2023 Prize for Teaching Excellence
Honoring Outstanding U.S. Public High School Skilled Trades Teachers
2023 Grand Prize Winners
2023 Prize Winners
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
Lynn Alvarez
VP-Programs and Strategies
ECMC Foundation
Jason Blackwell
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Mittie Cannon
Founder
Power Up Inc.
Bill Culver
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Pete Delgrasso
Executive Director
All Within My Hands Foundation
Michelle Fuentes-Miranda
President
Alliance for Community Empowerment
Letitia Hanke
Founder
The Lime Foundation
Kristie Jones
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Charles Klasman
Technical Training Education Manager
Subaru of America
Chaney Mosley
President-Elect
ACTE
Jared Monroe
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Branka Minic
CEO
Building Talent Foundation
Paola Santana
Executive Director
Glendale College Foundation
Cory Torppa
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Monica Pfarr
Executive Director
American Welding Society Foundation
Elliot Washor
Co-Founder
Big Picture Learning
2023 Final Round Judges
Jason Blackwell
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Bill Culver
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Kristie Jones
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Jared Monroe
2022 Grand Prize Winner
Cory Torppa
2022 Grand Prize Winner
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.