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Summer Quarterly Newsletter | | |
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I hope you're feeling energized about the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in career and technical education (CTE) at the postsecondary level.
To kick things off, I would like to personally invite you to register for the upcoming Postsecondary CTE Summit — if you haven’t already. Austin is ready to welcome us, and we’re looking forward to engaging in high-quality professional development and connecting with fellow CTE professionals from across the country.
Looking ahead, PACE will also offer a series of outstanding professional development webinars covering a variety of timely and relevant topics. You’ll find registration links and QR codes alongside each session description in this newsletter.
Finally, I hope you’re making plans to attend ACTE's CareerTech VISION happening Dec. 9–12 in Nashville, Tennessee. It promises to be an inspiring and impactful event, and we’d love to see you there!
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Sincerely,
Shawn Freie
VP, ACTE Postsecondary, Adult and Career Education Division
| | Transformative Career Impact at the Postsecondary CTE Summit | |
Shape the future of CTE alongside fellow innovators at the premier gathering for postsecondary career and technical educators. The upcoming Postsecondary CTE Summit, happening Oct. 5–8 at the Hilton Austin Airport in Austin, Texas, brings together practitioners, researchers and industry leaders who are redefining how we prepare students for tomorrow's workforce.
What awaits you:
- Cutting-edge professional development tailored to current industry needs
- Transformative presentations from CTE leaders driving real change
- Evidence-based strategies for emerging sectors and breakthrough technologies
- Dynamic networking with a vibrant community of forward-thinking professionals
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VISION PACE Business Meeting
The PACE Policy Committee met and discussed the possibility of having our business meeting virtually this year so every PACE member would have the opportunity to attend. Please see the information below to register and join us.
Postsecondary, Adult and Career Education Division Business Meeting
📅 Tuesday, Nov. 11
🕑 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET
🔗 Register to attend (you will need to right click and open hyperlink to register)
An agenda will sent at a later date to registered members at a later date.
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ACTE's CareerTech VISION
VISION will be taking place Dec. 9–12 in Nashville, Tennessee. ACTE staff have been working hard to make sure that VISION is an educational and wonderful experience. Please join us for four outstanding days of learning and living CTE.
Please make a note of the following PACE VISION events and get them on your calendar. This year PACE has so many great sessions on the agenda. Please check out the session list on the ACTE website.
Opening Session: Dec. 4, 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET (Room 218)
PACE Reception: Dec. 6, 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. ET (Room 213A)
If you are a new member to ACTE/PACE please make plans to attend the First-time Attendee Orientation and Breakfast on Dec. 10 7:00–8:00 a.m. You will have the opportunity to learn more about PACE and ACTE.
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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 and 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 and 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.
Discounted registration rates for VISION end Oct. 13! Don’t miss your chance to save — plus, enhance your experience by adding preconference workshops and tours for an additional fee.
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Special VISION Session!
Dec. 11 at 4:00 p.m. ET
Investing in Leaders: The NextLevel Fellowship Impact
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.
| | Fall PACE Topic and Collaboration Sessions | | |
More Than Just a Pretty Picture: Data Storytelling for Program Sustainability
Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 3:00 p.m. ET
Data collection and tracking is an important part of any CTE program. How can you make sure you're using your data to ensure the sustainability of your program? Enter data storytelling. More than just graphs and numbers, data storytelling combines narrative, data, and visualizations to communicate insights in a way that is clear and memorable for your audiences. Join this session for an introduction to data storytelling and how you can use it to increase awareness, support, and buy-in for your program.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will gain an introduction to data storytelling and the importance of narratives for effective data communication.
- Understand audience mapping to improve data storytelling.
- Considerations for establishing key performance indicators and metrics to effectively communicate the impact of CTE programs to stakeholders.
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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.
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Workforce Board & CTE
(Collaboration speakers TBD)
Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 3:00 p.m. ET
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Workforce Apprenticeships
Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 3:00 p.m. ET
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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.
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Involvement with ACTE
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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.
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Presenter, ACTE's CareerTech VISION 2024: Sharing insights on aligning secondary and postsecondary programs and research on misfit in the construction industry.
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Member, ACTE: Actively engaged in the national conversation on improving career education.
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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 ACTE’s Postsecondary CTE Summit 2025, Oct. 5–8.
- "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 | |
Celebrating PACE Achievements & Upcoming Award Nominations
As we approach the close of another remarkable year for CTE — and especially within the PACE Division — I want to extend my sincere gratitude to each of you. Your dedication continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve, and your commitment does not go unnoticed.
Each year, we have the privilege of recognizing members who exemplify excellence in their work. At this year’s VISION, we were proud to honor the following individuals for their outstanding contributions:
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Ambassador of the Year – Brian Rick
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Award of Excellence – Sharon Mitchell
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Emerging New Professional – Joseph Furse
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Innovation Award – Lupe Diaz
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Workforce Development Award – Adam Honeyman
Congratulations to these exceptional professionals!
Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue this tradition at VISION 2025 in Nashville.
The awards nomination portal will be open from Sept. 1–Oct. 17. We encourage you to take this opportunity to recognize a fellow PACE member for the meaningful work they do.
| | Thank you once again for all that you do. We look forward to another year of shared success and recognition! | | A Heartfelt Thanks: Incoming & Outgoing Board Members | | |
ACTE is excited to welcome our new board members:
- Robert Torres, President
- Brandon Russell, President-Elect
- Carrie Giles, Past President
- Jonathan Walker, Business Education Division Vice President
- Karin Davis, Family and Consumer Sciences Education Division Vice President
- Rich Trinkwalder, New and Related Services Division Vice President
- Martin Hanley, Region III Vice President
We look forward to their leadership and collaboration in advancing CTE nationwide.
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Please join us in celebrating and thanking ACTE’s outgoing board members for their dedicated service:
- Chaney Mosley, Past President
- Sean Crevier, Business Education Division Vice President
- Katy Blatnick-Gagne, Family and Consumer Sciences Education Division Vice President
- Susan Leon, New and Related Services Division Vice President
- Brandon Russell, Region III Vice President
We are truly grateful for their leadership and professional expertise and for the lasting impact they’ve made on the CTE community
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Association for Career and Technical Education
1410 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-3111
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