(LANSING) – Two St. Joseph County individuals have been honored for helping
to advance Career and Technical Education in Michigan.

The Michigan Association For Career and Technical Education (MI ACTE) has announced the winners of their 2025 Excellence Awards. This year’s winners are recognized for their dedication, innovation and contributions to CTE.

Named the MI ACTE 2025 New Teacher of the Year is Chad Spence, who served as the CTE Public Safety Instructor for Centreville Public Schools and the St. Joseph County CTE Consortium. Spence recently stepped down after taking office to be the St. Joseph County Sheriff.

Dr. Adam Cloutier, Vice President of Academics for Glen Oaks Community College, was named the MI ACTE 2025 Post Secondary Professional Of The Year.

MI ACTE says Spence and Cloutier, along with all of the 2025 winners, have gone above and beyond to champion Career and Technical Education across Michigan. Their contributions help prepare students for meaningful careers and strengthen the communities they serve.

The award winners were formally recognized at the Michigan Career Education Conference on January 28 in Grand Rapids.