CERTIFICATION

Membership Development

My personal beliefs on membership development are varied. I believe that membership increase should maintain its spot in the program of work for each chapter and for my State Executive council, however I feel it is more important that we have increased participation for our current membership. I feel this is a productive way not only to increase my current membership, but to maintain the membership we already have. Having said this I have worked with the grant writers in Connecticut to include the Vocational Technical School System in the Total Participation Plan. I am excited that we will be implementing the PDP district wide and am hopeful that we will be able to maintain the Grant from year to year.

Membership Development Strategies:

My state executive council meets during the summer and sets a goal of how much they would like to see our membership increase by. We attempt this increase in a variety of ways.

The first is our Newsletters. We feel that when we publicize our activities and our calendar of events our students will be more inclined to participate since they will be aware of upcoming events.

Second: We make every attempt to do in school workshops for any school that requests them, during these workshops we identify any obstacles that the school may be encountering and together come up with great solutions.

Third: The one I think is most successful. I get enthusiastic teachers on board. I know that our focus needs to be students and student learning, however if we do not have enthusiastic advisors, we may never move forward. I have found that keeping my advisors happy ultimately makes the students happy and membership takes care of itself.

Lastly: I have worked with the grant writers in my office to implement the TPP in Connecticut , which will, of course increase our membership.

Opportunities for Participation:

We encourage individual chapters to participate in a variety of activities. These activities need to be for SkillsUSA members only. The activities include, but are not limited to the following: Community service projects, Fall leadership Conference, State Conference, and Trade specific seminars, I strongly recommend that all SkillsUSA members participate in the PDP and offer opportunities for training to students and teachers to incorporate the PDP in their classrooms. Additionally each year we add new contests to the Skill Championships to meet the needs of our students. Some of these contests are State only while others are national contests. The most successful addition we have had in the last several years was the addition of a freshman only contest. This allowed freshman to compete in a non stressful way knowing that the other students in the contest were also first year members.

Identifying Problems and enacting solutions:

When I took over the Director position in CT, I knew that I needed to win over several advisors. We were in a state of confusion and lack of communication, and I needed to know the cause of this problem and ways to bring about change, so these problems no longer existed.   The first item on my agenda was to meet with the advisors I asked them, what did the advisors need from me? I found that this open door approach was very successful and have found ways to incorporate the advisors ideas with a few of my own. I learned once I could prove to the advisors that my intentions were sincere they would encourage membership again. I also learned that when an advisor is dissatisfied with the communication between them and the State Director, it has a direct impact on membership. So while I agree that the students are our customer, I needed to satisfy the advisors in an effort to create the enthusiasm we were lacking. I now have evaluation forms that I hand out to students and advisors at the end of each conference and the end of the school year, in which I ask for ways we can improve our state association. I have gotten some amazing suggestions, and I'm sure you know I have also gotten some silly ones, but I have found, It is very hard to satisfy our members if we don't know what they are looking for.

Educate Members to develop membership:

We educate the members through most of the modalities stated above, Newsletters, Workshops, Conferences and, of course advisors. The best education I can provide the membership is through other students. This is why I encourage the State Officers to do workshops and train the local officers to reach their chapters. I have found some officer teams are more successful than others, however I still think that in terms of getting our message across the students are our best vehicle.

Conference Management

Conference management seems to be the area that needs to be maintained in the most organized matter. I really enjoy this aspect of my job, as it gives me an opportunity to work with a variety of different people.

Organize conference Personnel:

I am very blessed with my amazing alumni for this task, while in many ways I would love for them to take a more proactive role, I must admit that most of my volunteers would do anything that is asked of them. I maintain our relationship by keeping all volunteers in the loop, year round. I will send them a summary of results from the national conference, keep them on the mailing list for newsletters, and send them notes through out the year. I will have one meeting in the fall and send out mailings to ask for assistance. I have finally been able to put a core team together for my State Officer team, and they assist with all aspect of the conferences we host. My volunteers now take a role in organizing and putting together various parts of each conference, which allows me to focus my attention in other areas.

Manage Facilities:

It is my goal to set up each conference before the close of the contest we are attending; therefore I set up the contract for the following year, before I leave the current conference. If I am changing facilities for one reason or another, I try to enter negotiations during the month of the conference of the previous year. This sometimes is impossible (as is the case this year) for a variety of reasons, if that is the situation I will attempt to schedule my facility as soon as I am cleared to do so.

I make it my personal task to meet with the facility coordinator before signing a contract to go over all aspects of the conference. I feel this is beneficial to both the facility and me. I am sure to include all items I will be requiring of the facility, and what the facility will need from me. (Insurance, Custodial fees, lighting, engineers etc.)

Manage Sessions:

This area is the hardest for me to let go of. It is no secret that I have control issues, so allowing others to take responsibility of the sessions is a very hard task. I still manage all competitive events; however I give the Event Chairperson complete control on what the contest entails. I encourage all Chairpersons to follow the national specifications when possible; however I do maintain that they have complete creative freedom. I have however given the responsibility of awards, openings and delegate sessions to my officers and their trainers. I give my input as to what I'd like to see changed, and work with the facility to incorporate their ideas. Our fall leadership conference is a collaborative effort from the officer team, their trainers and myself . We as a group establish a theme for the conference, and I will incorporate the theme throughout the conference and hire all personnel that are necessary. I encourage the students to take an active role as workshop presenters and team leaders, however if I feel the students are not able to carry out this task I will team them up with a member of the volunteer staff. Finally, I must admit that while the students will run all sessions at banquets, I still set up the banquets and all aspects of them. I think the main reason I feel the need to maintain the control of most of the sessions is I have not had an opportunity to see my volunteers at their best, I must admit, however when I have given them a task they most defiantly carry it out in a way that I would expect them to and have always asked for more.

Information Management:

Good bad or indifferent all information regarding any conference comes through me. I use all methods of communication depending on who I am in contact with. I rely heavily on the use of email, and contact lists. I have found this to be a very useful tool, especially since I am able to track my emails, so I can monitor if the messages have been read.   I no longer send any information except my back to school mailing through the US mail to my advisors.

All information from Event Chairpersons, judges, volunteers etc. is still primarily sent via the US Postal service. I still have many of these individuals that are not in the electronic era, and prefer to be contacted by mail.

Once information enters my office whether via email or US postal service, it is immediately filed to the appropriate location, and the information is recorded in the appropriate file, as to when the information was received. During conference season, I have several different files that are easily accessible so I can manage donations, volunteers, and conference registration etc. If I have the information electronically I am sure to save it to disc, so I can access it at a later date should that be required. I have used Microsoft Access for my database to control and maintain all information related to SkillsUSA. I have found this program easy to use and since all of the schools that I use for conferences have access loaded on their computers, I can save the information to a disc and have access to it at other locations. I also print off the reports I may need and store them in a conference notebook; this makes it easier to access at a moments notice.

Manage conference budget and development:

This is never an easy task and unfortunately we learned that the hard way. Our first national conference we lost several hundred dollars due to lack of communication and budgeting.   I now sit down with the fiscal agent at the end of the school year and during Officer training to plan our budget for the year. Since the officers are active in planning the conferences we must incorporate any new ideas they may have into the budget. We have also learned to budget for the unexpected, which always happens.

Manage Logistics:

As stated above, even when other people are managing a specific area, I manage the overall event; therefore all logistics of any conference, meeting, or session go through my office.

Communications, Image and Media

I have made communication between my advisors, staff and officers' priority one. I have found that most of the issues that have arisen in our state were due to a lack of communication.   This was one of the advisors major concerns when I became the state director. I believe we have progressed greatly from that time.

Develop regular communications:

I have developed a calendar that is distributed at the beginning of the school year to all advisors, staff, event chairpersons and the state officer team. I also am sure to include the superintendent and all trade consultants in this mailing. This helps everyone that is involved with SkillsUSA in CT to be an active part in planning for all events through out the year.

I send out monthly email blasts to all advisors; however I have found that I am in contact with most of them much more frequently.   I follow every conference with a survey, and a summary of each conference to all parties listed above. If they did not attend the conference, I will simply send then a summary of the conference with its highlights. This way I have communication to all parties involved no less than once a month.

Utilize Information technology:

I am very pleased with the use of our email system for all of my advisors. I have set up a contact list that allows me to send one email to all the advisors at one time, and track the email to see if the email was opened and when.

I also am blessed with the use of the State Department of Educations web master. Mark has created a CT SkillsUSA web site, and allows me to make changes and update materials at any time. I believe our web site is an amazing resource for students, teachers and industry to see what we're doing in CT. I also manage all conference and advisor information in Microsoft Access.

Promote positive image:

I believe this is an area where anyone involved in career and technical education probably struggles. In CT our career and technical education programs are being revamped and I am pleased to be a part of this.

When I return from any conference I contact the State Board of Education members and give them the results of our amazing students. Our students also attend many business luncheons where they are able to spread the word regarding career and technical education and SkillsUSA. It has been my experience that the students spread this message much better than I could ever begin to imagine.

Our students also participate in many community service projects; this of course, is a great way for us to portray a positive image. Most of the schools and defiantly our state wide community service projects target children, so we emphasize that our students are helping other students.    When ever there is an opportunity for us to make public appearances we are involved. From openings of new Home Depots, to trade shows. CT SkillsUSA makes an appearance, developing a fantastic image for our students.

Utilize media effectively:

I am please with the media coverage we receive in CT, from the newspapers, however we do not do very well with the television media. I am fortunate that I have not ever received any negative publicity. (Almost wish I hadn't said that our loud)   I have found that when I send out a media blast from my office I do not get as much of a response as when individual schools send out information or request media coverage, therefore I prepare a media blast and while I still send it from my office I also encourage the schools to contact their local paper and provide them with a copy of the press release that I prepare. We have gotten a tremendous response from this method, and most local papers will highlight specific students.

I also have the same information prepared for release in many trade magazines and the state department of education web site.

Utilize effective interpersonal relations:

If ever there was an area in which I can excel in this is it. I have been blessed with the “gift to gab” I pride myself in my ability to create conversation with anyone I may encounter. This has allowed me to create an enthusiasm with advisors and chair persons that had never existed.

Being able to create casual conversation with my industry partners has opened many doors for me. I feel that when people are able to speak casually with you they feel more available to make comments, suggestions and exchange ideas. I have always created an open door policy that will allow the people involved with me in any way to offer criticism and feel that I could constructively offer my insight in return.   I am not naive enough to think that I have mastered any area, but believe this open communication policy will offer me ways to improve.

Industry Partnerships:

When I first accepted the position of State Director, I was overwhelmed with the thought of contacting industry members and soliciting donations or support. I now have an amazing group of industry partners, most of which I consider my friends.

Establish business and industry leadership for technical committees for all skill contests:

When I took over four years ago, I was left with nine solid partners, for my thirty five events. Not great odds, especially since I did not start until October. I began by learning why the partnerships we've had in the past had failed and how I could improve on the mistakes of the past. Luckily I have been around the state association enough as a volunteer to have witnessed some of the complications of the past. I'm not sure if my way is the appropriate one, but this is how I started.

I contacted old partners and introduced myself. If I was granted a meeting I sat down and discussed my philosophy for SkillsUSA and ways that partners could now benefit. I also called on all my advisors to see if they had any contacts that I could pursue. I was very surprised at how well this worked. I also called on my State Dept. of Ed colleagues to assist me with their contacts. Many of my colleagues responded and were able to offer insight on fallen relationships of the past.

I learned that I needed to be available for their phone calls, comments, and concerns. I needed to attend function for their associations even when I wasn't seeking help, and further learned to keep them informed of all the SkillsUSA activities throughout the year. I found that if I made myself available for them, they returned the favor. I still have a handful of events that I need to refine, but truly believe I have developed most of my partnerships in a manner that they will continue to grow.

Establish and utilize business and industry contacts on a foundation or advisory council:

Okay, we have now found an area I haven't even touched. I do have an advisory council, (We call it a steering committee) however it is comprised of advisors and State Department of Education staff members. I have contacted a few partners and they were pleased to be asked and participate on my council.

Establish a system for recognizing business and industry involvement:

We have had many systems in place since the inception of VICA. The most prominent one is our conference program. In our program we list the name of all industry partners affiliated with the conference. We also print name badges for all judges and event chairpersons with their company name on it. Our latest way of recognition is the addition of our slide show to the awards ceremony, in which we add the name of a sponsor to every event that has one.   Lastly, we honor one person every year with an award we call the outstanding service award. This award is given to a partner that has gone above and beyond the call of duty. In the past couple of years it has been very difficult for me to choose only one person for this award. I consider this a true blessing.

Develop a system for securing resources from business and industry partners:

I'm not sure that I have a set program for obtaining resources, other than to continually ask. I have a fairly standard letter that I send out to my partners and have found that the partners that have contributed in the past, If I attend their regular meetings are more inclined to contribute each year. I have also found that the sending of thank you cards has gone a long way. (Apparently the previous directors did not do this) Most professionals enjoy hearing that they are appreciated, and once they are recognized in such a way are more inclined to donate. I continually contact local area businesses and solicit their help, not only for financial support, but in kind as well.

Secure business and industry involvement in programmatic/curriculum validation:

In Connecticut we have what is referred to as steering committees for every technology in every school. When I asked the advisors for assistance gaining industry support they went to their respective steering committees. These committees are comprised of industry members and the instructors for the said technology. The responsibility of the steering committee is to be sure that the skills being taught in the classroom are compliant with entry level skills of that trade. So I have several partners that were already involved in program validation. The partners that were not involved are continually asked by instructors in the schools to participate on respective steering committees, as well as State Steering committees where the curriculum is written. I have found that when industry sees what we are doing they are excited to be involved in every level, with the hope of obtaining future employees.

Personnel Management:

This can be a difficult area, and I have attended many workshops to assist me in working with volunteers. I do not have any paid staff in CT. I feel this is most difficult because you never want to discourage a volunteer and to be honest they are the life blood of my state association. I could not accomplish a number of activities without the support of my volunteer staff. With that said I have found a number of the volunteers to not work out in the manner I have needed them to, and have had to find a way to encourage them to other areas.

Demonstrate working knowledge of all occupational leadership areas and understand and implement applicable personnel laws and regulations:

Since I have no paid personnel I think that must help in some regard that I do not have any laws or regulations that I must have a working knowledge of, or that I have needed to implement. I have however been around the VICA program for a number of years as a volunteer and have had the opportunity to serve in probably every capacity, which has enabled me to have a working knowledge of most areas, with that said; we are never too good to learn. I continue to attend trade shows and labor meetings in which I am always learning something new about another aspect of our trades. I try to understand enough about each area that I am able to assist in implementing a contest or a new area of a contest. Someone once said , I know a little about a lot of things. This statement would probably best summarize my knowledge of the occupational areas in CT.

Motivate (and recognize) and empower staff:

Motivation is always very strong with our staff, I believe that since I am so enthusiastic, that my spirit is felt everywhere around me. J My task has been empowering the staff to do their job. I believe I have mentioned a few times that I have had many control issues; therefore I have created the monster that I have. Many staff are so busy checking for my approval that they are not effectively getting the job done. I have been working on overcoming this problem, and am sure to train the staff in an appropriate manner so they do not feel the need to get my approval before making a decision.

We recognize our staff in a variety of ways. All volunteers receive a certificate thanking them for their participation. I hold a dinner to celebrate our staff and an annual picnic. I think this gives us a time to visit and socialize, and since most of my staff are alumni, catch up on old times. People like to be valued and having social functions such as this has created a friendship that enables us to work very well together.

Provide Training based on identified need:

Training can be very difficult especially since our volunteers are already providing their time for whatever task they will be completing, and I do not like to ask them to give any more or their time than absolutely necessary. I am very blessed to have many seasoned staff members who are now taking this responsibility. We have provided new staff members with a description of what they will be asked to do, and team them up with a seasoned staff member to “show them the ropes” I find this to be the most effective method we have tried, and requires the least amount of time.

Provide Job descriptions that include duties and responsibilities:

When assigning a volunteer a new task they are given a written description of what will be expected of them to do. This is also true for new event chairpersons. I usually will go over the materials in person with a new industry member, as I feel this task is more encompassing than most would initially think. I encourage them to contact another industry partner to discuss ways to streamline a contest and make it successful.

Operations Management:

I think that operation management is really discussed throughout this entire portfolio. It is ever changing, and ever growing. I am still at the helm of all operations, but slowly allowing others to pave the way for easier solutions. I will probably always continue to keep operations management under my belt.

Finance Management:

I work together with a fiscal agent, who is the one responsible for all accounts payable and receivable. The budget for the year is a collaborative effort between the fiscal agent, the state executive council and me.

Manage affiliation with the national office, chapters, and constituents:

I have stated earlier in the portfolio that I have at the minimum a monthly contact with all chapters, industry partners, and volunteers. I believe that I do a good job communicating with the national office, and am able to meet the deadlines that are requested of me.

Manage liability/insurance:

Since I am a state department of education employee I am able to obtain my insurance from the state, however if I am requested to have additional insurance by one of my facilities, I would be the one responsible for obtaining this information, and pursuing the additional insurance. I have however only needed additional insurance on one occasion.

Develop positive board and associations relationships:

I have stated earlier that we are in the molding stages of adding industry to our “steering committee” and can not imagine creating a negative board environment. I have been fortunate to be able to attend meetings for associations that support CT SkillsUSA which has truly created a positive environment for me. It has been brought to my attention on more than one occasion that I am the first state director in CT to take an active interest in my partners businesses even when not requesting something from them. I believe making an appearance has made a great improvement in a positive relationship, as well as sending a thank you note when they have assisted in some way.

Resource Management:

Since I feel that resource management is really the same as finance management, I would say this is a collaborative effort between the fiscal agent and myself . I am the one who actively pursues additional resources, and he pays the bills. I sit in on meetings for grants and try to find ways that I can gain additional funding. I will explain to him how those funds can be spent, but ultimately he is the one to do all accounts payable and receivable.

Recommend, adopt, and implement approved policies:

The recommendations of policies come from all sources, from advisors, industry and students. I have always supplied every participant of a conference with a questionnaire. I ask for comments, and suggestions. Many policy ideas were started from these survey forms. Depending on what needs to be implemented, depends on who approves it. If it is something that directly effects the entire student population, then it must go to the House of Delegates for approval, however if we are changing something in a specific contest the state executive council or the steering committee will approve these changes.

Implementation is always done by me. I will send out information to all that are affected and try to explain the reason for the changes and a description of what is now expected from individuals, should there be a change.