2020 Prize for Teaching Excellence
Honoring Outstanding U.S. Public High School Skilled Trades Teachers
$1 Million in Prize Awards
2020 Grand Prize Winners
2020 Prize Winners
Travis Wyrick
2020 Prize Winner
Agricultural Mechanics
Visalia Technical Early College High School, CA
2020 Finalists
Jay Abitz
Automotive and Collision Repair
Freedom High School, WI
Betsy Anderton, Luke Stewart
Agriculture
Daphne High School, AL
Angela Arnett
Technical Theater
Escondido High School, CA
Crystal Aukema
Agriculture
Marathon High School, NY
Kent Brady
Small Engine Equipment Technology
Dauphin County Technical School, PA
James “Jim” Buck
Electrical
Wayne Technical and Career Center, NY
Francis Carlson
Cabinet Making and Millwork
Bonners Ferry High School, ID
Benjamin Carpenter
Welding
Kennedy High School, CA
Kevin Cornell
Automotive Technology
Carver Career and Technical Center, WV
Dave Darden
Automotive Technology
Cedar Shoals High School, GA
Brian Diehl
Diesel Technology
Dauphin County Technical School, PA
John Gunderson
Automotive
John Jay High School, TX
Jay Hales
Automotive Technology
Riverton High School, UT
Josh Hall, Connor Lee Bratton
Construction and Agriculture
Statesboro High School, GA
Coley Hanes
Agriculture
Schuyler R-1 Schools, MO
Nicholas Jordan
Construction
Montecito High School, CA
Scott Leffler, Scott Frischmon, Ryan Dewey
Industrial Technology
Chisago Lakes High School, MN
Stephen Marsh
Advanced Digital Manufacturing
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School, CA
Erik Mortensen
Automotive
Watuaga High School, NC
Eric Morton
Skilled Trades Pre-Apprenticeship
Peninsula High School, WA
Robert Mroz, David Krawczyk
Automotive
Potter Career and Technical Center, NY
Raul Ortega
Plumbing
Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center, TX
Hunter Parrott, Justin Smith, Mindy Howard
Agricultural Science
Troy High School, TX
Kelli Prescott
Agriculture
Lake Placid High School, FL
Thomas Ritchey
Agriculture
Central High School, PA
Andrew Saweikis
Welding
Rockland BOCES CTEC, NY
Leif Sorgule
Technology and Engineering
Peru High School, NY
Jeremy Tarbet
Automotive
Canyon del Oro High School, AZ
A.J. Tinker
Construction
Salem R-80 Schools, MO
Andrice Tucker, Steve Owen
Automotive Service Technology
Central Nine Career Center, IN
Robert Verone
Technical Theater
Lawrence High School, NY
Jeff Webb
Mechatronics
Southern Michigan Center for Science and Industry, MI
2020 Final Round Judges
Dan Belcher
Director of Workforce Development
National Center for Construction Education and Research; Build Your Future
Charles Sanville
Humble Mechanic
2020 Round 2 Judges
Ryan Anderson
Texas State University
Chet Andes
SkillsUSA (ID)
Kimberly Bertocci
NEA
Sarah Burtner
CA Department of Finance
Joe Campbell
Glendale High School (CA)
Gerald Chaleff
LA Police Department (Retired)
Bryan Cook
AGC
Wes Crawford
2018 Prize Winner
Brad DeMent
2018 Prize Winner
Eric Dyer
2019 Prize Winner
Michael Gaudet
East Baton Rouge Parish (LA)
Peyton Holland
National Technical Honor Society
Henrietta Jutson
2019 Prize Winner
Jessica Kim
LAEDC
Charles Klasman
Subaru
Jodi Lancaster
2019 Prize Winner
Jacob Leair
2019 Prize Winner
Juliet Marshall
SAMPE
Justin Pickard
2018 Prize Winner
Troy Reichert
2019 Prize Winner
Bill Ryan
University of Arkansas-Pulaski Tech
Robert Sainz
City of Los Angeles Community Development Department
Cameron Sublett
WestEd
Quentin Suffren
ExcelinEd
Baxter Weed
2019 Prize Winner
John Yi
LA Walks
2020 Round 1 Judges
A special thanks to our colleagues at the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) for their stewardship of this Round.