2023 Prize for Teaching Excellence

Honoring Outstanding U.S. Public High School Skilled Trades Teachers

2023 Grand Prize Winners

Scott Larson

Scott Larson

Carpentry, Construction

North Baldwin Center for Technology, AL

Rylyn Small

Rylyn Small

Agricultural Mechanics

East Prairie High School, MO

2023 Prize Winners

Joe Gabardi

Joe Gabardi

Industrial Technology

Nashwauk-Keewatin High School, MN

Desi Severance

Desi Severance

Agricultural Mechanics

Southeast Region Career & Technology Center, ND

Jeff	Webb

Jeff Webb

Manufacturing

Southern Michigan Center for Science and Industry, MI

2023 Finalists

Kenneth Adkins

Automotive; Welding
Maine East High School– Park Ridge, IL

Ken Beaudet

Carpentry
Lynn Vocational Technical Institute – Lynn, MA

Alex Bechtler

Manufacturing
Southeast Career Technical Academy – Las Vegas, NV

Dennis Blochlinger

Carpentry
Wyandotte High School – Kansas City, KS

Ty Casteel

Construction; Carpentry
Etowah High School – Woodstock, CA

Karen Chitambar

Automotive
North Country Career Center – Newport, VT

Dave Darden

Automotive
Cedar Shoals High School – Athens, GA

Matthew Duerre

Construction; Carpentry
Enumclaw High School – Enumclaw, WA

Jordan Engelhardt

Automotive
Lyons Township High School – LaGrange, IL

Jared Fernandez

Carpentry
East Haven High School – East Haven, CT

John Fitzgerald

Welding
Delcastle Technical High School – Wilmington, DE

Daniel Granato

Industrial Technology
Adirondack High School – Boonville, NY

Ron Grosinger

Industrial Technology
Memorial High School – West New York, NJ

Laurie Hilderbrand

Welding
Soquel High School – Soquel, CA

Zac Hirschi

Industrial Technology
Sky View High School – Smithfield, UT

Liz Honeysett

Industrial Technology
Portage Central High School – Portage, MI

Dale Koehler

Industrial Technology
Turtle Lake High School – Turtle Lake, WI

Matthew McMullen

Industrial Technology
Clio High School – Clio, MI

Chris Nielsen

Automotive
Olympus High School – Holladay, UT

Rudolph Petrella

Automotive
West Orange High School – West Orange, NJ

Hugh Roberts

Carpentry
Cabell County Career Technology Center – Huntington, WV

Daniel Scarmack

Carpentry
Hubbard High School – Hubbard, OH

Roger Schuyler

Construction
Huntington Park High School – Huntington Park, CA

Don Willson

Construction
Battle Ground High School – Battleground, WA

Garrett Zink

Industrial Technology
Cedar Bluffs High School – Cedar Bluffs, NE

2023 Final Round Judges

Monica Pfarr

Monica Pfarr

Executive Director

American Welding Society Foundation

2023 Round 2 Judges

George Arrants

ASE Education Foundation

Jeff Bearinger

2022 Winner

Matthew Blomquist

2022 Winner

Marty Borko

Urban Land Institute

Jessica Bowlin

2021 Winner

Mary Beth Bruggeman

The Mission Continues

Sarah Burtner

City of Seattle

Ben Carpenter

2021 Winner

Gerald Chaleff

LA Police Department (Retired)

Ziven Drake

North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund

Kevin Finan

2022 Winner

David Hataj

Edgerton Gear

Blair Jensen

2022 Winner

Kate Lee

South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce

Stephen Lindridge

2021 Winner

Irma Livadic

Entertainment Industry Foundation

Staci Sievert

2021 Winner

Leif Sorgule

2022 Winner

Kyle Thompson

2020 Winner

Andrice Tucker

2022 Winner

Jim Van Bladel

2022 Winner

Dan Van Boxtel

2022 Winner

Kelly Vedi

New America

Wayne Violet

2020 Winner

Eric Wagaman

2021 Winner

Martha Welborne

HR&A Advisors, Inc.

2023 Round 1 Judges

A special thanks to our colleagues at the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) for their stewardship of this Round.