V Administrator of the Year

Dave Gardner was presented the ACTE Region V Administrator of the Year award. This award recognizes an administrator who has made significant contributions to CTE programs in their communities and/or state. Dave is the Director of Career & Technical Education for Washington County School District in St. George, Utah.

ACTE Region V Carl Perkins Community Service Award Winner

Troy Reichert was presented the ACTE Region V Carl Perkins Community Service Award. This award recognizes a CTE professional who has made significant accomplishments and demonstrated leadership in programs and activities that promote community service. Troy is an Industrial Technology Education teacher for Guernsey-Sunrise Public School in Guernsey, Wyoming.

ACTE Region V Career Guidance Award Winner

Greg Friedman was presented the ACTE Region V Career Guidance Award. This award recognizes a school counselor or career development professional who has made significant contributions to CTE programs in his/her communities and/or state. Greg is a Job Development and Training Technician for Merced County Office of Education in Merced, CA.

ACTE Region V Lifetime Achievement Award

Melissa Scott was presented the ACTE Region V Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes contributions and distinguished accomplishments of individuals who have been identified with the work and vision of the ACTE. Melissa is a retired Assistant Director from the Nevada Department of Education..

The ACTE Region V Excellence Award winners will advance to the national level where they compete against the other 4 Regions at CareerTech VISION 2024 to be named the ACTE Excellence Award winner of the year. CareerTech VISION 2024 will be held Dec. 4–7 in San Antonio, TX. 

Welcome Craig Statucki, Our New Region V Vice President

Craig currently serves as the Director of the Office of Career Readiness, Adult Learning, and Education Options at the Nevada Department of Education (NDE or Department) and oversees the state’s CTE programs and adult education programs. He started at the Department on March 16, 2020, which is the date school buildings closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During Craig’s time at the Department, he has also served as the Interim Deputy Superintendent for the Division of Educator Effectiveness and Family Engagement leading up to and during the 2023 Legislative Session.

Prior to his arrival at the Department, Craig was an educator in Clark County School District since 2001. He was most recently an Assistant Principal at East Career and Technical Academy. Craig served as the Community Partnership Coordinator at Southwest Career and Technical Academy after opening the school’s digital game development program. His teaching career also included working at Palo Verde High School and Durango high school and he taught a variety of subject areas including algebra, 3D animation and graphic design, financial literacy, and business law.

Craig has been very active in CTE and has served in several leadership roles at the state, region, and national levels. Craig served on the Board of Directors for the Nevada Association for Career and Technical Education (Nevada ACTE) as president before becoming their executive director for five years. Craig currently serves on the national ACTE Awards committee and is the ACTE Region V Awards Chair. He has also served on the ACTE Region V Policy Committee, was president of the ACTE’s National Executive Director Association, and was inducted in the ACTE Region V Hall of Fame in April 2020.

Craig earned a bachelor's and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He also earned his teaching endorsement in secondary education from the University of Phoenix and administrative leadership from Sierra Nevada College.

"Have a healthy disrespect for the impossible" - Larry Page, Patrick Pichette, Google

From ACTE

The Early Bird Gets the Best VISION Rates



ACTE’s CareerTech VISION is the must-attend event for career and technical education (CTE) professionals! Happening Dec. 4–7 in San Antonio, Texas, VISION offers attendees:

• Hundreds of concurrent sessions covering high-quality secondary and postsecondary CTE
• Inspirational keynote speakers sharing innovations in CTE
• CareerTech Expo with hundreds of exhibits, workshops and live demonstrations
• Numerous networking opportunities to forge meaningful professional connections with educators and industry leaders

Register by July 31 for the best rates!

Calling all Postsecondary CTE Professionals!

ACTE’s Postsecondary CTE Summit happens Sept. 18–20 in Chicago, Illinois, and we hope to see you there! Tackling critical issues in postsecondary CTE, this event addresses apprenticeship models, best practices related to faculty recruitment and retention, and strategies for securing business partnerships. Interested in presenting? The deadline to submit you presentation proposals is May 17.

Call for ACTE Board of Director Nominations

As a member of ACTE's board of directors, you have the opportunity to determine the direction of the Association and make an impact on CTE programs, professionals and students nationwide. ACTE encourages you to apply for one of several open board positions. Applications are due June 15.

Boutique Event for CTE Administrators

Join us this Oct. 9–11 in Portland, Oregon for ACTE’s and NCLA’s Best Practices and Innovations in CTE Conference with focused content on strengthening the field for CTE administrators of both secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and institutions.

Delivering $2,500 in Scholarship Money

Encourage students and adult learners, ages 18–35, to apply for the Horatio Alger Association Career and Technical Education Scholarship, worth up to $2,500 to pursue CTE. The application is open now through June 17. To request a presentation to students or educators please email Julia Kasper at jkasper@acteonline.org.

Now Accepting Impact Awards Applications

The ACTE Impact Awards recognize groups and individuals from the education, business and industry communities who contribute to the improvement and promotion CTE. The deadline to apply for the Impact awards, the Business-Education Partnership Award and the Champion for CTE Award, is June 30.

New Teach CTE Workshop 

ACTE’s Teach CTE initiative focuses on addressing teacher recruitment and retention challenges and preparing tomorrow’s CTE teaching workforce. To support this effort, ACTE is pleased to offer an upcoming Teach CTE workshop — Developing Customized CTE Educator Retention, Professional Learning and Support Programs — at the ACTE Region III Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 12, 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $225 and includes lunch.