WBL Champions Event

New Hampshire’s 1st ANNUAL WORK-BASED LEARNING CHAMPIONS RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE EVENT took place on September 28, 2018.

Gov. Chris Sununu, New Hampshire Department of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, Jeremy Hitchcock of the Community College System of NH’s Board of Trustees, and Peter McNamara, the president of the New Hampshire Automotive Dealers Association, all spoke about the importance of work-based learning and congratulated the winners.

Our very own Mike Curtis, Futures Program Director at White Mountains Regional High School and Kerrie Alley-Violette, Business Technology and Career Pathways Teacher at Sanborn Regional High School were honored for their amazing work in helping students explore their career interests in authentic settings. See attached for pic and program.

Other recipients included:

Student Champions

  • Ian Crawn, Concord High School

  • Peter McCosker, Hinsdale High School

  • Carmela Souza, Salem High School

  • Ryan Thomas, Manchester Community College

Advisor/Coordinator Champions

  • Mike Curtis, director of the Future’s Program at White Mountain High School in Whitefield

  • Ken Martin, a CTE manufacturing technology teacher and ELO coordinator at Laconia High School

  • Rich Paiva, director of technical studies at Milford High School

Teacher/Faculty Champions

  • Jayne Barnes, a professor and department chair at Nashua Community College

  • Scott Pope, CTE machine tool and engineering teacher at Sugar River Valley CTE Center in Claremont

  • Kerrie Alley Violette, an ELO teacher at Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston

Industry Partner Champions

  • Mike Alberts, director of organizational development and New England Electric Wire Inc. in Lisbon

  • Tom Ives, the owner of New Hampshire Bindery in Bow

  • Tim Jordan, a service manager at AutoFair Ford in Manchester

  • Vic Kissell, senior manufacturing supervisor, and Maxcess International in Keene

  • Eileen Keefe, chief nursing officer, and Parkland Medical Center in Derry.

  • Kurt Simione, owner of Technology Seed Inc. in Salem.

Overall Champions

  • Barbara Couch, co-founder, and Hypertherm in Lebanon

  • Jessica Dade, the assistant executive director of education foundation and career coordinator and the New Hampshire Automotive Dealers Association.

  • Anne Fowler, the director of student services at Pelham High School.

  • State Sen. David Watters, D-Dover

  • State Rep. Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill


Donna Couture