Charlotte Edwards receives the Francis Tuttle
Career Excellence Award

Charlotte Edwards, executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education (OkACTE) is the 2004 recipient of the Francis Tuttle Career Excellence Award, which is the highest honor OkACTE gives. The award was given at the 37th Annual Career and Technology Education Summer Conference held recently at the Tulsa Convention Center.

OkACTE is the professional organization for the state's CareerTech administrators, teachers, and staff members. The award was established in 1985 in honor of Francis Tuttle, former state director of the Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education – now called CareerTech. It is designed to recognize individuals whose careers exemplify Tuttle’s dedication to the development of people through career and technology education. In 1984, Charlotte was hired as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Vocational Association and its sister organization, the Oklahoma Vocational Technical Education Council. Under her leadership, the names of the organizations have changed, and membership has increased significantly, along with the number and variety of services offered to members, according to Phil Berkenbile, CareerTech state director. Both organizations now provide strong leadership on the national level.

Al Tuttle, the son of the late Francis Tuttle, presented this year’s Career Excellence Award to Charlotte Edwards, executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education

The full-time, professional staff has evolved from two to four, and the budget is now close to a half a million dollars with a significant portion being generated by non-dues revenue. In 1986, Charlotte assumed responsibility for the association’s lobbying efforts and that soon became her primary role. She implemented numerous activities to educate members about the legislative process and issues, and to get them involved in grass roots lobbying efforts.

“Charlotte works with numerous organizations and boards, including several related to career and technology education, along with Leadership Oklahoma, the Community Literacy Centers, and the Oklahoma Society of Association Executives,” Berkenbile said. “She has made tremendous contributions to CareerTech education in Oklahoma, and we shall be forever indebted to her.”

Edwards is a former high school marketing education instructor at Muskogee, Pryor and Tahlequah

.-posted 8/16/04