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 extensive educational leadership experience and a strong academic foundation. With degrees from Harvard College (A.B.), Boston College (M.A.T.), and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (M.Ed., C.A.S.), he has had the opportunity to learn alongside some of the top thought leaders in the education space. His professional success as a school-leadership consultant, building administrator, and district cabinet member reflects proven capacity for strategic planning, curriculum development, and stakeholder engagement. Kurt has developed a robust theoretical and practical understanding of educational systems, built upon varied experiences in diverse settings, including an early stint as a Principal Intern at Greater Lowell Technical High School, where he first cultivated valuable insight into the CTE-centered mission and operation of a "vocational" high school.

As Associate Superintendent for Human Resources in a Blue Ribbon school district with seven campuses and 12,500 students, Kurt led contract negotiations, labor relations, talent development, organizational change, and systemic continuous improvement. His tenure as the Principal of a nationally celebrated high school showcased his ability to spearhead high-impact educational initiatives, while galvanizing stakeholder commitment to shared priorities. As Assistant Principal for Curriculum & Instruction at a top Illinois high school, he oversaw teaching and learning for 2,800 students, resulting in the expansion of rigorous academic programs, yielding significant, sustained gains in student performance over time.

Throughout his career, Kurt has contributed to educational discourse through various publications, presentations, and professional learning sessions, and his commitment to authentic, results-focused collaboration continues to drive his work and inform his style of leadership.