SkillsUSA Honorary Life Members
Celebrating Lifelong Dedication to Career and Technical Education
SkillsUSA’s Honorary Life Membership is the highest recognition given to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to our mission. These honorees have gone above and beyond in their service — dedicating decades to empowering students, strengthening CTE programs, and advancing the SkillsUSA movement nationwide. Through their leadership, mentorship and advocacy, Honorary Life Members have shaped generations of skilled professionals and left an enduring mark on our organization.
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1967
Ralph C. Neal, Ohio
Donald L. Pound, Ind.
Dr. Robert M. Reese, Ohio
Dr. Byrl R. Shoemaker, Ohio
1968
Jesse Carrell, Texas*
David E. Graf, Ill.
John E. Harmon, D.C.
Laurence R. Howard, Mich.
David Jared, Tenn.
Ernest B. Studebaker, D.C.*
Leighton A. Wilkie, Ill.
1969
Governor James A. Rhodes, Ohio
William F. Roark, Va.*
Merton Wheeler, Mo.
1970
Charles D. Bates, N.C.*
Jack Boulton, N.M.
Dr. Leon P. Minear, D.C.
Russell Peterson, Del.
Roman Pucinski, Ill.
1971
Dr. Roy E. Ayres, Okla.
Dr. Joseph E. Barber, N.Y.
Lowell A. Burkett, D.C.
William F. McCurdy, Ill.
Harry Meinert, Ill.
Dr. C. Thomas Olivo, N.Y.
Lee W. Ralston, Calif.
1972
William M. Hicks, Ga.
Mary P. Allen, D.C.
Richard F. Sargent, Vt.
1973
Martha Bachman, Del.
Larry W. Johnson, Va.
Fred A. Martin, Ky.
Hugh C. Murphy, D.C.
1974
Paul E. Belden, Jr., Ohio
James A. Herman, Calif.
1975
Mark L. Davis, Ga.*
George W. Swartz, Va.*
1976
John C. Bates, Mich. (General Motors Corporation)
Harry F. Davis, Ohio
John L. Riddell, Pa.
Special Recognition
1977
L. V. Ballard, Texas
J. C. Ruppert, Ark.
The Honorable James A. Rhodes, Ohio, Governor
Dr. Byrl R. Shoemaker, Ohio, Director of Vocational Education
Outstanding Service
1979
Dr. Charles B. Dygert, Ohio
1980
Charles W. Easley, Ark.
Morgan K. Fields, Tenn.
John W. Glass, Jr., N.C.
Dr. Robert A. Robison, Mo.
Earl F. Williams, Ga.
1981
William A. Dennis, D.C.
Robert S. Patterson, Texas
J. Alvin Wilbanks, Ga.
1982
Monte L. Janik, Ind.
James C. Lindley, Ala.
Rolland A. Pywell, Idaho
James G. Vorhes, Mich.
Jack P. Berry, Okla., Distinguished Service
1983
Patrick E. White, Ky.
Donald B. Wilson, Md.
1984
Thomas O. Harris, Texas
Edwin D. Henry, Kan.
James F. Kregiel, Pa.
1985
Nathaniel C. Harrison, Jr., Ga.
Alfred W. Pelletier, Pa.
Garnett B. (Bill) Prince, Jr., Va.
Ralph D. Turlington, Fla.
1986
Thomas Shearouse, Ga.*
1987
Ben L. Baines, Va.
Kenneth D. Thompson, Ariz.
1988
Ivan J. Armstrong, Okla.
Thomas F. Connors, Ind.
Eugene G. Hornberger, Va.
1989
Jack Berry, Texas
Melvin J. France, Mich.
Charles E. Newton, Ala.
Daniel Rayshich, Ind.*
James R. Richter, Md.
1990
Philip G. Baird, Ill.
Greg J. Donovan, Ariz.
W. Charles Henderson, Okla.
Jack P. McClellan, Fla.
Talmadge L. Rushing, Fla.
Dr. Winifred R. Warnat, D.C.
John H. Whiteside, Calif.
1991
Lloyd Mather, Neb.
David Merrill, S.D.
Ruth Pippo, N.Y.
Mary Schneider, Okla.
Bobbye C. Smith, Ga.
Donald C. Vadnais, Minn.
1992
Betsy Brand, D.C.
Dr. Lauretta Cole, W.Va.
Dr. Jesse W. Hudson, Kan.
Richard H. Kitzmann, Wis.
Everett W. Lehmann, D.C.
Dr. Ethel M. Smith, N.Y.*
Dr. Frank R. Steckel, N.C.
Bonnie J. Sumter, Idaho
1993
Patrick R. Dalton, Ill.*
Bernard Densmore, Ohio
Tommy Proctor, Ill.
William Reding, Okla.
Russell Riley, Ohio
James H. Smith, Jr., Ark.
Raymond Wachniak, Wis.
1994
Ralph A. Andersen, Utah
John Choulochas, Mich.
Randall Peacock, Ala.
Dr. Richard (Rick) Sullivan, Okla.
Dr. Wilma Tompkins, Ohio
Jeffrey M. Wulf, Mont.
1995
Kenneth Edwards, D.C.
Ken Grubbs, Ga.
Karen Henderson, Minn.
Byron D. Smith, Ariz.
Kenneth Thigpen, N.C.
Dr. James H. Wiblin, Ohio
1996
Clay W. Allen, Jr., Okla.*
Charles E. Bradford, Md.
Donald W. Decherd, Fla.
Dr. John L. Scott, Ga.
Richard "Dick" W. Sproul, Del.
1997
Dick Burchett, Ark.
Harold E. Lewis, Kan.
John D. Mack, Mich.
1998
Robert Green, Mo.
Dr. Mark Johnson, Kan.
Patricia McNeil, D.C.
1999
Daniel R. Cleveland, Mich.
Gerald Magee, Texas
Betty Magee, Texas
Dr. Richard L. Ross, Va.
Noel Steele, Idaho
2000
Stephen Denby, Va.
Dale F. Elliott, Wis.
Robert L. Flint, Ill.
John E. Klok, Mich.
Dr. Russ McCampbell, Mo.
Paul E. Pentz, Fla.
2001
Lynda Cottle-Spittle, Ohio
Marsha Daves, Okla.
Ernie Gary, Ohio
Mike Raponi, Nev.
David J. Terrill, Alaska
Karen Ward, Mass.
2002
Sharon Schaub, Okla.
Marcus Wallace, Va.
2003
Peter Carey, N.J.
Dara Dubois, Calif.
Jeff Merickel, Ohio
Arnie Zent, N.D.
2004
Nancy Beggs, Ala.
Nicholas Fedirko, Del.
2005
Grover Bledsoe, Pa.
Vandy Gates, Ga.
Chip Harris, Tenn.
Bob Kimbrell, Ala.
Larry Rabalais, La.
Mike Regauld, Ark.
Graham Yarborough, N.C.
2006
Ralph Barnett, Tenn.
Rex Jones, Ga.
Dale Sendelbach, Ind.
2007
Don Bauc, Ill.
Mary Bell, Ill.
Frank Carroll, Ill.
Don Eshelby, Idaho
John Hinesley, Texas
2008
Roger Johnson, Va.
James King, Tenn.
Ed Melott, Okla.
Jeri Widdowson, Pa.
2009
Glenn Barefoot, N.C.
Tony Glenn, Neb.
Donald Hatton, Fla.
Paul Williams, R.I.
2010
Moe Broom, Wash.
Glenn "Sonny" Cannon, Ga.
Cameron Ferguson, Ill.
Wayne Kutzer, N.D.
James McKenney, D.C.
Larry Rabalais, La.
Deborah Reynolds, Mo.
Jack Sukala, Pa.
Julie Yeater, Ind.
2011
Gary Diehl, Va.
John Gaal, Mo.
Dick Sherman, Ore.
Larry Stone, N.C.
2012
Joe Pietrantonio, Pa.
Marlys Bucher, Minn.
Robert Abitz, Wis.
Steve Phillippi, Ky.
Jill Van Weelden, Fla.
2013
Dave Camden, Ariz.
Ron Downing, Kan.
Paul King, Okla.
Larry Lebsock, Ariz.
Greg Rintala, Colo.
Gerald Tylka, Pa.*
2014
Nick Mastrone, N.C.
Jeffery Johnson, Okla.
Carl Creasman, Tenn.
Ada Kranenberg, National Staff, W.Va.
2015
Kathy Mannes, D.C.
Scott Stump, Colo.
Roberta Desprospero-Johnston, Pa.
Irene Saavedra, Calif.
Minnie Rodgers, Texas
Jennifer Polz, Minn.
2016
Karen Beatty, National Staff, Va.
Tom Holdsworth, National Staff, Va.
Judy Garrison, National Staff, Md.
Susan Trent, National Staff, Md.
Michale J. de Castro, Pa.
Laurie Hackett, Pa.
Francie Soliday Russell, Okla.
Alicia Smales, Okla.
Dave White, N.J.
2017
Mike Cowles, Ohio
Alex Gromada, Ill.
Marven Make, Texas
Faustino Pena, Texas
2018
Keith Ashby, National Staff, Va.
Russ Hoffbauer, Ill.
Alonza "A.C." Lewis, S.C.
Etta Maynard, Md.
Dave Milliken, Calif.
Peggy Torrens, Kan.
2019
Chris Arvin, Ill.
Jim Bullington, Okla.
Eric Gearhart, National Staff, Va.
Darren Gibson, Okla.
Brent Kindred, Wis.
George Laubmeier, Wis.
Wayne Lee, N.C.
Ann Schreiber, National Staff, Md.
2020
Tammy Brown, Mich.
Shelly Coates, National Staff, Va.
Gene Dudley, National Staff, Ala.
E. Thomas Hall, National Staff, Va.
Terry Robinson, Okla.
Heidi Walsh, National Staff, Va.
Roger Wilkerson, Va.
2021
David Allday, Calif.
Bruce Gray, Texas
Wanda Henry, Ala.
2022
Louise Drow, Ore.
Janet Conner, Texas
Deb Hargrove, Kan.
2023
Keith Andrews, Ala.
Danny Camden, Ind.
Kirstie Christopherson, Ore.
Stephen Lick, Mich.
2024
Harol Nevill, Idaho
Steve Icenogle, Ala.
Lisa Romeiser, N.Y.
Sam Bottum, Wis.
John Kett, Ill.
Joshua Klemp, R.I.
Chuck Wallace, Md.
Jen Worth, Md.
Becky Warren, Kan.
Damian Glover, La.
Tim Lawrence, Va.
Clay Mitchell, Calif.
Laura Rauch, Va.
2025
Kristina Clifton, Ala.
Patty Duncan, Va.
Thomas Kercheval, Va.
Debra Peabody, Ga.
Sindie Read, Nev.
Jackie Walker, Ohio
Kira Zdunek, Ill.
2026
Samantha Childress, Tenn.
John Clark, Md.
Holly Dieterle, Texas
Tim Elliott, W.Va.
Kim Graham, National Staff, Va.
Roxanne Hodge, National Staff, W.Va.
Karen Kitzel, National Staff, Fla.
Robert McIntosh, N.H.
Jane Short, National Staff, Va.
Marcia Strickland, National Staff, Ga.
Bart Taylor, Texas
Maureen Tholen, Minn.
Tom Wozniak, Wis.
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