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Winter Quarterly News Update

Dear Region II Members,

As we settle into the winter months and look forward to spring, I'm energized by the incredible work happening across our region in career and technical education (CTE). ACTE's CareerTech VISION brought together educators from across our states, showcasing innovative programs and strengthening our professional community. The dedication I've witnessed from CTE instructors adapting their teaching methods and connecting students with industry partners continues to inspire me.

Congratulations to our two national award winners from Region II! Shelley Kaler (Alabama) is the 2025 ACTE Counseling and Career Development Professional and Rhonda Samples (Georgia) is the 2025 ACTE Administrator of the Year. Region II had an amazing slate of winners who represented us so well, and we are so proud everyone nominated at all levels.

Looking ahead, I encourage you to mark your calendars for our upcoming spring professional development sessions and to consider submitting proposals for upcoming conferences. Your success stories and best practices are what make our region and association strong. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me or your state representatives with questions or ideas – we're here to support you in preparing students for successful careers and further education.

Since I last wrote to you, I have changed positions. I am now the director of academies and career, technical and agricultural education for Gwinnett County Public Schools. You can reach me at dustin.davis-austin@gcpsk12.org or at 678-301-7050.

I hope to see you in Arlington, Virginia, this March for our 2025 National Policy Seminar!

Sincerely,

Dustin Davis-Austin

ACTE Region II Vice President

From ACTE

ACTE Announces Board of Directors 2025 Election Results

ACTE recently held its board of directors’ election, which was open to the Association’s membership of approximately 28,000 CTE professionals. We sincerely thank all of the candidates for their dedication and willingness to serve the Association. Congratulations to the newly elected Board members:

• Brandon Russell, President-Elect
• Jonathan Walker, Business Education Division Vice President
• Michael Herrera, Region I Vice President-Elect
• Michael Ogas, Region IV Vice President-Elect
• Robert Torres, President (appointed by the ACTE Board of Directors)
• Lavyne Rada, Agricultural Education Division Vice President (appointed by the ACTE Board of Directors)

Celebrate CTE Month!

Generously sponsored by NAHB

Each year in February, we celebrate professionals like you and educate the public about the importance of CTE. Here are some ways to get involved!

• Share our CTE social media messages by following ACTE @actecareertech and @actecareertech1 on Instagram, and then share your own success stories on social media with #CTEMonth.
• Download graphic resources, including the CTE Month logo, available in English and in Spanish, for use with any of your print and digital outreach.
•  Gear up with festive CTE Month merchandise. 

Submit Your Session Proposals for VISION 2025!

Join your peers at ACTE’s largest annual conference of the year for CTE professionals! ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2025 will take place Dec. 10–13 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. We are seeking session proposals that address high-quality secondary and postsecondary CTE and showcase program innovations, stories of successful collaborations and the most pressing issues facing CTE professionals today. The deadline to submit session proposals is March 15.

Raise Awareness for CTE at NPS 

Join CTE professionals from across the nation to voice your vision on policy and programming. Attend ACTE’s National Policy Seminar (NPS), happening March 16–19 in Arlington, Virginia.  

• Engage on key federal education policy priorities. 
• Influence federal policies related to CTE advocacy and messaging. 
• Participate in Capitol Hill visits. 
• Hear from featured keynote speaker Melanie Zanona, senior congressional reporter for Punchbowl News.

Register by Feb. 16 to secure early bird rates. 

Join Us at Our Annual WBL Conference  

Happening April 2–4 at the Hyatt Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside in Bellevue, Washington: the ACTE Work-Based Learning (WBL) Conference 2025! ACTE’s fastest growing event offers focused professional development for WBL professionals in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and institutions.  

Key topics 

• Partnership engagement and relationship management 
• Equitable access to WBL opportunities 
• Compliance with insurance and worker’s compensation-related laws and regulations   
• Internships, job shadows and apprenticeships 
• New and innovative WBL initiatives
• WBL advocacy and learning how to market and grow your program 

CTE Educators: Encourage Your Students to Enter ACTE’s Student Design Contests!

This year, ACTE is delighted to host three student design and video contests:

• CTE Month-NASA HUNCH Student Video Challenge: The theme for this year is “What is Artemis?” Encourage your students to create and submit videos, two minutes or less in length, by April 1.
• Student Merch Design Contest: In honor of ACTE’s 100th anniversary in 2026, we invite students to submit original artwork for a chance to be featured on our official centennial merchandise! Entries are due by May 1.
• Student Trophy Design Contest: Have your students design the 3D-printed trophies for ACTE’s prestigious Excellence Awards. Submissions are due by May 1.

Encourage your students to showcase their creativity and talent in these exciting contests!