MEDIA RELEASE
Saginaw Intermediate School District’s Executive Director of Career and Technical Education, Jenny Geno, Named the 2023 Association for Career and Technical Education’s National Administrator of the Year
During the Association for Career and Technical Education’s (ACTE) Excellence Awards gala in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 30, 2022, Jenny Geno, Saginaw Intermediate School District’s (Saginaw ISD) Executive Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) was named the 2023 ACTE National Administrator of the Year. “I am so very honored and privileged to work in Saginaw. It is because of our amazing community and robust partnerships that I am able to do what I do. This honor is for my fantastic team, partners, our entire region, and the great state of Michigan,” shared Ms. Geno.
ACTE recognizes excellence and dedication within the field of career and technical education among ACTE members. Ms. Geno was previously recognized by the ACTE as Region One’s Administrator of the Year in 2022 before receiving the national award for 2023. “I am incredibly happy for Jenny, and her deserved recognition of the 2023 ACTE National Administrator of the Year award. Jenny is a consummate forward visionary who epitomizes servant leadership and persistently advocates, partners, and designs positive program opportunities for students while consistently modeling the Saginaw ISD’s mission statement of serve, innovate, and empower,” stated Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Collier.
Recipients of these awards, including Ms. Geno, are exceptional individuals who have contributed to the success of CTE through the quality of their work and involvement in the CTE community. “Jenny Geno is a kind advocate for students and career pathways. Her tireless work has earned her this magnificent honor, and I’m proud to work with her,” said Deputy Superintendent Scott Sawyer.
The “Administrator of the Year” honor is awarded to CTE professionals at the school, district, county, state, or federal level who have demonstrated leadership in ensuring teacher and student success while making significant contributions toward innovative, unique, and effective career and technical education programs. “Saginaw ISD is very fortunate to have such a dedicated administrator that is passionate about CTE and every student in Saginaw County. We are proud to have Jenny Geno honored at one of the largest stages with this well-deserved award,” added Ruth Coppens, Saginaw ISD Board of Education president.
Programs that have been implemented and designed at Saginaw ISD during Ms. Geno’s leadership tenure include:
- Received full funding for a $6.3 million Marshall Plan grant with 74 partners
- Implementation of eight new CTE programs with advanced training opportunities in partnership with Saginaw Career Complex (SCC)
- Initiation of “Teacher Academy” and “Nursing Academy” in the Early Middle College Programs that are designed to address critical shortages while offering students exceptional career opportunities for a fraction of the cost
- Initiation of registered apprenticeship expansion through pre-apprenticeship programs at SCC
- Creation of the Saginaw County Youth Ambassador Program designed to develop peer mentors that promote Saginaw County
To learn more about CTE at Saginaw ISD, please visit: https://www.sisd.cc/page/caree...
To learn more about ACTE, please visit their website at: https://www.acteonline.org/
L to R: SISD Deputy Superintendent - Scott Sawyer, SISD CTE Consultant & Coach - Tina Bacigalupo, SISD Executive Director of CTE - Jenny Geno, SISD Superintendent - Dr. Jeffrey Collier, MDE State Director for the Office of CTE - Dr. Brian Pyles
Jenny Geno, Executive Director of CTE, Saginaw ISD Biography
Jenny Geno is the Executive Director of Career and Technical Education at the Saginaw Intermediate School District in Saginaw, Michigan. With 19 years of experience in CTE, Jenny has a deep passion for improving the lives of students and adults through the robust training and career opportunities that CTE offers. Through the lens of equity and access, Jenny works to break down barriers and create new paths toward rewarding careers for all individuals. She believes that education, in all forms, is the great equalizer.
Ms. Geno completed her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and obtained both her Master’s Degree and Education Specialist Degrees from Saginaw Valley State University, with additional credits in Career and Technical Education from Wayne State University. She is currently a doctoral student attending Central Michigan University. She was a Gerstacker Fellow through Saginaw Valley State University in 2016 and is a 2020 graduate of the Henry Marsh Institute for Public Policy, also through SVSU. She was awarded the Manufacturing Talent Champion Award in 2021 from the Michigan Manufacturer’s Association and the Michigan CTE Administrator of the Year Award in 2022 from the Michigan Association of Career and Technical Education. She is also the Region 1 Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Administrator of the Year Award in May of 2022 and the ACTE’s 2023 National Administrator of the Year.
Jenny serves on the Michigan Workforce Development Board and chairs the Talent Cultivation and Aptitude Pairing Committee. She is also a Michigan Apprenticeship State Advisory Board member, providing input and leadership toward statewide expansion efforts. Jenny is a member of the Office of Career and Technical Education’s Perkins V Executive Board which provides collaborative leadership with the Office of Career and Technical Education toward implementing this federal legislation. She has also been a member of Michigan’s Career Education Planning District Executive Board, representing CEPD Directors from around the state for the last seven years. She is currently serving as past president and legislative liaison. Ms. Geno was elected to the Michigan Association of Career and Technical Education Board of Directors, with her term beginning in July 2022.
Locally, she is a Board member of Saginaw Future, Inc and the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works Career Education Advisory Council Board, the Great Lakes Bay Manufacturers Association Board, the Saginaw Inclusion Council, and the Saginaw Food Club Board, focusing on providing fresh food to community members residing in designated food deserts.
Jenny has presented at many local, state, and national events throughout her career and has been published several times in national CTE-focused journals.