2025 Prize for Teaching Excellence
Honoring Outstanding U.S. Public High School Skilled Trades Teachers
2025 Grand Prize Winners
2025 Prize Winners
2025 Finalists
Matthew Abel
Industrial Technology
De Pere High School – De Pere, WI
Grant Engel
Industrial Technology
Central Lyon Community School District – Rock Rapids, IA
Samuel Evans
Agricultural Mechanics
Franklin-Simpson High School – Franklin, KY
Cameron Frazier
Agricultural Mechanics
South Putnam High School– Greencastle, IN
Hilario Garcia
Industrial Technology
Patterson High School – Patterson, CA
Justin Goodnight
Agricultural Mechanics
Mena High School – Mena, AR
Craig Harvey
Manufacturing
Walker Career Center – Indianapolis, IN
Julia Hudyncia-Davis
Agricultural Mechanics
Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Sr. High School – St. Johnsville, NY
Cole Hurley
Construction
Andover Central High School – Andover, KS
Eslie Jones
Automotive
Stafford Technical Center – Rutland, VT
Karl Jordan
Marine Systems Technology
Port Townsend High School and West Sound Tech – Port Townsend, WA
Ryan Judy
Automotive
Triplett Business and Technical Institute – Mt. Jackson, VA
Jacob Kessler
Agricultural Mechanics
East Central High School – San Antonio, TX
Kyle Kowalski
Construction
Oak Lawn Community High School – Oak Lawn, IL
Lance Landis
Construction
Cascadia Technical Academy – Vancouver, WA
John Marquez
Construction; Manufacturing
Kingsburg High School – Kingsburg, CA
Cody McClain
Agricultural Mechanics
Seneca East Local Schools – Attica, OH
Austin Reid
Manufacturing
Career Elevation and Technology Center – Longmont, CO
Michael Schmidt
Automotive
Opportunity Central – Forney, TX
Robert Schwarz
Automotive
Middle Bucks Institute of Technology – Jamison, PA
Scott Seacrist
Manufacturing
Lincoln High School – Lincoln, CA
Jessica Shaw
Agricultural Mechanics
Antelope Union High School – Wellton, AZ
Kelsey Thomas
Agricultural Mechanics
Lowndes County Career Technical Center – Hayneville, AL
Allen Turton
Manufacturing
Alden High School – Alden, NY
Aaron Younger
Automotive
Metro Technology Center – Oklahoma City, OK
2025 Final Round Judges
Matt Albert
Director
Teshinsky Family Foundation
Michelle Cheang
Director
Catalyze
Bryan Cook
Executive Director
Construction Workforce Foundation of Colorado
Mike Degitis
2024 Grand Prize Winner
Cherry Creek Innovation Campus
Jennifer Dewees
President
Maryland Center for Construction Education & Innovation
Juanita Douglas
Executive Director
Tradeswomen Inc.
Jordan Engelhardt
2024 Grand Prize Winner
Lyons Township High School
Anna Fontus
Program Officer
ECMC Foundation
Eddie Hightower
SVP, Sustainability
Caliber Collision
Jo Mackiewicz
Professor of Rhetoric and Professional Communication
Iowa State University
Branka Minic
CEO
Building Talent Foundation
Donna Newell
2024 Grand Prize Winner
Erie High School
Parina Parikh
Associate Vice President
Jobs for the Future
Monica Pfarr
Executive Director
AWS Foundation
Dwight Threepersons
Principal Consultant, Apprenticeships & Workforce Development
Career-Technical Education and Apprenticeship Partners LLC
Robert Torres
President
ACTE
Jeff Winn
2024 Grand Prize Winner
South Kitsap High School
2025 Round 2 Judges
Shelley Adams
Baldy View ROP
George Arrants
ASE Education
Matthew Barbercheck
2018 Prize Winner
Alaina Berg
Arete Rising
Drew Bias
2024 Prize Winner
Rose Bomentre
REAL Journey Academies
Leon Burgess
Florence County School District Three
Sarah Burtner
City of Seattle
Andrea Calvo
TRIO Electric
Gerald Chaleff
LAPD (Retired)
Kate Cinnamo
Explore the Trades
Carl Coffey
SkillsUSA
Sean Dalton
Sonoma Clean Power
Mark Drury
Mark Drury and Associates
Quint Dunlap
2024 Prize Winner
Phil Engebretsen
Enumclaw School District
Jay Goninen
WrenchWay
Laurie Hilderbrand
2024 Prize Winner
Stacey Holsinger
Rob Hunter
2024 Prize Winner
Konner Keller
2023 Winner
John Kim
2024 Prize Winner
Erica Liepmann
Ready to Launch
Irma Livadic
Entertainment Industry Foundation
Brian McDonnell
2023 Prize Winner
Jodie Melancon
2023 Prize Winner
Bobby Pease
2024 Prize Winner
Andrew Rice
2024 Prize Winner
Bryan Silver
2024 Prize Winner
Penny Soat
Kreg Tools
Katie Southard
SashCo
Brian Sneed
2024 Prize Winner
John Stearns
2024 Prize Winner
Andy Vrieze
2023 Winner
Beth White
Habitat for Aviation
Jennifer Wilkerson
NCCER
2025 Round 1 Judges
A special thanks to our colleagues at the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) for their stewardship of Round 1 judging.