CTE: In the Know - Your KRESA News Source for Career & Technical Education
April 22, 2020
Meet the New Asst. Superintendent of Career and Talent Development
Eric Stewart has a passion for service and helping individuals reach their full potential. He served as the Director of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU), a KRESA secondary program, for two years where he consistently pushed the envelope to strengthen the program and its services. Stewart will now transition to a brand new role at Kalamazoo RESA as the Assistant Superintendent of Career and Talent Development. His commitment to serving youth and addressing local workforce needs, paired with his charismatic personality and exceptional communication skills, are the critical components that make him noteworthy at cultivating growth right here in our community.
One of his most notable accomplishments comes from the MyCITY summer youth employment program. Stewart, along with his team of dedicated workforce development professionals at YOU, successfully expanded MyCITY over the past three years in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, with an increased demand for additional capacity that allowed for an expansion to Albion starting this summer.
And, he does his homework. Stewart develops and executes data-driven strategies and implements programming built on a foundation of innovation, trust, accountability, diversity and inclusiveness. Under his leadership, YOU was recognized as both a state and national leader in service innovation and best practice programming.
"Over the past three years, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Eric Stewart. He is a mentor, leader and a dear friend," said Amanda Sutherland, YOU administrator of employment services. "During his leadership of YOU, he boldly took the lead, driving our name into the community, sharing opportunities across four counties and growing the program with a 50% increase in local grant funding."
KRESA continues to reexamine and redefine what the future of Career and Technical Education looks like in our area. This new-to-the-organization role will work to significantly increase the number of students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to earn high school diplomas, skills certificates, associate degrees and beyond. Stewart will provide leadership, unified vision, collaboration, design, implementation and oversight of the following KRESA programs: Career and Technical Education (CTE), Education for the Arts (EFA), Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) and Early/Middle College (EMC) programs.
"I couldn’t think of anyone better to guide the CTE initiative during these next steps, as the new Superintendent of Career and Talent Development. Congratulations Eric," beamed Sutherland.
Building the Future
We are searching for an exceptional candidate to lead the CTE Career Center. Is that you?
The CTE Center Director will oversee operation of a world-class career center focused on serving all students in developing individualized career pathway plans, developing leadership, academic and technical skills using equity-focused strategies. The director will create a welcoming, positive, inclusive and safe school culture that simulates the workplace for students across the Kalamazoo area.
Learn more about the CTE Career Center Director position and apply online today!
Thank you, Deb Miller!
After 17 years of dedicated service, Kalamazoo RESA Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Programming Deb Miller will retire in June 2020.
As part of her role, Miller oversees operations of Education for Employment/Career and Technical Education (EFE/CTE), Education for the Arts (EFA), Early/Middle College (EMC) and Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) programming.
Throughout her tenure with Kalamazoo RESA, Miller has also held the EFE director and student services administrator roles where she has consistently worked to grow student participation and impact.
The retiring assistant superintendent says she has enjoyed building connections with local school districts, the post-secondary community and business and industry partners. Additionally, she enjoyed watching the development and growth of the EMC program, participating with Career Awareness and Exploration to bring career opportunities to K-12 students, seeing the growth of the MiCareerQuest Southwest event, and attending the Kalamazoo RESA Outstanding Seniors Awards Banquet for remarkable leadership and achievements of EFA and EFE/CTE students.
“The integrity that she lives by is unparalleled, even in the face of adversity; I can hear her saying ‘we take the higher road!’ She is loyal, trustworthy, compassionate and dedicated to her life’s work of improving the lives of the students we serve, and she challenges us to do the same." said Kathy Spackman, Miller’s executive assistant. “She is, by far, the best boss and friend anyone could imagine working for.”
“Together, we have accomplished great things. The future is bright for our youth with much more yet to come,” said Miller.
Miller looks forward to spending more time with her family and grandchildren in Michigan and Texas, working in her garden and developing other educational opportunities during her retirement.
Stay Updated on the CTE Redesign
We are working to design a world-class Career and Technical Education system for our students and community.
Learn more about the work being done to bring this vision to fruition at kresaCTE.org.
Check out the Kalamazoo RESA Career & Technical Education Facebook page for more updates!