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, OH
Donald L. Pound, IN Dr. Robert M. Reese, OH Dr. Byrl R. Shoemaker, OH
1968
Jesse Carrell, TX* David E. Graf, IL John E. Harmon, DC Laurence R. Howard, MI David Jared, TN Ernest B. Studebaker, DC* Leighton A. Wilkie, IL
1969
Governor James A. Rhodes, OH William F. Roark, VA * Merton Wheeler, MO
1970
Charles D. Bates, NC* Jack Boulton, NM Dr. Leon P. Minear, DC Russell Peterson, DE Roman Pucinski, IL
1971
Dr. Roy E. Ayres, OK Dr. Joseph E. Barber, NY Lowell A. Burkett, DC William F. McCurdy, IL Harry Meinert, IL
Dr. C. Thomas Olivo, NY Lee W. Ralston, CA
1972
William M. Hicks, GA Mary P. Allen, DC Richard F. Sargent, VT
1973
Martha Bachman, DE Larry W. Johnson, VA Fred A. Martin, KY Hugh C. Murphy, DC
1974
Paul E. Belden, Jr., OH James A. Herman, CA
1975
Mark L. Davis, GA* George W. Swartz, VA*
1976
John C. Bates, MI (General Motors Corporation) Harry F. Davis, OH
John L. Riddell, PA Special Recognition
1977
L. V. Ballard, TX J. C. Ruppert, AR
The Honorable James A. Rhodes, OH Governor
Dr. Byrl R. Shoemaker, OH Director of Vocational Education
Outstanding Service
1979
Dr. Charles B. Dygert, OH
1980
Charles W. Easley, AR Morgan K. Fields, TN John W. Glass, Jr., NC Dr. Robert A. Robison, MO Earl F. Williams, GA
1981
William A. Dennis, DC Robert S. Patterson, TX J. Alvin Wilbanks, GA
1982
Monte L. Janik, IN James C. Lindley, AL Rolland A. Pywell, ID James G. Vorhes, MI
Jack P. Berry, OK Distinguished Service
1983
Patrick E. White, KY Donald B. Wilson, MD
1984
Thomas O. Harris, TX Edwin D. Henry, KS James F. Kregiel, PA
1985
Nathaniel C. Harrison, Jr., GA Alfred W. Pelletier, PA Garnett B. (Bill) Prince, Jr., VA
Ralph D. Turlington, FL
1986
Thomas Shearouse, GA*
1987
Ben L. Baines, VA Kenneth D. Thompson, AZ
1988
Ivan J. Armstrong, OK Thomas F. Connors, IN Eugene G. Hornberger, VA
1989
Jack Berry, TX Melvin J. France, MI Charles E. Newton, AL Daniel Rayshich, IN* James R. Richter, MD
1990
Philip G. Baird, IL Greg J. Donovan, AZ W. Charles Henderson, OK Jack P. McClellan, FL Talmadge L. Rushing, FL Dr. Winifred R. Warnat, DC John H. Whiteside, CA
1991
Lloyd Mather, NE David Merrill, SD Ruth Pippo, NY Mary Schneider, OK Bobbye C. Smith, GA Donald C. Vadnais, MN
1992
Betsy Brand, DC Dr. Lauretta Cole, WV Dr. Jesse W. Hudson, KS Richard H. Kitzmann, WI Everett W. Lehmann, DC Dr. Ethel M. Smith, NY* Dr. Frank R. Steckel, NC Bonnie J. Sumter, ID
1993
Patrick R. Dalton, IL* Bernard Densmore, OH Tommy Proctor, IL
William Reding, OK Russell Riley, OH James H. Smith, Jr., AR Raymond Wachniak, WI
1994
Ralph A. Andersen, UT John Choulochas, MI Randall Peacock, AL Dr. Richard (Rick) Sullivan, OK Dr. Wilma Tompkins, OH Jeffrey M. Wulf, MT
1995
Kenneth Edwards, DC Ken Grubbs, GA Karen Henderson, MN Byron D. Smith, AZ Kenneth Thigpen, NC Dr. James H. Wiblin, OH
1996
Clay W. Allen, Jr. OK* Charles E. Bradford, MD Donald W. Decherd, FL Dr. John L. Scott, GA Richard “Dick” W. Sproul, DE
1997
Dick Burchett, AR Harold E. Lewis, KS John D. Mack, MI
1998
Robert Green, MO Dr. Mark Johnson, KS Patricia McNeil, DC
1999
Daniel R. Cleveland, MI Gerald Magee, TX Betty Magee, TX Dr. Richard L. Ross, VA Noel Steele, ID
2000
Stephen Denby, VA
Dale F. Elliott, WI
Robert L. Flint, IL John E. Klok, MI Dr. Russ McCampbell, MO Paul E. Pentz, FL
2001
Lynda Cottle-Spittle, OH Marsha Daves, OK
Ernie Gary, OH Mike Raponi, NV David J. Terrill, AK Karen Ward, MA
2002
Sharon Schaub, OK
Marcus Wallace, VA
2003
Peter Carey, NJ Dara Dubois, CA Jeff Merickel, OH Arnie Zent, ND
2004
Nancy Beggs , AL Nicholas Fedirko, DE
2005
Grover Bledsoe, PA
Vandy Gates, GA
Chip Harris, TN
Bob Kimbrell, AL
Larry Rabalais, LA
Mike Regauld, AR
Graham Yarborough, NC
2006
Ralph Barnett, TN
Rex Jones, GA
Dale Sendelbach, IN
2007
Don Bauc, IL
Mary Bell, IL
Frank Carroll, IL
Don Eshelby, ID
John Hinesley, TX
2008
Roger Johnson VA
James King, TN
Ed Melott, OK
Jeri Widdowson, PA
2009
Glenn Barefoot, NC
Tony Glenn, NE
Donald Hatton, FL
Paul Williams, RI
2010
Moe Broom, WA
Glenn “Sonny” Cannon, GA Cameron Ferguson, IL
Wayne Kutzer, ND
James McKenney, DC
Larry Rabalais, LA
Deborah Reynolds, MO
Jack Sukala, PA
Julie Yeater, IN
2011
Gary Diehl, VA
John Gaal, MO
Dick Sherman, OR
Larry Stone, NC
2012
Joe Pietrantonio, PA
Marlys Bucher, MN
Robert Abitz, WI
Steve Phillippi, KY
Jill Van Weelden, FL
2013
Dave Camden, AZ
Ron Downing, KS
Paul King, OK
Larry Lebsock, AZ
Greg Rintala, CO
Gerald Tylka, PA *
2014
Nick Mastrone, NC
Jeffery Johnson, OK
Carl Creasman, TN
Ada Kranenberg, WV
2015
Kathy Mannes, DC
Scott Stump, CO
Roberta Desprospero-Johnston
Irene Saavedra, CA
Minnie Rodgers
Jennifer Polz
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, OK
Alicia Smales, OK
Dave White, NJ
2017
Mike Cowles, OH
Alex Gromada, IL
Marven Make, TX
Faustino Pena
2018
Keith Ashby, National Staff, VA
Russ Hoffbauer, IL
Alonza “A.C.” Lewis, SC
Etta Maynard, MD
Dave Milliken, CA
Peggy Torrens, KS
2019
Chris Arvin, IL
Jim Bullington, OK
Eric Gearhart, National Staff, VA
Darren Gibson, OK
Brent Kindred, WI
George Laubmeier, WI
Wayne Lee, NC
Ann Schreiber, National Staff, MD
2020
Tammy Brown, MI
Shelly Coates, National Staff, VA
Gene Dudley, National Staff, AL
E. Thomas Hall, National Staff, VA
Terry Robinson, OK
Heidi Walsh, National Staff, VA
Roger Wilkerson, VA
2021
David Allday, CA
Bruce Gray, TX
Wanda Henry, AL
2022
Louise Drow, OR
Janet Conner, TX
Deb Hargrove, KS
2023
Keith Andrews, AL
Danny Camden, IN
Kirstie Christopherson, OR
Stephen Lick, MI
2024
Harol Nevill, ID
Steve Icenogle, AL
Lisa Romeiser, NY
Sam Bottum, WI
John Kett, IL
Joshua Klemp, RI
Chuck Wallace, MD
Jen Worth, MD
Becky Warren, KS
Damian Glover, LA
Tim Lawrence, VA
Clay Mitchell, CA
Laura Rauch, VA
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