June 2025 President's Update

By Drew Barnes, Vale School District

Greeting Fellow NACAT members and friends,

It’s hard to believe that summer is nearly here. Many of us have already finished our school year and are beginning to enjoy our summer break. Now, I know that in our profession “summer vacation” is not always a break or vacation from all work activities, however it generally is a good change of pace. However, it is always important that we make time for ourselves to recreate, enjoy time with friends and family, and do the things we enjoy. With that being said, here we are in June, and in just a few short days we will be hosting our annual NACAT Conference, June 9-12 in Detroit, Michigan I know it is still work mode, but I feel like it is a great way to kick off summer! A great opportunity to receive some valuable training fresh off of another challenging, but successful, school year. It is also, a great time to reconnect with fellow automotive educators. Maybe, more importantly, a time to catch up with old friends, meet some new ones, have some great conversations, and a few good laughs!

Back in April we held our board elections, yet again this year we had several outstanding candidates that ran for a board position. I feel like it truly is a testament to the goals of this organization, when you have this many qualified candidates, who are willing to volunteer their time to support the future of Automotive Education. On behalf of the NACAT board, officers, and the entire organization, I would like to offer a sincere gratitude of thanks to each and every one of the candidates who ran. I am happy to introduce your newest board members:

• Charles Klasman

• Krystle Roherty

• Kimberly Night

• Steve Boyd

Congratulations to each of you! Each of these individuals bring unique qualities and strengths that will contribute to the success of and growth of this great organization.

Obviously, this will be my last President’s Update before our upcoming conference. I am looking forward to seeing each of you in person in Detroit. We have an outstanding lineup of classes with great instructors. We also have an incredible list of vendors and sponsors that will be at the expo, be sure to check out all they have to offer. This event would not be possible without the incredible support of all of our sponsors.