MEET YOUR SKILLSUSA UTAH STATE STAFF
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Nathan Pickett
State Director Who are you?
Hello state of Utah! My name is Nathan Pickett and I'm thrilled to be the new state director of SkillsUSA Utah. By way of introduction into who I am, I’ve been married for twenty years to my sweetheart and together we have six boys. For the past seven years I’ve taught Video Production and TV Broadcasting at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs and served as an advisor in the Westlake chapter of SkillsUSA. Together with the students we have grown the program into a family and have been fortunate enough to experience success at the state and national level. I believe strongly in the opportunities afforded by SkillsUSA and its role in helping students develop the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace. SkillsUSA Utah Vision: My vision for where we are heading with SkillsUSA Utah is to build a culture where students and advisors are proud of their membership and affiliation with SkillsUSA. From the Fall Leadership Conference to the Utah Leadership State Conference, we will be working tirelessly to create positive experiences that will serve to support and celebrate chapters across the state. As part of this effort we will be working to improve communication, social media, and aligning the ULSC with the NLSC to prepare our students for success. We look forward to meeting and working with you as we implement these strategies with the goal of strengthening SkillsUSA's impact and empowering students to excel! Please feel free to reach out, I would love to chat with you! |
Contact Me:
Email: [email protected] |
Jennifer Streker
Financial Officer Long time SkillsUSA-er. 27 years working in technical education as a Program Director at the Ogden-Weber Tech College. She has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. She is married to a wonderful man and has three grown children, five grandkids and one dog. She loves to see young people get excited about their goals for their future.
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Savannah Whitney
Executive Assistant Who are you?
Savannah is a Principal Secretary at Stansbury Elementary in Granite School District. She and her husband had their first baby boy in May 2023. She has 3 dogs and 2 cats. She has been involved with SkillsUSA since 2012. She was an active student member in her high school, a SkillsUSA Utah State Officer in 2014 through 2018, national competitor, and currently a state staff member. She attended Utah Valley University and has an Associates Degree in Engineering Design Technology. She has interests in architecture, photography, cooking, and interior design. She loves working with the awesome members of SkillsUSA Utah! |
Contact Me:
Email: [email protected] |
Curt Crofts and Emily Crofts
State Officer Trainer / Communications Manager Curt and Emily have 4 kids, 3 boys and 1 spoiled little girl. They live in St. George and love spending time outdoors. They are self described foodies who love to try different foods and love to cook as well. They love the opportunity to work with the state officers.
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Contact Me:
Email: [email protected] |
Jared Massic
Contest Chairman Jared Massic grew up in Northeast Ohio, and is the youngest of 9 kids. He has been teaching Welding at Maple Mountain High School in Spanish Fork since 2009. Jared also taught night classes for welding at MTEC for 7 years, from 2012 to 2018. He has a Minor in Manufacturing Engineering, a Bachelors in Technology and Engineering Education, and a Masters in Technology, all from BYU. Jared has been married to his sweetheart Khristen since 2008 and they currently have 3 children. Jared loves to see the growth and possibilities from all his students as they participate in SkillsUSA.
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Contact Me:
Email: [email protected] |
Blair Jensen
Contest Chairman Who are you?
Hey y'all. My name is Blair Jensen. You may recognize my name as I am also your President of the Skilled & Technical Division of UACTE for the upcoming school year. I am going into my 12th year of teaching. I am the Welding Instructor at Jordan Academy for Technology & Careers - South Campus, in Riverton. I have been at this school for 5 years, and was an agriculture educator at West Jordan High School for the previous 6 years. My background in skilled trades goes all the way back to me tagging along with my dad on HVAC service calls and construction sites in Sevier County. When I was old enough I joined the family business and learned all of the skills to build a home from start to finish. I loved my shop classes and was active in my high school FFA chapter, serving as the Vice President for two years at South Sevier High. I learned a little about VICA then from the signs that still hung in our shop, but we didn't have an active chapter. I worked various skilled trades through my college years as I figured out what I wanted to do in life. Over the years I did road construction and maintenance, various restaurant back of house positions, resort maintenance & hospitality, residential construction again, handyman, greenhouse and plant science research maintenance, and a brief stint in IT support. SkillsUSA Utah Vision: Growth & continuing progress. The future of skilled trades is strong, and Utah is at the forefront. We have one of the highest percentages of skilled trades certified workers in the nation. Our people know the value of success through the sweat of their brow and the skill of their hand. That starts with parents and teachers that provide a positive impact in the lives of those students that see that value. In my own chapter I strive to use SkillsUSA to develop the leadership and career success skills that my students will need to not only be successful in a trade, but drive their company to greater success. It is my hope that I can encourage and help other SkillsUSA advisors to do the same in their chapters through active participation in SkillsUSA events, and incorporating the SkillsUSA framework into your classes. SkillsUSA Utah Vision What will you provide to SkillsUSA members & the community in Utah? Drive and competitiveness. This was instilled in me through playing games with family & friends, and participating in school sports and FFA in school. My coaches always pushed me and taught me to do my best at every play. My FFA advisors taught me how to use my competitiveness to find opportunities for success. Thanks to their guidance I was a two time state champion and national competitor, and also earned my American FFA Degree (the highest accolade awarded to high school FFA members). With the guidance and help of my co-chair Jared Massic, I will increase the rigor of our state competitions, where needed, to better prepare our competitors for future careers and NLSC. I will also work with our competition board to start those contests that are relevant to our local industries, bring them up to the same level, and recruit new board members to help maintain a high standard of excellence. |