PACE Business Meeting

This year PACE Division will be doing a virtual business meeting so every member will have the opportunity to attend. This will allow us to dedicate more time during the Opening Session to recognize our award winners and highlight our sponsor.

ACTE Postsecondary, Adult and Career Education Business Meeting

Tuesday, Nov. 11

2:00–3:30 p.m.

Click the button below to register for the meeting. The agenda will be sent out prior to the meeting.

ACTE PACE AWARDS

The awards portal is open for submissions! Portal closes Oct. 17.

Please take the time to apply to showcase the great work you are doing!

Awards Categories:

• The Emerging New Professional Award - Do you know a rising star, a game-changer with 1–5 years in postsecondary education, who's already making waves as faculty, administrator, workforce guru, or adult education champion? Nominate them! They must be a current PACE member and ready for their moment in the spotlight.

• The Innovation Award - Who has had a groundbreaking idea or collaborative team effort that has impacted career and technical education (CTE)? Let's celebrate the boldest and most inventive activity! If they're a current PACE member, their ingenuity deserves to be recognized.

• The Workforce Development Award - Who's powering our economic engine and building a stronger workforce through exceptional training and impactful initiatives? Let's applaud the visionaries and implementers driving growth! Current PACE members leading the charge are eligible.

• The Ambassador of the Year Award - Who is our most passionate advocate, tirelessly spreading the word about the incredible work of PACE and CTE? Let's honor the enthusiastic connector who shines a light on our division! Nominees must be current PACE members.

• The Award of Excellence - For the titans of CTE, the seasoned professionals with a decade or more of dedication! Let's celebrate the trailblazers and pillars who have shaped our division with their outstanding contributions. Current PACE members with 10+ years of experience, your time to be honored is now!

Welcome Dona Orr

I would like to take to introduce you to Dona Orr, Postsecondary CTE Manager. 

Dona Orr joined ACTE in September as the Postsecondary CTE Manager, bringing over 20 years of experience in postsecondary education and 12 years in state-level CTE administration. She served as faculty in both postsecondary CTE programs and university teacher preparation and held leadership roles at the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education, including Director of Professional Development and Director of Program Quality.

Dona is a passionate supporter of association membership and service, and she has been actively engaged with ACTE and its affiliates for many years. Dona is deeply dedicated to advancing postsecondary CTE through advocacy, mentorship, and professional development—all supporting high-quality educators and programs.

In her new role at ACTE, Dona will support the PACE Division, oversee the Postsecondary CTE Summit, lead the NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Fellowship, and cultivate strategic partnerships and sponsorships to benefit postsecondary members.

Apply for the NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Fellowship!

Are you ready to lead the future of postsecondary career and technical education? Applications are now open for the 2026 cohort of the NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leadership Fellowship — a transformative, yearlong experience designed to elevate your leadership, expand your professional network, and amplify your impact. Fellows receive immersive training, personalized mentorship, and opportunities for national-level advocacy and exposure.

Learn more about program expectations, costs, and benefits below. Applications are due by Dec. 15, and the journey begins Jan. 28.

Upcoming PACE Webinars

High School Dual Enrollment as a Purposeful Pathway to College and Career Opportunity



Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Nationwide, nearly 2.5 million high school students take “dual enrollment” (DE) college courses each year providing an opportunity to explore and gain momentum into college and career pathways. In this presentation, CCRC will share its DEEP framework drawn from field research to college and K–12 partners that are implementing DE as an on-ramp to career-path degree programs with a particular focus on students in underserved high schools and communities. Attendees will learn how college and K–12 dual enrollment partnerships in diverse local contexts are strengthening secondary and postsecondary CTE alignment through a DEEP approach.

Workforce Board & CTE

Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 3:00 p.m. ET

PACE Spotlight

Name

David J. Shofstahl

Location

Clifton Forge, Virginia

My Journey in CTE

My journey in CTE began on a job site at age 16 with a masonry apprenticeship that served as my primary education after I dropped out of high school. Later, as a construction employer, I learned that intentional mentorship was the most critical component in developing true craft professionals. At 35, a career-ending back injury catalyzed my return to education at Mountain Gateway Community College, where I initially pursued civil engineering but discovered that my true passion was for workforce development and building the programs that empower others. This led me to spend eight years at MGCC developing skilled trades programs and expanding registered apprenticeships, with a focus on creating pathways to professional careers, not just entry-level jobs. Now, as the new dean of workforce solutions at Blue Ridge Community College, I am dedicated to using my experience to build robust educational pathways that lead to fulfilling, family-sustaining careers for the next generation of the skilled workforce.



Involvement with ACTE

• ECMC Foundation/ACTE NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leaders Fellow (2024 Cohort): Selected to join a national cohort of emerging leaders to learn, network, and advance postsecondary CTE.
• Presenter, ACTE's CareerTech VISION 2024: Sharing insights on aligning secondary and postsecondary programs and research on misfit in the construction industry.
• Member, ACTE: Actively engaged in the national conversation on improving career education.
• Member, Association for Career and Technical Education Research (ACTER): Contributing to and learning from the research that underpins effective CTE.

Promising Practices

My mission centers on comprehensive workforce solutions to intentionally build pathways that go beyond entry-level employment toward professional, family-sustaining careers. I leverage registered apprenticeships and stackable, industry-recognized credentials as the backbone for these pathways, ensuring every step provides tangible value. My lived experiences as a young apprentice, an employer, and a nontraditional student give me a unique empathy for the unspoken needs of today's workforce. This background allows me to authentically code-switch between students, employers, and academic administrators, and I believe this quality is a superpower for any CTE educator seeking to bridge the gap between education and industry. Workforce development is strongest through strong partnerships between K–12 systems, industry leaders, and community to build responsive programs that provide clear roadmaps to upward mobility for every student.

Find out more

Upcoming Presentations

• "Unlocking Postsecondary Opportunities with Stackable Credentials for High School Students" at the 2025 VACTEA Annual Conference, Oct. 15–17.
• Publication: Shofstahl, D. (2023). Workforce Education: A New Roadmap [Review of the book Workforce Education: A New Road Map by W.B Bonvillian & S. E. Sarma]. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 47(5), 399-400. DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2022.215213

PACE Words of Wisdom

• Our past experiences as practitioners are not just stories – they are our most authentic and powerful teaching tools.
• Meet students where they are, honor their experiences, and build pathways that respect both their hands-on skills and their academic potential.
• Measure outcomes: true workforce education closes the gap between learning and earning, transforming lives and strengthening communities.

Connect with me

Email: BridgingTheSkillsGap@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-shofstahl-89653782/

Interested in being featured in an upcoming PACE Spotlight? Complete this form

VISION Sessions

Special VISION Session

Investing in Leaders: The NextLevel Fellowship Impact

Dec. 11 at 4:00 p.m.

This session shares evaluation findings from the NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leadership Program, a national fellowship supported by ACTE and the ECMC Foundation that develops rising leaders in postsecondary career and technical education. Since 2019, six cohorts have completed the year-long program, which combines webinars, in-person sessions, and a capstone project. Education Northwest conducted a mixed-methods evaluation to examine the program’s impact on Fellows’ professional growth, institutional effectiveness, and engagement with national CTE networks and organizations. Findings highlight the benefits of investing in leadership development to strengthen the postsecondary CTE field.

NEW Pre-Conference VISION Session

DEEP Dive: Dual Enrollment as a College and Career On-Ramp 

Speaker: John Fink 

Dec. 9, 1:00–5:00 p.m. 

Registration Cost: $175 

Nearly 2.5 million high school students nationwide take dual enrollment (DE) college courses each year providing an opportunity to explore and gain momentum into college and career pathways. In this workshop, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) will introduce its DEEP framework, developed through extensive field research with college–K-12 partnerships that use DE as a launchpad into career-path degree programs. With a focus on expanding access for students in underserved communities, participants will learn how college-K-12 DE partnerships in local contexts are strengthening secondary and postsecondary CTE alignment through a DEEP approach. Participants will engage in reflective and planning activities using CCRC’s data dashboards and practice assessments. By the end of the workshop, participants will be prepared to clearly communicate their DE strategy and will leave equipped with actionable tools to engage K–12 and college partners in advancing student success. Register for VISION and this workshop below!

Early bird registration rates end Oct. 13!