Advance CTE joins the Pennsylvania Department of Education in welcoming Judd Pittman as the new Director of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education.
Before serving as the State Career Technical Education (CTE) Director, Judd worked in forestry as an ecologist conducting climate science research in Pennsylvania and in Canada.
As the son and grandson of carpenters, Judd understands the value of CTE programs. “CTE has the gift of being able to answer the question of every student’s ‘why’,” he says.
Judd taught middle and high school science for eight years at Harrisburg City School District and served on the district’s school board for eight years. He transitioned out of the classroom for a job with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network, an organization that provides professional learning for educators. This was followed by spending six years on assignment as special advisor to Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Finally, Judd spent nearly two years at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology helping to design clear career pathways for students of all ages to enter the workforce.
As he looks at the year ahead, Judd shared that he wants to prioritize building up Pennsylvania’s certification pathways; he is eager to establish apprenticeships and residency models within these pathways that attract and retain new educational professionals into CTE classrooms. To leverage the state’s industry trends, Judd is working on finding ways to create credentialed pathways into the clean energy economy as the state prepares for two hydrogen hubs and grows its energy infrastructure.
“I said I would be honored to come back to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for two jobs, and this job, state CTE director, is one of them. My lived experiences have set me up for this role in a way that will provide a fresh perspective. I’m looking forward to seeing what sort of ‘positive damage’ we can do for learners of all ages by modernizing and aligning state workforce and education systems. This work is critical for Pennsylvania to maintain a vibrant economy, and we need to make things less burdensome for administrators, educators, CTE centers, students and our community as a whole, all to ensure Pennsylvania is the first choice of places to raise a family,” Judd says.
Please join us in welcoming Judd Pittman to Advance CTE!
Kevin Imes’ 36-year career in public education covers a diverse range of experiences. From the beginning of his career as a Biology teacher in downtown Phoenix schools to his role in opening a magnet program, an alternative school, a comprehensive high school and a public CTE district from the ground up, Kevin’s expertise in program development lends itself well to his new position as State CTE Director.
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Kyllie discovered her passion for CTE in the classroom as a culinary instructor of 15 years and fondly recalls seeing her high school learners’ “faces [light up] when they made something” as they gained valuable skills in her classes. “Some [learners] hadn’t even washed a dish before.”
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After struggling academically as an undergraduate at a liberal arts college and unsure of his future, Karl Ohrn joined the United States Air Force, ultimately serving 30 years. It was in the Air Force that Karl had his first exposure to Career Technical Education (CTE).
Milo path to finding his career passion began with experiences that we hope for all Career Technical Education (CTE) learners —- career exploration, robust high school CTE classes and work-based learning that led to a decades-long passion for education and providing more opportunities for students.
The Delaware Department of Education recently named Jon Wickert as its new Director, Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Initiatives. His path to state CTE leadership reflects the power of career exploration and social capital that will sustain ‘The First State’s’ strong record of innovation and transformation of CTE systems.