LOOKING BACK ON THE BAY: Fall Conference 2008

President Elect, Dick Bettendorf

The Fall 2008 conference set a new standard of excellence from beginning to end. 

The pre-conference theme “Noncredit: Creating Pathways to Credit CTE” featured a panel of four experts from the field including Michelle Pilati, Rio Hondo College; Lynda Lee, Mira Costa College; Brian Ellison, San Diego CC Continuing Education; and Vicki Warner, CA Community College System Office. The Board will continue to keep an eye out for opportunities to bring timely pre-conference topics to you that work to enhance and illuminate the conference theme.

Mollie Smith and Kim Schenk created a new vision for Friday’s agenda beginning with the WHODOUWANT2B students who were featured in the marketing campaign. Each student spoke about their CTE program and subsequent career success. It was an extraordinary session. The PowerPoint presentation is available for viewing on the CCCAOE website and is titled “School to College Articulation Project: Strengthening the Pipeline and Marketing CTE.

 The second panel discussion titled “How Do We Construct an Effective CTE Pipeline” featured experts from the K-12 systems office. Rock Pfotenhauer and Assemblyman Warren Furutani were asked a series of stimulating questions by our new CCCAOE Legislative Analyst, Jonathan Lightman. Jonathan’s ability to provide relevant information and ask poignant questions while humoring his audience is a commanding gift.

Dr. Dowell Myers discussed “Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America” to a packed audience. His ability to translate charts, graphs and demographic information and make it meaningful and relevant to our lives today and in the future was unbelievable. It’s hard to pull anything over the CCCAOE members, but Dr. Myers managed to carry us away with his presentation.

From beginning to end the conference provided attendees with trends in CTE, legislative updates, best practices, networking and opportunities to meet friends and colleagues. Our next conference is March 11-14, 2009 in San Francisco at the wonderful Sir Francis Drake Hotel.  Mark your calendars!