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Welcome Stephanie Perkins to Advance CTE!

February 16th, 2023

Howdy from Texas! I am elated to join Advance CTE in the role of Senior Advisor, Member Engagement and Professional Learning. I am a native of Odessa, Texas. I moved to Central Texas in 2009 and have called Austin my home since 2015. I recently worked at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in the Workforce Education division. I specifically was the fiscal and operational lead for the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) grant distributed to the 54 community, state and technical colleges across Texas. Previous to this work, I was employed for community colleges in Texas for 15 years with roles in student enrollment services, including directing an Adult Education and Literacy program. My favorite role was academic advisor, where I was able to coach students through achieving their dreams via academic pursuits!

In 2021, I received my Doctor of Education from Abilene Christian University in Organizational Leadership- Higher Education. My dissertation was a narrative study that highlighted the academic pathways and success of first-generation college students. As a first-gen student myself, this body of work was very rewarding and eye-opening. I received my Master of Education from Angelo State University in Student Development and Leadership- Higher Education and have a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

I am excited to join Advance CTE and continue to be an advocate of career and technical education. I look forward to working with the organization’s membership and engaging with all of you in this work. Some of the things I love: reading, traveling, spending time with family, cooking, and spoiling my three kitties Abbie, Colbie and Stormie!

Stephanie Perkins, Senior Advisor, Member Engagement and Professional Learning

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Welcome Jodi Langellotti to Advance CTE!

December 16th, 2022

My name is Jodi Langellotti, and I am thrilled to join Advance CTE as a Communications Associate. As Communications Associate, I will own and implement all digital communications strategy and content, the Advance CTE website, and the member newsletter. I will also support organization-wide initiatives, including the Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship and Launch: Equitable & Accelerated Pathways for All.

My experience is diverse as my desire for learning and continued personal growth has led me on an incredible journey from public school teacher to corporate trainer, to mental health advocate & educator, to marketing & communications executive. The messaging and communication that an educational program puts forth goes well beyond informative; highly effective communications can be transformative, garnering more support for policy, fiscally and from the community. As a communications professional, I strive to create messages and content that are not only received by the target audience as intended but also drive opinion, attitude, and behavioral change.

Throughout my professional and volunteer career, I have been fortunate to gain experience managing multiple marketing and communications channels, performing community outreach in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, creating multimedia content, and building and nurturing meaningful relationships across organizations that foster collaboration growth and action.

Outside of work, I share my passion for mental health education and advocacy by volunteering with multiple organizations. I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter, and our dogs (Hank & Leela), cat (Meow), foster bunny (MJ), and goldfish (Harry).

Jodi Langellotti, Communications Associate

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Welcome Haley Wing to Advance CTE!

February 8th, 2022

Hello! My name is Haley Wing and I am thrilled to be joining the Advance CTE team! As a Senior Policy Associate, I directly support Advance CTE’s state policy initiatives, implementation strategies and member engagement activities. My work will include specific attention to equity and high-quality career pathways.

Originally from Tampa, Florida, I completed my undergraduate degree in elementary education. After teaching in my home state, I found the Teach For America program and was placed in Indianapolis, Indiana. Teaching in Indianapolis Public Schools while simultaneously pursuing fellowships focused on education policy allowed me to engage with the Indianapolis Public Schools President of the School Board of Commissioners, as well as the Indianapolis Mayor’s office. Through these opportunities, I partnered on teacher recruitment initiatives and projects focused on alleviating barriers in education created by poverty. While acquiring my master’s degree in public affairs, I served two years in the Indianapolis Mayor’s office working in education policy and data analysis.

Over my professional experiences, I am grateful to have had the support, guidance, and mentorship of those in my professional networks. I was provided the opportunities to acquire skills necessary to elevate myself in my professional career, build connections with others aligned to the changes I wish to see in our education system and learn about meaningful ways to impact the communities I serve, particularly communities that have been historically marginalized. I firmly believe that the best way to influence change is to share the wealth of knowledge I have acquired. I am doing my best to pass on the information, tools and skills I have to my peers wishing to develop personally in order to best serve others.

Most recently, I worked at a local education nonprofit focused on advancing equitable education initiatives. I am excited to contribute my knowledge and prior experiences to create a more equitable education system in Career Technical Education (CTE)!

In my personal time, I enjoy being outdoors, practicing and teaching yoga, reading psychological thrillers, listening to true crime podcasts, and hanging out with folks I love!

Haley Wing, Senior Policy Associate

Tags: Indiana, New Skills ready network, state policy
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Welcome Dr. Tunisha Hobson to Advance CTE!

November 9th, 2021

Advance CTE welcomes Dr. Tunisha Hobson as State Policy Manager. Dr. Hobson will support the New Skills ready network, an initiative under the JPMorgan Chase & Co. Global Career Readiness investment, while working to provide equitable opportunities for each learner. Dr. Hobson will manage and support the state policy team at Advance CTE; she will lead state policy strategy, overseeing efforts for providing technical assistance to states, track state policy and elevate best practices for high-quality, equitable career pathways under Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits).

Dr. Hobson is a native of Memphis, TN and earned a Bachelor in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and Marketing, Master in Education Curriculum and Instruction, Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision, and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Tennessee State University. She has almost two decades of experience working with students and educators in all levels of education within areas ranging from literacy improvement initiatives to Career Technical Education (CTE).

Dr. H, as she is affectionately called by colleagues and learners, has worked in charter and traditional public, urban and suburban districts serving as a school administrator, marketing teacher, CTE high school department chair, DECA advisor, work-based learning coordinator, and a member of the Tennessee Department of Education’s work-based learning leadership council along with the textbook adoption panel. She is also a graduate of the Relay Graduate School Instructional Leadership Professional Development Program where she has gained experience in providing quality instructional leadership practices. Dr. H is an education advocate, specifically in the CTE realm, and has worked with Tennessee SCORE as a Fellow where she focused on strengthening work-based learning practices in Tennessee. Dr. H went on to become a regional lead within the fellowship program, supporting fellows along their advocacy journeys. Outside of the school building, Dr. H became a published author! Leveraging her career experiences, Dr. H released her book, Take Notes, This Is On the Test.

Dr. H has traveled to five continents beyond North America and believes in expanding her cultural experiences while helping others. She enjoys traveling the world, watching sports, reading a good book, spending time with family and friends and documenting her journey. She is excited to join the Advance CTE team and continue supporting learning that works!

Tags: CTE Without Limits, New Skills ready network, state policy, tennessee
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Welcome Nithya Govindasamy to Advance CTE!

October 19th, 2021

Advance CTE welcomes Nithya Govindasamy as a Senior Advisor. Nithya leads and manages major organization-wide, highly visible initiatives that support, promote and increase equitable access to and success in high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE), which includes: workforce development, education and equity initiatives; technical assistance for Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits), Stimulus Collaborative and the New Skills ready network; and Advance CTE’s external equity strategy. Nithya will also support national and state CTE leadership, policy, and implementation.

Nithya was born in Chennai, India and immigrated to Ohio in the early 90s with her family. She considers Ohio “the Buckeye State” to be home, but relocated to Dallas, Texas in 2016.

Most recently, Nithya was the Director of Workplace Learning for P-TECH and Early College Programs (a CTE program) at Dallas Independent School District (ISD), where she was responsible for the design and implementation of workplace learning programming and activities districtwide. In this role, Nithya established partnerships with industry to prepare students and equip them with the skills and social capital needed to access in-demand careers.

Before joining Dallas ISD, Nithya was the Dean of the Work Program at Paul Quinn College, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) located in southern Dallas, where she implemented the Urban Work College program model that integrated paid internships, pre-professional work experience and skill development as part of their academic degree for first-generation, minority college students.

Prior to relocating to Dallas, Nithya was the Assistant Deputy Chancellor of Higher Education & Workforce Initiatives at the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). During her tenure at ODHE, she served on the Governor’s Workforce Transformation team and helped design and implement innovative workforce education programs to address employer critical skill needs in collaboration with the University System of Ohio.

Nithya completed higher education in Columbus, Ohio, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Pre-law/Political from Capital University and a Master of Science in Marketing and Communications from Franklin University.

Throughout her career, she has worked collaboratively with industry, education and community leaders to develop and implement innovative workforce and career-focused education programs that connect employers with their future “qualified” workforce. She remains passionate about bridging economic opportunity and equity gaps for underrepresented populations.

“I believe that building mutually-beneficial public-private partnerships and career pathway programs are necessary to impact and drive meaningful systemic changes that address access and equity. I look forward to collaborating with you and advocating for increasing high-quality career technical education in all forms as it is the gateway to economic mobility for all learners.”- Nithya Govindasamy, Senior Advisor, Advance CTE

Tags: CTE Without Limits, Equity and Access
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Welcome Dr. Kevin Johnson to Advance CTE!

October 8th, 2021

Advance CTE welcomes Dr. Kevin R. Johnson Sr. as a Senior Advisor for Equity. Dr. Johnson oversees and manages major organization-wide, highly visible initiatives that support, promote and increase equitable access to and success in high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE), including overseeing Advance CTE’s external equity strategy. Two of the first and major priorities in this role for Dr. Johnson will be leading and managing the inaugural cohort of Fellows for the Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation and the Opportunity Gap Analysis Technical Assistance work within states.

Dr. Johnson is a native of Monroe, Louisiana, and an Iraqi War Veteran who served 10-years in the US Army as a Respiratory Therapist. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from Thomas Edison State University, a Master of Education in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Doctor of Education P-12 Concentration from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor. Dr. Johnson has served as an Assistant Principal at Lyndon Baines Johnson Early College High School (Austin, Texas) providing administrative support to the CTE, English and Science Departments; a CTE/Academy Specialist at Stony Point High (Round Rock, Texas) for two-years; and as a Health Science Technology teacher for four-years.

His professional interests are CTE data policies, school law, school finance and P-12 educational leadership. He is a current member of the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) and an ACTE Inclusion Access Equity and Diversity Advisory (IAED) Group member and mentor. Dr. Johnson most recently served as a Statewide CTE Coordinator at the Texas Education Agency in the College Career and Military Preparation division responsible for supporting the Health Science and Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics Career Clusters while providing CTE program assistance to Regions IV (Houston, TX), V (Beaumont, TX), and VI (Huntsville, TX).

Welcome, Dr. Johnson!

Brittany Cannady, Senior Associate Digital Media

Tags: Access and Equity, ECMCF, Lousiana, postsecondary, texas
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