NR instructor Kent Montgomery receives Educator Award from MACTA

Central Lakes College Natural Resources instructor Kent Montgomery was recently awarded the 2016 Educator Award by The Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Education Administrators (MACTA).

The Educator Award is one that recognizes the finest career and technical instructors in Minnesota at the secondary or postsecondary level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students, and dedication to the improvement of career and technical education (CTE) in their institutions and communities. The following are some of the reasons why he was nominated and received the award:

• Montgomery is a state leader in Natural Resources education and works closely with his colleagues at the high school and college level throughout the state promoting excellence in teaching and learning.
• Montgomery is active in regional and state workshops in agriculture-natural resources. He offers summer camps for teachers to learn more about teaching natural resources at the high school level. He also offers an online introductory course in natural resources for students who want to earn college credit while in high school.
• He is active in college activities serving on various committees and volunteering for many events.
• Montgomery has worked in ecological field research activities for more than 30 years, including seabird ecology along the Pacific Coast and in Antarctica, moose ecology and forestry management in Montana and aquatic research across coastal Georgia, south Florida and central Minnesota.
• He has experience in planning and implementing prescribed fire, creating and enforcing conservation easements, and utilizing remote imagery/sensing in wildlife and forest management.
• Montgomery is utilizing technology to integrate Open Educational Resources into his courses in order to make them more affordable and accessible to students.
• He is very active in the Brainerd community, and has previously served as a school board member of Brainerd Public Schools for many years.

“We applaud Kent’s accomplishments and thank him for his commitment to his students, the college, and the career and technical education community of Minnesota,” said Ginny Karbowski, MACTA member.