2009 AWARDS

OATFACS TEACHER OF THE YEAR Lois Stoll is a National Board Certified FCS Teacher at Benjamin Logan High School. Well in advance of the date required by SB311 requiring Personal Finance for all students, Benjamin Logan High School instituted a semester long blocked class on Personal Finance. The class is highly interactive and based largely on lessons from Family Economics and Family Education curriculum. She attended the National FEFE conference in Tucson, Arizona. They have had a state officer for the past four years and attended USA Leadership, National FCCLA meetings as well as numerous state events.

OATFACS OUTSTANDING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATOR Rita Hollenbacher has served as a Supervisor of Instruction at Upper Valley Joint Vocational School in Piqua, Ohio for the past 17 years. She supervises Early Childhood, Chef Training, Medical Academy, Teacher Academy, and Work and Family Life teachers, both at the JVS and at the 10 satellite schools. For six years, Rita has actively served on the FCCLA board of directors. Rita has been a member of the Ohio Association of Supervisors of Family and Consumer Sciences for the past 12 years. At the local level, Rita has been very active with the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce, the Miami County Custody Review Board and the David L. Brown Board of Directors. Rita has been a resource for everyone: students, teachers, administrators, local businesses, other supervisors, and state leaders. Rita embodies the values and passion that all Family and Consumer Sciences educators strive to achieve.

OATFACS NEW TEACHER OF THE YEAR Therese Chadbourne is in her fourth year of teaching at Riedinger Middle School in Akron Public Schools. During this brief time she has written and received three grants for classroom supplies and equipment, served on the Site Improvement Team and as Team Captain the past two years, been an FCCLA advisor taking students to the state level, co-chaired an annual school event for all students and parents, and has been a true advocate for service learning projects. Her teaching assignment also includes one class/day of 21 special needs students. Therese said, “They are such a pleasure to work with; it has been one of my most rewarding teaching experiences.” She recently has started her Masters at the University of Akron. After working in industry for 21 years, she is very happy to be teaching Family and Consumer Sciences. Therese said, “My only regret is not starting this career right out of college!”

OATFACS AMBASSADOR AWARD Sandra Laurenson has served as a Family and Consumer Sciences Consultant for the Ohio Department of Education and as a Consultant for the Six District Compact, where she coordinates professional development activities for FCS teachers. Since 2006, Sandy has become very active in legislative efforts as they relate to Family and Consumer Sciences Education. In conjunction with Janet Laster, she has successfully engineered to have Family and Consumer Sciences listed specifically as one of the elective options in the Ohio Core graduation requirements. Sandy regularly sends legislative alerts regarding Family and Consumer Sciences initiatives. Sandy is currently working on the “life and career-ready skills” portion of the HB 1 that is still in process. Her goal is to keep this requirement and language in the bill, while identifying the Family and Consumer Sciences teachers as the preferred providers of this curriculum. Sandy motivates others to join in her efforts and is a true advocate for Family and Consumer Sciences.

OATFACS OUTSTANDING FCS PROFESSIONAL IN COMMUNITY SERVICE Deb Firtha teaches at Hyre Middle School, where her FCCLA students spend 90% of their time in Service Learning projects and activities. For Project H.E.L.P, her students have raised over $3,000 for the local food banks. Hyre FCCLA students have donated over $500 to the Humane Society. Deb’s students made two Christmas trees last year for Project Evergreen. Her students started the “Hyre Recycles” program that promotes recycling throughout the school. Deb Firtha serves as Akron Public School’s Co-Chair for “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.” Her FCCLA students donated over $7,000 in the past three years between the walk pledges and many student directed fund-raising events. Her students have used these many service projects in the FCCLA contests of Chapter Service Manual, Chapter Showcase Display and National Programs – Community Service. Last year her students competed at the National level for FCCLA.

OHIO ACTE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Susan Butts teaches Family and Consumer Sciences at Princeton High School in Cincinnati, where she serves as Department Chair and on several other committees. She is a National Board Certified Teacher. Susan is very active at the state level in the positions of OAFCS District C President, OATFACS Conference Planning committee, OATFACS President in 2008, Ohio ACTE Public Relations Chair, and NATFACS Membership committee. The purpose of the Distinguished Service Award is to recognize superior teaching and/or other professional commitment within each division of the Ohio ACTE. Susan Butts exemplifies all the attributes of this award.

OHIO ACTE PACESETTER AWARDS The purpose of the Pacesetter Award is to recognize individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership or innovative program achievements through service to Ohio ACTE. Each division selects their Pacesetter recipients. The current Pacesetter award winners are currently serving on either the OATFACS board or as active members of the conference planning committee. Here are our Pacesetter award recipients. Naomi Ruth Kidney-Budd Linda Madaffer Alyzan Yost Kelley Smith Karen Dunn Gloria Harms

Congratulations to all of the award winners!