Professional Development
Keynote and Workshop Comments:
This workshop had the best enrollment and retention strategies I have ever heard. Great tips for staying in touch with students!”
Brenda Marble
Registrar at Pima County JTED
Mark, your energy, your knowledge and ideas were worth every minute of our training. You have created excitement for us to do a new marketing focus to enroll and retain students! Thanks so much.”
Lorna Kennedy
Tech Prep Coordinator at AEA 267
This was one of the best presentations I have ever heard. I hope to get my staff on board with more effective marketing of CTE programs.”
Mike Zimmerman
Career Pathway Specialist at Area 31 Career Programs
This was a great presentation! He was energetic, informative and interactive — everything that needs to be happening to keep the recruits at CT centers.”
Kim Marburger
Secretary at Miami Valley CTC
Great presentation, very relevant! I love how you interject personal experience with your knowledge of the Millennials.”
Rob O’Leary
Upper Valley JVS
This was an amazing presentation and as a Millennial and first-time teacher, I feel very excited and inspired to do my job!”
Kristen Bielik
Columbiana County Career Center
Excellent program that accurately depicts the most significant challenges facing career tech — interest and retention.”
Brad Fitzpatrick
Southern Hills Career Center
As a Millennial, you hit the nail on the head! As a Marketing Director, I wish everyone in my organization could experience this seminar. I loved it and am aching for more!”
Jill Owenby
Director of Marketing at Southwest Technology Center
This presentation is why I came here. Excellent!”
Pat Halpin
Guidance Coordinator at Randolph Technical Career Center
Mark’s presentation was engaging, informative, entertaining and fun. He is both knowledgeable and able to create a motivating response in the audience. I want to immediately implement his recommendations.”
Brenda Clemons
Sr. Coordinator, Business & Information Technology & Marketing at Norfolk Public Schools
Mark was very engaging — I would certainly like to hear him again. Mark is certainly a Wade, makes me want to be one too. Mark was a fabulous motivating speaker. He really energized me, not just for today, but for the long-range picture. Thank you!”
Mary McCabe
Knox County Career Center
Absolutely great — whether a teacher, administrator, counselor — all can benefit as a team of CTE educators.”
Derek Lark
Director at Saline County Career Center
Great presentation, all educators need to hear this!”
Glen Blankenship
Assistant Principal at Woodlawn High School
Dynamic speaker, I was engaged the entire four hours! Useful strategies that can be implemented immediately with little to no cost.”
Sarrah Dobson
Career Education Counselor at Lex La-Ray Technical Center
Finally! Some fresh, exciting ideas to attract students to our programs. Can’t wait to spread the word back at my district office. Hands down, best presentation!”
Erica Shumaker
Administrative Assistant Curriculum at West-MEC
Mark is the most engaging, dynamic, motivating ‘marketer’ I’ve ever met! His passion is addictive. I can’t wait to get back to my classroom!”
Linda Rudio
Adult Ed Instructor at Bradford Union Technical Center
Mark went at warp speed to present the most entertaining and informative workshop I have ever attended.”
Wendy Klein
SW VT Career Development Center
Mark’s passion, humor, knowledge and ideas inspired me to make great changes in our CTE programs using his model!”
Tori Furman
Career Development Counselor at Taft College
Great presentation, dynamic and fun. Awesome ideas that can be implemented immediately and be very beneficial.”
Bill Howard
Admissions Representative at Universal Technical Institute
Mark is quite possibly the best presenter I have heard. He is engaging, funny and discusses relevant issues.”
Angela Sisi
ACTE Vision 2013 Las Vegas Deep Dive Session Attendee
Mark’s presentation was amazing and what I have learned will help us go to the next level. He is so right on and passionate — I really appreciated this session. Thanks.”
Deanne DeGraff
Principal at Northeast Metro 916 Career & Tech Center
This was by far the best presentation I have heard regarding CTE and igniting the fire of desire in our prospective students. Awesome!”
Marion McGhee
Assistant Director at Breithaupt Career and Technical Center
Your description of Millennial Generation students provided me with an Ah-Ha! moment. So many puzzle pieces finally fit and make sense.”
Susan Moon
Career Academy Coordinator at Huntsville City Schools
I am so excited to see this step-by-step. I have been trying to set this in place and now I have a solid, tried and true plan to put in place.”
Natalie Luther
Counselor at James T. Hutchison High School
This was fabulous and inspiring. I can hardly wait six days until I can return to school and start working!”
Andrea Wade
Counselor at North Pole High School
This is by far the best session I have been privileged to attend. It was informative, engaging and enlightening. I can truly say you are the best keynote speaker I have seen.”
Ghytana Goings
Chair, Arts & Sciences at Wallace Community College Selma
Mr. Perna was excellent in the delivery of his presentation. He was not only interesting but truly motivational. He incorporated educational components with finding a common ground to connect students to community and technical colleges.”
Beverly Ross
Dean at Trenholm State Tech College
One of the most engaging speakers I have ever heard…and I have heard many. Great choice!”
Doris Pinkston
Instructor, Coordinator, Director at Trenholm State College
Inspiring and powerful — I cannot wait to implement this knowledge into my classroom! Ready to change lives!”
Kelly Kendall
Instructor at Faulkner State Community College
I have been an educator since 1992 and this by far, is the most relevant presentation I have been in.”
Daniel Shorthouse
Instructor at Forbes Road CTC
I learned more about retention and enrollment management in these two hours than I did in one year of weekly trainings.”
Roberto Suarez
Outreach & Orientation Coordinator at Portland Community College