Awards

Leadership Awards Program – Nominate a Kansas Faculty Member!

The Kansas Council for Workforce Education Leadership Awards is an annual activity in which the Council seeks to recognize outstanding leadership in Kansas educators. Awards will be presented at the Kansas Workforce Innovation Conference held October 1-2 in Salina, KS.

2024 KCWE Award Nominations

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Kansas Council for Workforce Education Leadership Awards Program. Please take a few minutes to nominate a deserving colleague for an award!  To be considered for an award, nominations must be received by Wednesday, September 11, 2024.

Do you know someone that demonstrates exceptional student engagement, excels as a new educator, or have they made advancements in technical education in Kansas or beyond? If they have contributed to education but are not a technical school/college faculty or staff member – they can still be nominated! We also provide an internal KCWE service award. Please consider nominating a deserving colleague for a Leadership Award! Review the award criteria and submit the completed Leadership Awards nomination form below.

Leadership Award Criteria

Excellence in Teaching Award

This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding teaching abilities and commitment to career and technical education. These KCWE member instructors exemplify exceptional student engagement skills inside and outside the classroom.

Outstanding New Teacher Award

This award recognizes a faculty member with no more than five years' teaching experience as of the submission deadline who has demonstrated outstanding teaching abilities and commitment to career and technical education. These KCWE member instructors exemplify exceptional student engagement skills inside and outside the classroom.

Inside the Field Award

This award recognizes any KCWE member who has developed model programs, provided leadership, conducted research, or been involved in any other activity that advances the status and visibility of career and technical education in Kansas or beyond.

Outside the Field Award

This award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the field of career and technical education, but who is not an employee of a technical school/college or community college. This individual could be affiliated with another higher education institution, government, other educational organization, business and industry, mass media, or public organization.

Exemplary Service Award

This award is for service to KCWE. Board members, officers, and regional directors are eligible for this award (exclusive of the president).

As an additional benefit, award winners can attend the Workforce Innovation Luncheon free of charge.

Previous Award Winners

2023 KCWE Leadership Awards

Outstanding New Faculty – Mark MacConnell, North Central Kansas Technical College

Excellence in Teaching – Andrew Lackey, Seward County Community College

Leadership Inside the Field – Jennifer Seymour, WSU Tech

Leadership Outside the Field – Tom Pestinger, Salina Area Technical College

Exemplary Service Award – Michelle Ruder, Butler Community College

2022 KCWE Leadership Awards

Outstanding New Faculty – Casey Wilson, Flint Hills Technical College

Excellence in Teaching – Kenda O’Mara, Flint Hills Technical College

Leadership Inside the Field – Clark Coco, Washburn Institute of Technology

Leadership Outside the Field – Keven Ward, Trane Technologies

Exemplary Service Award – Kim Dhority, Flint Hills Technical College

2021 KCWE Leadership Awards

Outstanding New faculty – Teri Huggins, Kansas City Kansas Community College

Excellence in Teaching – Susan Courtney, Kansas City Kansas Community College

Leadership Inside the field – Dean Hollenbeck, Flint Hills Technical College

Leadership Outside the field – Greg Belcher, Pittsburg State University

Exemplary Service Award – Steve Loewen, Flint Hills Technical College

2019 KCWE Leadership Awards

Outstanding New faculty – Sheila Adams, WSU Tech

Excellence in Teaching – Miles Erpelding, Butler Community College

Leadership Inside the field – Kim Dhority, Flint Hills Technical College

Leadership Outside the field – Christopher Franklin, Cerner

Exemplary Service Award – Collette Edwards, Hutchinson Community College

2018 KCWE Leadership Awards

Outstanding New faculty – Matt Friess, North Central Kansas Technical College

Excellence in Teaching – Mark Jaye, Butler Community College

Leadership Inside the field – Dr. Sheila Mauppin, Johnson County Community College

Leadership Outside the field – Karen Carmichael, Summit Material Financial Group

Exemplary Service Award – Janice Akao, Butler Community College

2017 KCWE Leadership Awards

Excellence in Teaching – Greg Unger, Garden City Community College

Leadership Inside the Field – Eddie Andreo, Cowley College

Leadership Outside the Field – Brent Campbell, Kansas Army National Guard

2016 KCWE Leadership Awards

Outstanding New faculty-Ed Hall, Seward County Community College

Excellence in Teaching – Lisa Friedrichsen, Johnson County Community College

Excellence in Teaching – Karen Waddell, Butler Community College

Leadership Inside the field – Chris Cannon, Cowley College

Leadership Inside the Field – Larry McLemore, Seward County Community College

Leadership Outside the Field – Tom Pestinger, Pestinger Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

Exemplary Service Award – Jennifer Brown, North Central Kansas Technical College

2015 KCWE Leadership Awards

Excellence in Teaching – Doug Cox, North Central Kansas Technical College

Leadership Inside the field – Donna Shawn, Kansas City Kansas Community College

Leadership Inside the field – Joe Clasen and Stephani Johns-Hines, Cowley College

2014 KCWE Leadership Awards

Excellence in Teaching-Connie Belden, Butler Community College

Excellence in Teaching – Eric Vannoy, Salina Area Technical College

Leadership Inside the field-Damon Feuerborn, Johnson County Community College

Leadership Inside the field-Ryan Seme, Labette Community College

Leadership Outside the Field – Bill Graves, AgCo

Leadership Outside the Field – Gordon Jiroux, Universal Helicopters

Leadership Outside the Field – Kristal Spurlock, CPTA

Exemplary Service Award-Dave Mullins, Hutchinson Community College

Industry Partnership Award – AgCo, Hesston, KS

2013 KCWE Leadership Awards

Leadership Inside the Field – Jillene Cunningham, Hutchinson Community College

2012 KCWE Leadership Awards

Outstanding New faculty – George Crump, Kansas City Kansas Community College

Excellence in Teaching – Chris Mullinix, Butler Community College

Leadership Inside the Field – Linn Schroll, Manhattan Area Technical College

Leadership Outside the Field – Governor Sam Brownback

Exemplary Service Award – Steve Porter, Hutchinson Community College

2011 KCWE Leadership Awards

Excellence in Teaching – Steve Swartz, Hutchinson Community College

Leadership Inside the Field – Anita Tebbe, Johnson County Community College

Leadership Outside the Field – Kathy Smith, Kaman Composites

2010 KCWE Leadership Awards

Excellence in Teaching – Mark Moehlman, Kansas City Kansas Community College

Leadership Inside the Field – Vince Puyear, Hutchinson Community College

Leadership Outside the Field – Stephen and Karen Clegg, Kansas City Kansas Community College/Technical Education Center

Exemplary Service Award – Cherie Kennedy, Johnson County Community College

2009 KCWE Leadership Awards

Excellence in Teaching – Richard Robinson, Coffeyville Community College

Leadership Inside the Field – Cindy Harold, Coffeyville Community College

Exemplary Service Award – Clark Jacobs, Hutchinson Community College

2008 KCWE Leadership Awards

Excellence in Teaching – Monty Enright, Manhattan Area Technical College

Excellence in Teaching – Janet Fisher, Salina Area Technical College

Leadership Inside the Field – Steve Porter, Hutchinson Community College

Leadership Outside the Field – Dr. Blake Flanders, Kansas Board of Regents

Exemplary Service Award – Marilyn Mahan, Manhattan Area Technical College

2007 KCWE Leadership Awards

Leadership Award – Inside the Field: Judy Crymble, Dean of Technical Education, Garden City Community College

Leadership Award – Outside the Field: Ken Nakaten, City of Eldorado, Kansas

Exemplary Service Award – Jim Edwards, Dean of Career & Technical Education, Butler Community College

Excellence in Teaching Award – Bruce Crouse, Program Chair for Vocational Programs, Cowley College