At the Advance CTE Fall Meeting, we were thrilled to honor three Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders through our new State CTE Leadership awards. Wendi Morton, CTE Coordinator of Federal and State Programs at the Utah State Board of Education, received the Rising Star award. Richard Katt, the former State CTE Director at the Nebraska Department of Education, and John T. Pulver, Associate Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Career & Technical Administrators (PACTA), each received the Distinguished Leadership award.

Thalea Longhurst, State CTE Director, Utah State Board of Education, was moved in the moment as she reflected on Wendi’s accomplishments and dedication to CTE. One of those many accomplishments was overhauling the state’s program approval process to guarantee that every learner is participating in a high-quality program of study. She has also worked across departments to ensure that both full- and part-time instructors can be licensed seamlessly, enabling all learners to be taught by knowledgeable experts.
Lee Burket, Director of the Bureau of Career Technical Education in Pennsylvania introduced Pulver. She described Pulver as instrumental to federal policy work by meeting with multiple Congressional staff during the reauthorization of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) to ensure that the new law met the needs of today’s and future learners.
Katt wasn’t able to attend but Katie Graham, State CTE Director of Nebraska gave remarks on his behalf that had the whole audience laughing and clapping. He is well known in the Advance CTE community and served as a Board of Directors member for over 15 years. He has dedicated 17 years of his life working in the role of the State CTE Director in Nebraska, influencing the lives of over 91,000 learners each year. He was the driving force behind the development of the reVISION strategic planning process. He also developed the Nebraska Career Education Model, which has been replicated across the country. While Katt wasn’t physically there, his inspiration to ‘be bold’ was a theme throughout the entire Fall Meeting.
Advance CTE thanks all of those who dedicate their work and passions to elevate CTE in their state.
Nicole Howard, Communications Associate