Empowering the Next Generation

As a highly accomplished and innovative educational leader with a Master's in Educational Leadership, Patrick brings a unique blend of extensive experience in both Career and Technical Education (CTE) program development and real-world construction management. His background as a CTE Department Chair and President of a successful remodeling business provides unparalleled expertise in strategic project oversight, meticulous budget management, and highly effective stakeholder collaboration. He is passionate about translating industry demands into cutting-edge educational design. He has successfully led the conceptualization and realization of state-of-the-art CTE learning environments, including labs, workshops, and flexible learning spaces, directly aligning educational offerings with workforce needs.  His continued consulting experience as a "Champion Now" and guest speaker further demonstrates his active role in shaping the future of CTE.

As an Educational facilities consultant, he optimizes stakeholder collaboration, consistently bringing together diverse groups—including administrators, architects, contractors, community partners, and industry leaders—to achieve shared visions and secure significant project funding. He focuses on enhancing recruitment and training pipelines by designing purposeful facilities that attract students, cultivating robust industry advisory boards, and developing dual credit and internship programs that bridge the gap between education and employment. Patrick is committed to providing strategic oversight and maximizing the educational impact of investments, ensuring that delivered facilities and programs genuinely prepare students with the practical skills and critical thinking necessary for successful careers in a rapidly evolving global economy.

Terry Iverson brings a unique and passionate perspective to CTE build-outs, grounded in over 44 years of experience within the manufacturing sector and a family legacy in the industry. He is a dedicated advocate for changing the perception of manufacturing among young people, aiming to highlight its highly technological, innovative, and rewarding career paths.

Through his current company, CHAMPION Now!®, he's established a platform to actively engage the next generation with manufacturing, utilizing educational films, presentations, and internships.  His work involves collaboration with local companies, schools, industry associations (like IMEC), and various partners to showcase successful manufacturing career paths and inspire future talent. This experience is highly relevant to developing the industry partnerships crucial for successful CTE programs.

Furthermore, Terry has authored two books that serve as valuable resources for students, parents, educators, and industry members. "Finding America's Greatest Champion" provides insights from their extensive career and features over 50 interviews on manufacturing, mentoring, and parenting. "Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing" targets explicitly students and parents, offering a unique dual-cover format with QR codes for digital content to facilitate early career discussions. His Advocacy, coupled with practical experience and developed resources, demonstrates a strong capacity to drive engagement and secure support for CTE initiatives focused on manufacturing.

Kurt Laakso brings an extensive educational leadership experience with a strong academic foundation from Harvard University and Boston College.  His professional background demonstrates a significant capacity for strategic planning, curriculum development, and stakeholder engagement.

With an M.Ed. and Certificate of Advanced Study in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, alongside an M.A.T. in English from Boston College and a B.A. in English and American Literature and Language, cum laude, from Harvard University he brings a robust theoretical and practical understanding of educational systems. His involvement as a Principal Intern at Greater Lowell Technical High School offers valuable insight into the operational aspects of a technical high school.

Kurt Laakso’s experience as Associate Superintendent for Human Resources in a district with seven campuses and 12,500 students put him in a position to manage labor relations, employee hiring, and staff evaluation and negotiate related agreements. His time as the Principal of a nationally recognized high school further showcased his ability to lead and manage large-scale educational initiatives.  As an Assistant Principal for Curriculum & Instruction, he oversaw all aspects of teaching and learning for 2,800 students, including spearheading MTSS plan development and establishing a data-driven teacher collaboration structure.

Beyond direct leadership, he has significantly contributed to educational discourse through various publications and presentations. He is the author of several impactful articles, including "The Suburbs Need Diverse Teachers, Too" (Education Week, 2018), which discusses the importance of diversifying teaching ranks, and "What an EDUCATOR Can Do to Make America Great" (Chicago's Daily Herald, 2018). Their earlier work, such as "Educating for Democracy in the Twenty-first Century" (2001) and "Corporate Involvement in American Schools: From Channel One to KickStart.Com" (2000), demonstrates a long-standing engagement with critical issues in education, including the intersection of business, government, and schooling, which is highly pertinent to the industry partnerships often central to CTE.