Dr. Ann Benson is currently consulting with states and personnel in local education agencies on the development and implementation of career clusters, career pathways and programs of study. In addition, she is providing leadership to the new Technology Centers that Work initiative supported by the Southern Regional Education Board. Her popularity as a speaker and workshop facilitator has also enabled her to work with educators on leadership development and other related educational efforts.
Ann and her husband, Gene, served as the technical coordinators/writers for developing the sample programs of study for the 81 pathways that make up the 16 career clusters. This work was done in conjunction with the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education through a contract with the League for Innovation in the Community College and the U.S. Department of Education.
She formerly served as the State Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education for four years. Prior to that, she served for 14 years as the agency’s assistant state director for educational services, where she had responsibility for administering high school, adult and business/industry CareerTech programs in Oklahoma’s high schools, technology centers, and skills centers serving both the prison and juvenile populations. Other responsibilities included administering Oklahoma’s system of High Schools That Work, Tech Prep, and serving on numerous boards and commissions. She has also served as director of the Mid-America Vocational Curriculum Consortium and as a curriculum specialist in the Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center. Prior to joining the state agency she had experience as a kindergarten and home economics teacher.
She served a two-year term as the President of the Oklahoma State University College of Education Alumni Association, and is the former president of the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education. She is currently serving on the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation Board of Directors.
During her career, she has received numerous honors and awards, including being inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma State University College of Education Hall of Fame. She has received the prestigious ACTE Arch of Fame award as well as their Outstanding Service award, and was presented the Francis Tuttle Career Excellence award, Oklahoma ACTE’s highest award.
Graduates are: Automotive Technology (Phil Bailey, Instructor), Cole Barron Dennis, Dakota Shane Latham, Jason Tyler Nieto, Juan Antonio Obrajero, Daniel Louis Pritchett, Cade Alan Shetter, Stephen Garrat Torrez and Jacob Lee Welch; Aviation & Aerospace Technology (Roy Smith, Coordinator, Fred Harper and Roy Lee Scott, Instructors), Roy Joseph Anderson, Brandon Jason Caron, Ethan Thomas Stager, Richard Sherman Bullock, Donnie Lee Graham, Michael Lee Knox, Isaac John Kok, Thomas Frank Silcock, Trevor Dean Whiteside, Francis Sinuehe Palomo, William McCarter and Terry Boren; Business & Computer Technology (Genia Glenn and Ericka Wiginton, Instructors)- Administrative and Information Services: Juan Lopez, Meagan McDowell, Elizabeth G. Nicolls, Alberta Roby, Kristin Snow, Kathleen Stratton and Brian Page Sturdevant; Medical Information Services: Elizabeth Ailleen Gail Mallory, Robyn-Marie Buxton, Tanya Lee Cardenas, Cecilia Martinez Peralta, Samantha Jolene McDonald, Griselda Carina Rangel, Stefany Rashelle Bird, Raquel Fierro and Erika Ariana Rodriguez-Rico; Construction Trades (Casey Crume, Instructor), Jason Christopher Willis, Adrian Alvarado, Juan Jose Carreon, Aidan Alexandro Cobos, Jordan Blake Rowland, Luis A. Perez, Joseph Moses Saenz and Dominique M. Vick; Cosmetology (Linda Woody, Instructor), Candace Combs, Janet Hernandez, Nicole Leach, Kayla Lester, Carley McKelvy and Jessica Lynn Melton; Health Science Technology (Stacey Davis and Kodie Riley, Instructors), Jonah Coronado, Zaina Davis, Cheyenne Edwards, Logan Glenn, Desiree Guerra, Karnisha Moore, Abby Perez, Jordan Perry, Haleigh Pinkley, Amy Stevenson, Tori Stevenson, Abby Alcorta, Shandreka Coleman, Adrienne Gregory, Kayla Knox, Dana Michelle Luttrell and Destiny Victoria; Industrial Maintenance Technology (Brian Chaney and Roger Smith, Instructors)-Electronics Technology: Alexander Green, Brandon Atwood, Elisha Moncrief, James Dempsey, Johnathon Ramirez, Paul Rowles, Taylor Rocha and Timothy Tully; Mechatronics: Justin Hackney, Joseph Surovy and Veronica Williams; Service Careers Technology (Casey Rowland, Instructor), Ashley Hernandez, Matthew A. Speer, Matthew Lyle Salmon and Brian Anthony Kelso.
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