Five Career and Technical Education (CTE) professionals were judged the recipients of 2022 CTE achievement awards. The annual CTE awards program is sponsored by the Kentucky Farm Bureau and is administered by the Kentucky Association for Career and Technical
Education (KACTE). KACTE is a professional association of Kentucky CTE teachers and administrators whose mission is to develop and provide leadership and advocacy to advance Career and Technical Education.

The Kentucky CTE awards program operates under the umbrella guidelines of the national Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). Kentucky’s 2022 award recipients will be entered in the 2024 ACTE national competition. Kentucky award winners have received national honors each of the past three years. Laura Arnold, Director of Workforce Development, Nelson County Schools, was named the 2020 ACTE Administrator of the Year. Tammy Camel, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, Rockcastle County High School, was named 2021 ACTE Carl Perkins Community Service Award winner. Ashley Rogers, Agriculture teacher, Nicholas County High School, was named the 2022 ACTE New Career and Technical Teacher of the Year.

The 2022 Kentucky Farm Bureau Career and Technical Education Award recipients are: 

Brandi Lee, College and Career Transition Coordinator, Grayson County Schools, received the Counseling and Career Development Professional Award. Her job organizes all work-based learning opportunities, and she facilitates communication between local business leaders and school administration. Among her innovations are Work-Based-Learning Wednesdays and LEAD with CTE, which helps educate and support the local community.

Thomas Poole, Agriculture teacher, South Warren High School, received the Career and Technical New Teacher of the Year Award. Teachers with five or fewer years of experience are eligible for the New Teacher Award. His nomination noted the real-world, hands-on experiences he offers student both inside and outside the classroom. His hard work demonstrates to students that agriculture opens more career opportunities that just cows, sow and plows. He has helped raise more than $75,000 through grants, sponsorships and donations to enhance agricultural education at his school. As FFA adviser, his students have won awards at regional, state and national competitions.

Angela Gott, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher educator, Western Kentucky University, received the Career and Technical Teacher Educator of the Year Award. After retiring with 27 years of classroom teaching, she became a WKU adjunct professor. Immediately, she worked on aligning FCS courses with current standards. She created the KY FCS Huddle to connect the three universities in Kentucky offering the FCS education major to build a collaborative relationship between FCS education students and teacher educators.

Sharon Collins, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, Warren East Middle School, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. During her 25 years as a middle school teacher, she has held numerous leadership positions, including secretary and president of the Kentucky and National Associations of Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences. The National Board Certified teacher currently serves as Treasurer of the Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education (KACTE), the professional association for all CTE teachers and administrators.

Amanda Guzik, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, Lyon County High School, received the Career and Technical Teacher of the Year Award. Her program offers five FCS pathway: Consumer and Family Services, Hospitality and Tourism, Fashion and Interior Design, Fundamentals of Teaching, and Early Childhood. She develops high-level pathways for postsecondary success, has ethical leadership ability, instructs with engaging project-based study, creates barrier-free access to FCS and FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America student organization), fights for equipment and technology for all students, develops and maintains community partners for the
benefits of the program and students, and has the biggest passion for CTE and FCCLA.

For the first time, the Kentucky Association for Career and Technical Education (KACTE) recognized legislators for Meritorious Service to Career and Technical Education in Kentucky. The initial honorees are Rep. Bart Rowland and Sen. David Givens. For several years, the two legislators championed Career and Technical Education in the Kentucky General Assembly. In 2022, they were instrumental in the General Assembly adopted a biennial budget that effectively doubled funding for secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the state, as well as increases for CTE funding at Kentucky community and technical colleges. The budget also called for a new method of distributing secondary funding. Rather than funding going to qualifying schools, the funding new will be able to go to high-quality CTE programs regardless of their location at state operated Area Technology Centers, locally operated Career Technology Centers, of comprehensive high schools.