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Getting to Know the 2024-2025 New York State Association of Career & Technical Education (NYSACTE) Postsecondary State Leaders Fellowship Fellows (Part 3)

Wednesday, December 18th, 2024

NYSACTE, Advance CTE, and ECMC Foundation are excited to introduce the Fellows of the inaugural cohort of emerging leaders from across New York State. The Fellows of the NYSACTE Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in CTE that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement.  This final blog in the series introduces the remaining five NYSACTE Fellows. 

Kristin Sine-Kinz, MBA, serves as the chief of staff and strategic marketing team leader for the Division of Economic & Workforce Development & Career Technical Education at Monroe Community College (MCC). Ms. Sine-Kinz has a rich background in professional services, having crafted business and marketing strategies for major brands like Motorola, Fisher Price, Kodak, and Honeywell. At MCC, Ms. Sine-Kinz reports to the division Vice President, and is deeply involved in strategic projects and initiatives, both college-wide and within her division. Her extensive 27-year career includes nearly 13 years at MCC, and a stint as the MCC Interim Vice President for Economic & Workforce Development & Career Technical Education. She holds an MBA from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dr. Stacia Smith is an assistant professor in the Decision and Graphic Media Systems Department at SUNY Canton. She has been teaching computing and technology courses since 2009. Dr. Smith spent 12 years as the principal investigator for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), a New York State grant-funded program. In this position, Dr. Smith provided education assistance and academic enrichment services to minorities and economically disadvantaged students pursuing careers in STEM, health, or a licensed profession. She currently serves as chair of the Women in Engineering committee and is a member of the campus’s Affirmative Action committee. Dr. Smith is an experienced grant writer; she has secured over one million dollars in funding for her campus. Dr. Smith has a doctorate degree from Purdue University, a master’s degree from SUNY Potsdam, and a bachelor’s and associate degrees from SUNY Canton.

Siva Visveswaran serves as director of the Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center (FWD), which helps to drive the operations strategy and implementation of accelerated training programs and career exploration opportunities in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Skilled Trades, and IT. Through innovative partnerships across area employers, economic development nonprofits, community-based organizations and local colleges and schools, the FWD center aims to address critical skill gaps and labor shortages for the Finger Lakes region. 

Co-founding Topxight Labs LLC to incubate emerging businesses at the confluence of product design, commerce, machine learning, and data sciences. With a special focus in FinTech and EdTech and technology adoption in emerging markets. Responsible for defining Topxight’s thematic focus areas, its proprietary start-up incubation methodology called Survey-To-Scale, technology strategy for portfolio companies, industry and academia engagement, IP creation and authoring position papers. Companies incubated include: Alphabeta, Manoké, Cythereal, L4S, FlyBy, and GreenCoin. 

More than 25 years of experience in the IT industry as software developer, system engineer, enterprise architect and IT strategy consultant. Strengths & experience in incubating emerging technology organizations, developing business aligned IT strategies and building strong software engineering teams.

Eileen Will holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Baruch College and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from City College. She is currently in her third year as Perkins director at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx, where she is dedicated to advancing the success of students in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

Eileen’s career began in social services, working with special populations, and has evolved into a strong focus on program development and community outreach. She has built a solid foundation in creating impactful initiatives that enhance access to education and resources.

Passionate about fostering pathways to success for CTE students, Eileen is committed to improving opportunities for all learners. She was honored with the Hostos Community College Manos a la Obra Award in 2023 for her outstanding management of the Perkins grant, and in 2024, she was selected for the ACTE NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leadership Program.

Quindell Williams is currently the workforce talent and development coach for the Career and Technical Education Department, in the Syracuse City School District. Prior to this role, Quindell spent a few years teaching the PTECH Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) program to high school students. Through his passion for mentorship and drone technology, Quindell has enjoyed helping students reach their potential in the classroom.

Before becoming an Educator in CTE, Quindell spent nearly 10 years in Broadcast Television at CNY Central in Syracuse, as a videographer and drone pilot. He is a proud graduate of Onondaga Community College and SUNY Oswego.

To learn more about the NYSACTE Fellowship please visit https://www.acteonline.org/nysacte/nysacte-postsecondary-fellowship/.

By Jodi Langellotti in Advancing Equity in CTE
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Getting to Know the 2024-2025 New York State Association of Career & Technical Education (NYSACTE) Postsecondary State Leaders Fellowship Fellows (Part 2)

Tuesday, December 17th, 2024

NYSACTE, Advance CTE, and ECMC Foundation are excited to introduce the Fellows of the inaugural cohort of emerging leaders from across New York State. The Fellows of the NYSACTE Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in CTE that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. This blog series will briefly introduce each NYSACTE Fellow. 

Asantewa K. Holley is the vice president of operations for Northland Workforce Training Center (NWTC). Ms. Holley has worked in the financial industry for eighteen years holding multiple operational management roles.  Ms. Holley holds an MBA from The University of Buffalo, B.S. in accounting from Empire State College, and is a 2020 Graduate of Leadership Buffalo, 2023 Graduate of the New York Association of Training and Employment (NYATEP) Workforce Academy, and Fellow of the Oishei Foundation’s Karen Lee Spaulding Leaders of Color. 

Ms. Holley currently serves as a board member for Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), the Michigan Street Preservation Corporation – Nash House, Goodwill WNY, Leadership Buffalo, Community Advisory Board for Buffalo Toronto Public Media, and Trustee at True Bethel Baptist Church. Ms. Holley is a member of the National Black MBA Association, WNY Chapter. She has won several awards including Business First 40 Under 40, Purposeful Women of Faith Business and Finance awardee, and the Buffalo Black Achiever Award. Ms. Holley was recently appointed as a commissioner to the City of Buffalo Commission of Citizen’s Rights & Community Relations.

Dr. Kristen Klein serves as the supervisor for adult & secondary programs within the Career and Technical Education Division at Western Suffolk BOCES. In this role, she oversees the postsecondary School of Allied Health Sciences, the Office of Financial Aid, and institutional accreditation processes. Dr. Klein is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Hofstra University where she teaches research methodology in the Department of Counseling & Mental Health Professions.

With a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, specializing in Higher Education, Dr. Klein is deeply committed to advancing student success. Her research explores the factors that enhance academic outcomes for chronically ill and disabled postsecondary students, reflecting a dedication to inclusivity and equity in education.

Outside of work, Dr. Klein is a passionate distance runner and powerlifter. Her approach to life mirrors her athletic pursuits, combining endurance and strength to overcome challenges and achieve goals. She finds joy and balance in her family life and in caring for her beloved sphynx cat, Rocky.

As the Director of Constituent Services and Grant Administrator for a New York State Senator in Central New York, Dr. Tatiana C. Parker helps constituents navigate challenges with state and local agencies, understand state government functions, and provides state capital grant direct technical assistance to local municipalities and non-profit organizations.

Beyond her professional work, Tatiana is a purpose-driven leader committed to building stronger, more inclusive communities. Through active involvement with local and national non-profit organizations such as Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., and Lambda Kappa Mu, Inc., she equips individuals with the knowledge, resources, and networks needed to achieve upward mobility.  

A recognized leader, Tatiana was named one of Syracuse’s 40 Under 40 (2018) and received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence (2019), the highest student honor within the State University of New York system. She is also an alumna of Leadership Greater Syracuse, LeadUP CNY, and Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders community-based programs. 

Tatiana holds an A.S. in Human Services from Onondaga Community College, a B.A. in Political Science from SUNY Oswego, an M.A. in Social and Public Policy, and a Professional Certificate in Community Advocacy from Empire State College, and an Ed.D. in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher University. Her research focuses on social capital’s role in economic mobility, especially for historically disadvantaged populations.

Tatiana’s work bridges education, workforce development, and community, aligning with NYSACTE’s mission to prepare individuals for meaningful careers and civic engagement.

Joe Salamone is a passionate and dedicated educator with a deep commitment to fostering innovative learning experiences that prepare young people for success. Currently serving as the Assistant Director of Career Pathways Programs at Ulster BOCES, Joe is driven by a belief that all students deserve equitable access to high-quality CTE opportunities that connect their learning to real-world careers while helping them grow into good humans who are also future-ready.  Recognized as an educational innovator, Joe is skilled in developing and implementing cutting-edge programs that engage students and promote their academic and career growth. He is eager to contribute his expertise and collaborative spirit to initiatives that empower students and strengthen CTE programs across New York State. 

Dr. Randelle Sasa has two decades worth of experience in nursing practice, education, and research. He is currently an associate professor and chair of the Department of Nursing at the College of Staten Staten Island of the City University of New York (CUNY). In this role, Dr. Sasa supervises around 350 students, and 75 faculty members across associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in nursing.  Dr. Sasa’s research interests include Filipino caring, health disparities among Asian American and Pacific Islanders, men in nursing, and high-impact educational practices (HIPs) in nursing. Dr. Sasa teaches Medical-Surgical Nursing, Critical Care, and Nursing Research. Dr. Sasa’s most recent professional recognitions include the 2024 Gene Tranbarger Research Award by the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN), and the 2023 Elsevier Educator of the Year Award by the Organization of Associate Degree Nursing (OADN).

To learn more about the NYSACTE Fellowship please visit https://www.acteonline.org/nysacte/nysacte-postsecondary-fellowship/.

By Jodi Langellotti in Advancing Equity in CTE, Uncategorized
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Getting to Know the 2024-2025 New York State Association of Career & Technical Education (NYSACTE) Postsecondary State Leaders Fellowship Fellows (Part 1)

Monday, December 16th, 2024

NYSACTE, Advance CTE, and ECMC Foundation are excited to introduce the Fellows of the inaugural cohort of emerging leaders from across New York State. The Fellows of the NYSACTE Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in CTE that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. This blog series will briefly introduce each NYSACTE Fellow. 

Dana Acee has been a higher education professional for 12 years and is passionate about serving students and her community. She began her career in enrollment management and has been in her current role as director of career & transfer services at Onondaga Community College (OCC) since August 2021.  During her time at OCC, Dana has developed opportunities to increase student participation in work-based learning and led the integration of dedicated career and transfer support in each of OCC’s four Schools. Dana was a member of the 2023-2024 inaugural cohort of the New York State Community College Leadership Academy. She currently serves as a member of OCC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Council, the Onondaga County One Stop Operator Group, and the OnPoint for College Career Services Advisory Board. Dana plays flute in the Central New York Flute Choir and is a certified yoga teacher, teaching at OCC and volunteering in the community. 

Boby Akhi, a full-time faculty member in the Business Administration and Accounting department at SUNY Corning Community College, also serves as chair of the Diversity Council. She is pursuing a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Maryville University and holds three master’s and two bachelor’s degrees, earning a Presidential Gold Medal for academic excellence in her first graduate program. With five years of teaching experience in the USA and Bangladesh, Boby also brings three years of corporate experience from companies like John Deere. Her academic interests include leadership, diversity and inclusion, international business law, and entrepreneurship. Originally from Bangladesh, she now resides in Horseheads, NY. Fluent in four languages, she is an active member of Junior Chamber International (JCI).

Dr. Fiorella Cabrejos is an innovative school leader serving in the Bronx, NY, for over two decades, dedicated to transforming education and empowering students through life-changing leadership.  Born in Lima, Peru, and raised in White Plains, NY, she serves as a master principal for NYC Public Schools. Her groundbreaking Focused Coaching for Transformational Change (FCTC) model stems from her success in turning around Fordham Leadership Academy in the Bronx. Dr. Cabrejos has introduced pioneering programs like Smart Schools Early College, Future Ready, and Career Readiness Modern Youth Apprenticeship, focusing on college and career preparedness. She leads her school’s Equity Committee, addressing systemic oppression through curriculum reform for real-world and career connectedness alignment and restorative justice practices. With a doctorate from Fordham University, Dr. Cabrejos continues to coach principals and design master classes, aspiring to dismantle educational inequity and create excellent learning environments for all students, especially those from marginalized communities.

Laura Carbone is a passionate advocate and educator across the P-12 educational pathway. She graduated from St. Lawrence University with a CAS in Educational Leadership, SUNY Potsdam with an MSED in Inclusive Special Education, and a BA in Early Childhood/Childhood and History Education. Her areas of certification include, School District Leadership, Special Education N-12, B-6 Childhood, and History 7-12.   She is currently the director of operations and management for the SUNY Potsdam Watertown Extension. Laura is also the coordinator for the Certificate of Advanced Studies Educational Leadership School Building /School District Leader & the Inclusive and Special Education Advanced Studies programs, and MSED Inclusive and Special Education program coordinator for SUNY Potsdam. She has been an adjunct instructor for SUNY Potsdam since 2009, teaching a variety of courses in both the special education and educational leadership program pathways. She was a former school district administrator for over 10 years in special education and academic interventions for the Indian River Central School District. Prior to that she was a teacher both in sixth grade, in an integrated co-teaching classroom, and high school global history.

Ramone Davis is the associate director of CTE pathways & partnerships at KIPP NYC. For more than a decade he has provided critical post-secondary advisement, culturally responsive counseling, and instruction in the nonprofit sector. Demonstrating great creativity and flexibility working in several schools, liaising with partnership organizations, and providing support to meet the requirements of various funders. In his current role, he establishes programming and processes for Career & Technical Education (CTE) bound high school students and alumni. During his tenure managing the Workforce Team at KIPP NYC, the scope of his team’s postsecondary work expanded from solely serving NYC alumni to supporting recent graduates interested in CTE pathways from other KIPP regions and charter networks in Connecticut, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Rhode Island.

To learn more about the NYSACTE Fellowship please visit https://www.acteonline.org/nysacte/nysacte-postsecondary-fellowship/.

By Jodi Langellotti in Advancing Equity in CTE
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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Dr. Angela Lawhorne

Monday, July 31st, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE) that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. 

This month, Advance CTE sat down with veteran and ECMCF Fellow, Dr. Angela Lawhorne (VA), whose decades of experience in CTE and workforce development sparked her desire to promote more effective pathways for some of the most vulnerable learner populations. Through the Fellowship’s emphasis on developing equity minded leaders, she has been able to empower the community colleges she works with to refocus on how they are engaging and serving justice-involved learners. 

Tell me more about your journey to the Fellowship.

I’ve been working in CTE for about 10 years and in workforce development for 20 years. I was really excited to join the Fellowship because I saw an opportunity to learn more about what CTE looks like in other states and the best practices that I could replicate and bring to Virginia. I was especially eager to learn about strategies for expanding access to learners.

What skills or areas have you experienced the most growth in the program? 

Participating in the Fellowship has allowed me to grow my ability to apply a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens in my work as the Director of Career Education Programs and Workforce Partnerships. I’ve been able to build a more comprehensive understanding of the  barriers that different groups of learners face, and the importance of not just recruitment, but the continued support that they receive once they enroll to complete their programs. I know that there are steps we can take to improve outreach to learners that have been minoritized, or those that come from low income or rural communities. Through intentional support structures, we can increase awareness about career pathways, stackable credentials, and get them into a career.

I’ve learned a lot about how to provide intentional support for special populations and the different nuances of the obstacles that these groups of learners face.

Do you feel like the topics and experiences in the Fellowship have helped you advance in your current career/ at your current organization? 

Absolutely. In my current role as the  Director of Career Education Programs and Workforce Partnership, I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be to make a major impact on CTE programs, both the credit and on the workforce (credential) side. Virginia has a ‘one door effort’ which allows students, no matter where they come into the college, to access information on both workforce and academic programs. This means that we’re able to give them a more complete picture of the different certifications or licenses that they can earn on their path to completing a certificate or a degree.

I support our 23 colleges and provide guidance and resources about how to establish and expand programs. Most recently, I helped write a large infrastructure grant application, and the knowledge that I’ve gained through the Fellowship allowed me to present a thorough background on and explanation for how this project will provide specific wraparound services and supports to make our learners successful.  I know that I’m able to have an impact in my role because I can broker connections between workforce and our colleges to design high-quality curriculum and programs that connect learners with employers.

How has your experience in the fellowship helped you explore new spaces or positions in postsecondary state CTE leadership? 

The Fellowship has helped me gain a more holistic view of our population of learners and their needs. The workshop speakers were incredible, and I’ve been able to push myself beyond just the cycle of outreach and recruitment to focus more on the reasons that learners persist and complete their programs. My dissertation is on the topic of student success coaching, and I believe that this is an area where we should be doing more to ensure that learners have the help they need to be matched with program options that are best for them.

How has the Fellowship expanded your network?

I’ve made some amazing connections through the fellowship. My coach has been incredibly supportive in connecting me with a network for both my professional and personal development. She’s also provided guidance in my process for completing my real-world project for the Fellowship.  My real world project topic is on expanding higher education for justice impacted individuals in Virginia. We created a Canvas course that serves as a resource repository for the colleges to connect them with everything they need to know to launch a new program. This includes information about  Pell Expansion, contacts at the prisons or jails, and then best practices from other colleges.

We’ve also created a resource page on the website, credits2careers.org (C2C), which was launched specifically for former military who want to determine their eligibility for credit for prior learning. We’ve included a page on the site for justice-involved learners. The website allows them to go in and plug in any certifications or other education they’ve completed, and it will show the equivalent credit for prior learning programs at each of our colleges. If they were enrolled in a CTE program while incarcerated, they can use this tool to find the colleges that offer their program and continue with little disruption.

Our next steps will be to survey the 23 colleges to collect data on the training of justice involved learners and their current program offerings.

Have you discovered new opportunities for what a role in postsecondary CTE could look like/ the responsibilities of such a position?

I definitely look forward to advancing my career. I would love to expand my reach and have a larger responsibility for expanding CTE and workforce development programs across the state. We’ve established a consortium with over 100 members made up of colleges, representatives from the programs at the prisons, the Vera Institute of Justic, and the Laughing Gull Foudnation to name a few. I’ve been leading monthly, virtual community of practice meetings as well as two in person convenings per year. Our new Chancellor is excited to continue to build on the positive momentum we’ve seen with our new Canvas and C2C initiatives. He’s eager to make these a part of his mission to expand the services that our justice-involved learners receive. 

To connect with Dr. Lawhorne, contact her at [email protected] 

 

By Jodi Langellotti in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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Advancing Equity in CTE: The Equity-Minded Leadership Framework

Tuesday, July 18th, 2023

This is the third blog in a series of four blogs about the Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation (Fellowship) and provides Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders with a framework by which to develop equitable CTE ecosystems, a foundational approach to ensuring all learners have access to high-quality programs aligned to in-demand high-wage occupations. 

Overview

The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation is anchored in the construct of “Equity-Minded Change Leadership” which posits that in order to transform education systems and engage the operations of and organizational structure of education institutions, a lens of “equity-mindedness” has to be clearly defined and used to evaluate learner outcomes. To clearly determine a challenge, adaptive leadership is necessary. The combination of the adaptive leadership theory and the concept of equity-mindedness is the foundation of equity-minded change leadership. Advance CTE chose this framework of equity-minded change leadership because it can support CTE leaders in fostering change and addressing the effects of inequitable systems on learners who have been underserved by education institutions.  

 

Defining the Challenge 

In order to transform or mitigate the effects of an inequitable system, the problem has to be clearly defined and categorized to determine the approach leaders should take and which solutions to apply to enhance learner success. “Adaptive challenges linked to differences in how students experience and benefit from education, systematically advantaging some while disadvantaging others, must be recognized and addressed to change education in ways that reduce and eventually resolve systemic equity gaps”.1 Equity-minded change leadership. Seattle, WA: Bragg & Associates, Inc. Retrieved on April, 12, 2018.[/efn-note] As part of a mandatory real-world research project, each fellow identified a challenge, collected data to describe the scope of the challenge, applied a solution to the challenge, reported on the impact of the intervention, as well as offered recommendations using the adaptive change leadership theory. 

A few examples of research topics explored include: 

Analyzing the Gap

How challenges are initially framed are important and essential to applying the appropriate solution to a problem. Equity-mindedness takes into account the current systems, policies, cultural norms and everyday practices being applied in an education institution or agency and evaluates the impact, intentional or unintentional, on individuals or groups. A starting point for the Fellows was to disaggregate data by the special populations and subgroups identified in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) and analyze learner outcomes for a subset of this group. This analysis revealed gaps in access and outcomes, which were then mapped to root causes that likely require systemic interventions and remedies.

Building Solutions

Equity-minded change leadership offers state leaders an evidence-based approach to deliberately and systematically evaluate impact for learners. In doing so, it holds the potential to be a transformational lever to achieve, fully, the aspirations of CTE Without Limits. During the Fellowship, Fellows applied this framework to their real-world projects with much success. Fellows evaluated equitable access to CTE programming for justice-involved learners, Black males in South Carolina’s technical college system and women in rural communities, among others. CTE has always been a system that was required to be responsive to the needs of industry. As state leaders strive to build high-quality CTE systems, they must also be responsive to the needs of our nation’s increasingly diverse learner population. 

Blog 1: Advancing Equity in CTE: Making the Case for Diverse Leadership Pipelines in Career Technical Education

Blog 2: Advancing Equity in CTE: A Review on the Current State of CTE Leadership Programs and Diversification Efforts

Blog 4: Advancing Equity in CTE: Administrative Policy Review – An Assessment of Equitable Practices

Dr. Kevin Johnson, Sr., Senior Advisor and Kimberly Green, former Executive Director

1. Bragg, D., & McCambly, H. (2018). Equity-minded change leadership. Seattle, WA: Bragg & Associates, Inc. Retrieved on April, 12, 2018.

By Layla Alagic in Advancing Equity in CTE
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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Dr. Crystal Gardner

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE)  that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. For this blog in the ECMCF Fellow Feature series, we interviewed  ECMCF Fellow Dr. Crystal Gardner (TX) who entered the Fellowship with experience spanning PK-12, higher education and adult education.

Dr. Crystal Gardner currently serves as the Instructional Supervisor for the Houston Community College (HCC) Alternative Teacher Certification Program (ATCP). In this role, she oversees instructional operations, program development, quality control, and compliance management. Joining the Fellowship was an exciting opportunity to fully immerse herself in the world of career and technical education (CTE) through equity-aligned learning and real-world practicum.

She was first exposed to the world of workforce development through her work in ATCP. This proximity allowed her to work in professional learning communities and connect with other workforce stakeholders. The Fellowship was recommended to her by a colleague who knew about her previous experience and passion for program outcomes.

“My goal is to pull others up through my work. Whether my role is in grant writing, administration or as an educator, my goal is always to prepare and provide high-quality educators, high-quality employees, and high-quality people.”

Dr. Gardner’s work in institution improvement has always been data-driven. She has experience using data to turn around PK-12 campuses and the successful re-accreditation of the Alternative Teacher Certification program at HCC upon its initial re-accreditation audit. As a Fellow, she’s eager for the opportunity to further develop her knowledge and skills around using CTE datasets and Perkins accountability to close gaps in the programs she oversees. One of her long-term goals is to expand alternative certification programs to include CTE educator preparation to increase the availability of high-quality CTE instructors in Houston.

“This Fellowship has given me the skills to analyze our institutional data through an equity lens and identify those areas of need. I’m able to narrow in on key areas like sustainability and retention in an impactful way.”

Dr. Gardner’s role has shifted in exciting ways as she’s been tapped to take on additional projects and speaking engagements. She has had the opportunity to present on accountability at numerous conferences, including the Texas Association of CTE (TACTE) and the Learning Resources Network (LERN) conferences. Dr. Gardner is also proud of the work that she’s led around expanding the eligibility of Veterans Benefit to cover clock hour programs for Veterans wishing to pursue Alternative Teacher Certification at HCC, in addition to completing the process of garnering the approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the Alternative Teacher Certification CE Certificate, beginning Fall 2023.

“Participating in the Fellowship has increased the quality and capacity of my professional network exponentially. I feel renewed and invigorated finding myself surrounded by a group of people of such caliber and similar-minded passion for moving the needle to improve systems.”

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Crystal Gardner by email at [email protected] 

Amy Hodge, Policy Associate

By Jodi Langellotti in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Dr. Luv’Tesha Robertson

Thursday, June 15th, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE)  that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. For this blog in the ECMCF Fellow Feature series, we interviewed  ECMCF Fellow Dr. Luv’Tesha Robertson (KY), who is already using the momentum of the Fellowship to make a positive impact in her role at the Office of Adult Education (OAE) at the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet (KELC).

“When our passion fuels our purpose, we will always blossom where we have been planted and do great work as servant leaders.”

As a lifelong learner, Dr. Robertson always embraced the opportunity to work in spaces where she believed that her skills and talents would have the greatest impact. She discovered her talent for large-scale project work when she worked as a senior associate with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. In this position, Dr. Robertson played a key role in advancing strategic priorities to improve Kentucky’s cradle-to-career initiatives by collaborating with teams across state education agencies and post-secondary institutions. Within six months, this work was rewarded when she was promoted to Director of Program Administration and Accountability with the Office of Adult Education.

“In my current role, I believe that I truly have the best of both worlds. Not only am I able to provide technical assistance to Kentucky’s 26 adult education providers, but I also have the opportunity to dive deeper into local, state, and federal policy and fully utilize my doctorate.”

Dr. Robertson had the opportunity to learn more about the world of career and technical education (CTE) by serving as an academic program manager with the Kentucky Department of Education. Understanding the important role that plays as the nexus of education and the workforce led her to participate in the 2021 Advance CTE Spring meeting.

“This Fellowship was the perfect opportunity to leverage my experience working across different levels of state policy. I realized that the resources and training afforded through this Fellowship would allow me to become the change I wanted to see and make a difference for CTE in Kentucky.”

Dr. Robertson credits the Fellowship with helping her grow as an equity-minded leader and find her voice in this space. In her current position as the Deputy Executive Director with the Office of Adult Education, she has the power and confidence to discuss the challenges that learners face, and the skills in conducting needs assessments to identify and address gaps in processes, programming, and policy.

As a result, Dr. Robertson felt prepared to apply the skills she’s gained through the Fellowship when asked to lead the state’s integrated education and training and workplace literacy initiative. By aligning the cabinet’s work with Advance CTE’s Vision Framework, Dr. Robertson is strategic in how she plans to increase state education outcomes for the Commonwealth as a whole.

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Luv’Tesha Robertson by email at [email protected]  

Amy Hodge, Policy Associate

By Jodi Langellotti in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Dr. Tempestt Adams

Monday, June 12th, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE)  that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. For this next blog in the ECMCF Fellow Feature series, we’re excited to feature ECMCF Fellow Dr. Tempestt Adams (NC) whose own experience in the classroom served as the inspiration for her Real-World Project topic. Dr. Adams is passionate about improving educator preparation programs and finding solutions that integrate learner voices into discussions about how institutions can increase retention rates. 

“As a lifelong learner, I’ve always been intentional in my pursuit of professional development and growth in my career.”

Dr. Adams found the Fellowship through the recommendation of a colleague who saw the thread of equity throughout the curriculum and workshop topics as an opportunity for her to build upon her previous work in this space. Through the Fellowship, Dr. Adams has had the opportunity to engage with Career Technical Education (CTE) specific knowledge that she had not previously been exposed to. As a result, she feels more equipped and confident to use language and tools to support her ideas about becoming a more effective leader.

“Any researcher would say that you build confidence as you read and increase your exposure to new ideas. This is particularly true for learning about using an equity lens in CTE, and I’m grateful as this isn’t always the reality of my everyday work.”

Dr. Adams has seen the ways in which her participation in the Fellowship has helped her advance in her current role as an Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University and she’s interested in exploring additional opportunities to increase her leadership to expand her impact. Specifically, she’s learning more about programs that directly address issues impacting student success in undergraduate CTE or graduate certificate programs. The Fellowship has also piqued Dr. Adams’s interest in learning more about community colleges and how postsecondary CTE programs are leveraging learner data. As a transfer-friendly institution, data-sharing partnerships with community colleges would provide a more complete understanding of where students are coming from before they transfer. Dr. Adams sees an opportunity to use this data to better equip her instructors in their class preparation.

Dr. Adams became enamored with data during her doctoral program when she was exploring the national challenge of recruiting and retaining teachers of color. She noticed that there was more racial diversity among the second-career individuals entering the graduate certificate program than those choosing to enroll in her program. At the same time, she noticed that the retention rates of those enrolled in the graduate certificate program were much lower, and as a result, fewer teachers of color were completing the program. Through her Real-World Project, Dr. Adams is exploring the reasons for this drop in learner retention with the goal of improving institutional awareness of the challenges that learners are facing so that they can be addressed.

 “Looking ahead, I’m interested in taking this work and the outline I’ve created to pursue a Spencer Foundation Grant. Additional funding would provide the opportunity to expand the number of students that I’m surveying in my Real-World Project and look more whole scale at black teachers and CTE in the state.”

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Adams by email at [email protected] 

Amy Hodge, Policy Associate

By Jodi Langellotti in Uncategorized
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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Dominique Footes

Monday, June 5th, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE)  that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. For this next blog in the ECMCF Fellow Feature series, we interviewed  ECMCF Fellow Dominique Footes (MD) who is passionate about elevating CTE and using data to advance equity for every learner.

Tell me more about your journey to the Fellowship.

I was drawn to the Fellowship’s focus on using data as a tool to advocate for equity, and I had previously worked with Dr. Kevin Johnson through the Association of Career and Technical Education’s (ACTE) Inclusion, Access, Equity and Diversity Mentorship program, so I was confident that the professional development through this experience would be rigorous. He’s the type of mentor that will encourage and push you to analyze DEI issues on a deeper level and asks questions that you’ve never considered before. I knew that I was up to the challenge, and I knew that this would be an incredible opportunity for growth. 

What are the skills or areas where you’ve experienced the most growth in the program? 

I’ve noticed a change in my confidence and the way that I communicate. Fellowships can be intimidating, from the expert speakers to the caliber of my fellow cohort members and having the confidence to navigate these spaces is a huge success. I know that my experience as a practitioner is valuable, and now I have more confidence to ask questions to translate what might be happening in another state to apply it to our own context in Maryland. Engaging with speakers has been the highlight of this experience for me.

Engaging with other Fellows has been great. I’ve been able to learn more about how others have leveraged DEI in their work and applied similar approaches to conversations I am having with my organization’s leadership. My program is centered around career development for minority students and I’ve had the confidence to pose challenging questions that they’ve been very receptive to. 

Have you been tapped for new or more advanced roles within your organization as a result of your experience in the Fellowship? 

The topics we’ve explored in the Fellowship are timely with my current projects as a Special Programs Administrator. We’re looking to engage more minorities in STEM spaces and have the knowledge of how to approach this work with fidelity. 

I have a lot of experience working with students. When I combine this experience with the postsecondary knowledge that I’m gaining through the Fellowship, I’ve seen that my colleagues are more willing to listen to the needs of students to support their career development experiences. I am able to speak directly about the process for re-engaging them post-COVID and what we need to do to equip them to return to the classroom.

How has your experience in the fellowship helped you explore new spaces or positions in postsecondary state CTE leadership? 

My conversations and relationship with my mentor have been really valuable in helping me realize the professional opportunities that exist to support postsecondary work. Initially, I wasn’t sure of the direction I wanted to go in, but learning more about organizations that do work externally to support postsecondary programs and elevate their work with students has been really rewarding. 

I’m grateful for this thought partnership, and I’ve been able to reflect on how I can continue to build a strong foundation to do meaningful work.

I feel like we’ve reached a point where we have to start looking at CTE as a starting point rather than a stop. This is a huge part of the work that I’m doing and I want to ensure that I am highlighting these programs for students so that they understand that they can access them wherever they are in their journey.

Academic exploration needs to go hand-in-hand with skills training and we need to consider how we’re reflecting this in the marketing of these programs. This work is done through advocacy and increasing awareness of what CTE is. For example, students may not understand that STEM programs fall under CTE. They need to know about all the different pathways and the spectrum within these programs for upskilling. 

Tell us more about your Real-World Project which focuses on using data to provide more supportive programming for women entering STEM industry programs.

I know that engaging women in these spaces is really important and there is definitely a need to increase the number of young women in STEM programs. This issue became more urgent after the pandemic because of the disproportionate burden that was placed on women. There is acknowledgment across the STEM field and a desire to see women succeed but we need to understand the best way to support them. 

My project evaluates the tools that we’re providing learners to understand the impact on their persistence in and completion of their programs. We also want to understand how they’re being prepared to transition into the workforce. I saw an opportunity to leverage and organize the data we’ve collected on women participating in CTE.  I am developing a tool that aggregates the available data to develop a program that targets the specific challenges women in STEM programs are encountering. 

Making sure the student is self-sufficient when they leave us and have the necessary language and tools to succeed in these industries and hopefully turn around and uplift that next group is important.

If you have any questions, contact Dominique Footes by email at [email protected]   

Amy Hodge, Policy Associate

By Jodi Langellotti in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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ECMCF Fellow Feature: Leisa Mathews

Thursday, May 25th, 2023

In September 2022, Advance CTE and ECMC Foundation announced the second cohort of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE—Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Advance CTE — ECMCF Fellows include representation across multiple demographic categories reflecting the Fellowship’s goal of intentionally building a postsecondary leadership pipeline for underserved populations in Career Technical Education (CTE)  that closes racial representation gaps and removes equity barriers to postsecondary leadership advancement. For this next blog in the ECMCF Fellow Feature series, we interviewed ECMCF Fellow Leisa Mathews who shared how her life experience drives her passion for creating opportunities for learners.

Tell us about your journey to the Fellowship.

Being from a very small town in Wyoming, I never thought that I could be a part of something so impactful.  I may have never applied for this Fellowship without the encouragement of Dr. Michelle Aldrich, the Wyoming State Director of Career & Technical Education and Perkins Funding.

We worked together when I worked as the Workforce Development Coordinator and Perkins Coordinator for Western Wyoming Community College. Dr. Aldrich was a great resource for me when I was completing the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessments (CLNA) and managing the Strengthening Career Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Grant. After working together, she got to know me, and she suggested that I apply.

I’m here because I’ve seen the gaps in achievement and access through my work, and this Fellowship presented an opportunity to make a change. As a product of the system, as a mother, and as someone who has worked in both academics and the workforce, I know how to approach this work to serve those learners that fall through the cracks. 

What are the skills or areas where you’ve experienced the most growth in the program? 

My experience in the Fellowship is helping me change the culture of the workplace. Through networking with others in the Fellowship and attending the ECMC Convening, I’ve been able to listen and learn from others’ perspectives, and it helped me consider new ways to approach this work. Working with Perkins Grants, I recognized the gaps between groups of learners and the huge differences in representation. As a proud Asian woman, I can literally see myself represented in this data and understand the consequences when we don’t see or reach those small percentages of learners.

We have an influx of immigrant families entering this area, and high school counselors have difficulty going after them to let them know about the different career path options available. Without these relationships and awareness of their options, learners are missing out. I saw this play out with my own kids and witnessed how they had different opportunities offered to them; my younger daughter was in an energy academy program and due to that was encouraged to take dual and concurrent enrollment courses, but my other kids weren’t given that same support or options. Unless changes are made, this will continue to occur. Career counseling and the messages that our kids receive, whether implicit or explicit, can significantly impact their trajectories.

To be a change agent- I’m thinking about how we can implement changes that aren’t only addressing the problems, but that are also sustainable. This Fellowship is giving me the opportunity to learn so much more about how I can reach learners and leverage data to make sustainable change. 

Have you been tapped for new or more advanced roles within your organization as a result of your experience in the Fellowship? 

Since participating in the Fellowship, I have made career changes. While I am currently no longer in the field of education, I am fortunate enough that my employers in my current position, support my continued involvement and see the value in the Fellowship. I’ve been able to steer my organization to market new career opportunities for training for students. I want to visit the high schools and local technical schools to recruit students and emphasize the high-quality instruction and training programs that are available to them. As a small town, we’re invested in retaining talent, and this is an opportunity to reach students early and let them know about the great career options available to them.

I’ve been able to show that I have the confidence to approach these partners and find creative ways to engage our future workforce. After being in the Fellowship and learning about what folks are doing elsewhere, I started to ask, “Why can’t we do that here in our town?” and I’ve been able to make things happen. I recently received a shoutout at our company’s quarterly meeting for bringing innovative practices to connect young people to our work. I’m passionate about creating pathways for learners because they don’t currently exist outside of traditional academic programs. They need to know that these opportunities for continued education exist and that employers are excited to invest in them.

How has your experience in the fellowship helped you explore new spaces or positions in postsecondary state CTE leadership? 

I want to make a difference. Working at the state level, such as in the Wyoming Department of Education, would provide me with the resources and contacts to make a significant impact. My current organization is incredibly supportive of me being in the Fellowship and they share my passion for growing our community. My strengths lie in finding the right person or resource and positioning them to have the biggest reach for the community, whether it’s students or families.

How has the Fellowship expanded your network? 

I wish I’d known what I know now about analyzing data or about different templates that states are using for their CLNAs. The Fellowship is giving me the missing context for connecting all of these dots, and everything started clicking together in my head.  The ideas for change have always been a part of me, but I now have the network and resources to bring those ideas to reality. 

This national lens has been incredibly valuable, and certainly, the amount of knowledge at my disposal through the other Fellows isn’t something that you can get anywhere else.

If you have any questions, contact Leisa Mathews by email at [email protected]     

Amy Hodge, Policy Associate

By Jodi Langellotti in Achieving Equitable and Inclusive CTE
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