A regional business support group that has encouraged the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center to develop new curricula to meet modern workforce needs and the administrator who was the catalyst for many new programs were the recipients of the school’s top honor for 2016.
The North Central Workforce Alliance of Ohio and retiring Career Center Superintendent Mike McDaniel were presented with Pentagon Awards at the school’s recent annual awards recognition program in the school commons.
The Pentagon Award is presented annually to an individual and/or organization for outstanding contributions to the school. One of the primary judging criteria is the degree to which a recipient has made a significant difference and a lasting, meaningful contribution or impact to the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center.
Past recipients have included teachers, school officials, community members and businesses from the five school districts that make up the Career Center’s vocational education planning district.
The North Central Workforce Alliance of Ohio is a business driven partnership that includes a regional coalition of employers focused on workforce development with representatives from manufacturing, welding, construction, heavy equipment, information technology, health care, agriculture and service business. Members represent companies in Ashland, Holmes, Wayne, Richland, Knox and Medina counties.
Career Center Superintendent Mike McDaniel said the more than two-year relationship with the workforce alliance contributed to the curriculum emphasis for the Career Center’s new manufacturing engineering programs. The group of business leaders helped the school secure $835,000 in state grants and direct funding to build a Robotics Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Education Collaborative (RAMTEC) laboratory this summer and provided financial support for a new formula race car project that will be part of the manufacturing curriculum.
“Not only has the alliance provided advisory support for the Career Center programs but members also have hired our students and influenced a more aggressive approach to bring a drug-free club to the school along with a “Bring Your A-Game” work readiness credentialing process to the school for the 2016-17 school year,” McDaniel said. “Our association with the alliance has improved the school’s image in the community, created a closer connection with employers throughout the region and is one of the more successful business-education partnerships in the area.”
Jack Schomer Jr., Human Resources Director for ArtiFlex of Wooster and President of the alliance, agreed that the Pentagon Award is recognition of what the alliance is doing to bring the education community and the business, industry and medical sectors together so students are aware of the career opportunities in the area and can be in a position for a viable career.
“It means so much for students to have the hands-on experience they get at a career center and it gives us an opportunity to give schools feedback on the kind of skills and competencies they need so they are prepared,” he said.
Also on stage for the award presentation were Dan Moore of Simonson Construction of Ashland and Matt Miller, HR director at the Ohio Department of Transportation District 3 office in Ashland. Miller told students that the primary reason the alliance exists is to show them that they can have a prosperous, successful career in North Central Ohio.
“Never underestimate your ability to be successful in your own back yard,” he said.
In presenting the Pentagon Award to McDaniel, Career Center Board of Education president Tom Donley described him as a devoted employee during his 37 years of service, including the last 14 as superintendent.
“He’s served the district with passion and enthusiasm and has promoted the Career Center locally, regionally and statewide and has been an advocate for its students, staff and programs,” he said. “He has taken risks in transitioning existing programs and introducing new ones to address the changing needs of future employment and career trends.”
Donley pointed out that the school has maintained a good fiscal position even with the expansion and modernization of facilities. Just as important, he said McDaniel encouraged students to bring their concerns to him for discussion and resolution through a student advisory committee he created.
McDaniel said he was proud to receive the award, particularly since he is retiring this summer.
“Having had the privilege of presenting so many of these over the years, it’s humbling to receive one myself,” he said.
The Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center presented the 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award to Leslee Sue Burgett Mast, who graduated from the school’s Graphic Arts program in 1983. The award is given to Career Center students who graduated at least five years prior and who were selected based upon their professional and community achievements.
Since graduation, Mast served four years as Monroe Township fiscal officer in Holmes County, graduated Cum Laude from Kent State University, worked for 16 years in payroll and human resources at Joel Pomerene Hospital in Millersburg and currently is the superintendent of the Holmes County Home. Career Center Board member Forrest Chanay said Mast also has been a big supporter of the school’s Interact Student Leadership club, helping fund a number of projects and encouraging students to adopt new ones.
Mast said that while she did not stay in the career she trained for in school, it was one of the best choices she has made because it has given her a good background for life.
“I’ve not only used the knowledge visually but it taught me good work ethics and to ‘do your best.’” she said. “You also need to find what you love and go for it. It’s not going to be easy because every job has its difficulties.”
Mast called the Alumni of the Year award a “true honor” because it validates what she has done in life and proved she made the right choice.
“I’m from a family of seven, college was not an option at the time and I knew this was a good career path to take because it would allow me to make enough money to make a decent living,” she said. “I’m a true believer that not everyone is cut out for college and that we need a facility like this to teach the youth who do not go to college.”
Other awards presented at the ceremony were Secondary Educator of the Year, which went to intervention specialist Christina Moser; Adult Educator of the Year that was presented to Maintenance Training program team instructor Rick Price; and Support Staff Member of the Year that was given to in-school suspension monitor Tammie Shipper.
Shipper was described as a person who is strict but fair with students and who serves as another parent who looks out for the students’ welfare.
“It’s an honor to receive the award because we have a lot of good students here who are going to be an addition to the community in so many ways,” she said. “I can’t see why a parent would object to having their child here because they can earn college credit or a trade skill and can find a passion for something they didn’t know they had.”
Price is a classified electrician with the Naval Reserve who spent 23 years at General Motors and supervised over 100 people in the plant’s largest pattern shop. Adult Education director Melisa Carr said Price brings discipline to the program, is well prepared and has the respect of his students.
The Career Center awards ceremony also had a number of special recognitions for secondary students including the induction of three students into the National Technical Honor Society. They were Sarah Currie, a senior in Graphic Communications from Ashland High School; Dustyn Pratt, a senior in Resource Conservation from Mapleton High School; and Arielle Crosky, a junior in Sports Science from West Holmes High School.
The Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center also presented student activity awards to members of the Interact Club and the superintendent’s student advisory committee. Officials also recognized students for outstanding technical achievement, perfect attendance, perfect honor roll achievement and students of the month.
