The 2010 HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop, held March 24-26, 2010 in Lansdowne, Va., continues to build on its previous success by drawing a strong, diverse crowd. 

The 2010 HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop focused on “Advancing Green Mechanical Concepts,” and featured numerous HVACR and plumbing-specific technical sessions, with topics ranging from solar water heating to integrating green building practices into the curriculum. In addition to opportunities for networking, exhibitors provided attendees with practical information on a variety of topics and technology.

The Workshop also included an opening and closing session during which Tom Applegate, senior director of business and industry initiatives for the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE), discussed the changes in secondary and postsecondary education and a panel of industry experts detailed the current issues that instructors face in the classroom. During the Workshop’s closing session, Tim Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA, provided an update on career and technical education at the federal level, as well as an update on SkillsUSA activities.

In addition, two awards held special meaning since they honored instructors whose talent, innovation, and dedication to teaching serve as a model and an inspiration. The 2009 HVACR Instructor of the Year was presented by Barbara Checket-Hanks, service & maintenance editor of Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration NEWS, to Larry Ball of Foothill High School, Henderson, Nev. The 2009 Plumbing Instructor of the Year was presented by Bob Mader, editor-in-chief of CONTRACTOR Magazine, and went to Paul Hallam, an instructor at Mechanical Skills, Inc., Indianapolis.