Marvin Melvin
This award financially recognizes two outstanding Santa Barbara County Career Technical Educators during the annual Education Celebration, hosted by the Santa Barbara County Education Office’s Teachers Network.
In 1999, Frank Schipper (of Frank Schipper Construction Co.) started awarding the yearly Marvin Melvin award, in honor of his former metal shop teacher at Santa Barbara High School. In the inaugural year, the award was given to only one Santa Barbara South County shop teacher.
So many vocational training teachers are neglected when it comes to giving an award for outstanding work. Frank Schipper felt strongly about creating this vocational training award so that vocational training teachers’ work can be recognized along with a highly visible class of awards for academic work.
In 2005, Frank Schipper joined with TRADART Foundation and together they awarded a North and South County Industrial Arts shop teacher. Now, every year, TRADART selects two innovators, based not only on the ways they lead students to a mastery of technical skills but for the ways in which they bring change to the curriculum and help in making the programs marketable. Continuing the cycle, Frank Schipper Construction Co. and TRADART Foundation look forward to celebrating a North County School District Career Technical Education Educator and another to their South County counterpart each year.
Past recipients include:
2023
2022
2020
Daniel Barnett, Visual Arts Teacher, Santa Barbara High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
Rebecca Ingrahm, CTE Business, Business Communications, and Business Technology Teacher, Maple High School, Lompoc Unified School District
2018
Chris Mollkoy, Construction Technology Teacher, Grades 9-12, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
Dan Howard, Industrial Technology Teacher, Grades 9 – 12, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
2017
Caleb Chadwick, Construction Technology Instructor, Santa Barbara High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
Rob Hill, ROP/CTE Auto Instructor, Santa Ynez Valley High School, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District
2016
Tamra Ryan, Virtual Enterprise, Computer Business Applications, Instructor, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara County Education Office
Dave Beatty, Advanced CAD Manufacturing, Instructor, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
2015
Michael Johnson, SBCEO ROP/ Automotive Instructor, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
Timmy Palmer, Wood Shop Teacher, Santa Barbara Junior High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
2014
Karen McConnell , Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
Lee Knodel, Santa Barbara High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
2013
Ray Patton, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District
Amir Abo-Shaeer, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
2012
Russell Granger, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
Sue Hope, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
2011
John Dent, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
Barbara Reineke, Santa Maria High School, Santa Maria Jt. Union High School District
2010
James Bayley, Santa Barbara High School, Santa Barbara Secondary School District
Scott Schaller, Cabrillo High School, Lompoc Unified School District
2009
Rick Ceriale, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Secondary School District
Robert Garcia, Righetti High School, Santa Maria Jt. Union High School District
2008
Marcene Newman, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Secondary School District
Ronald “Chip” Fenenga, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District
2007
Michele Humboldt, Santa Barbara High School, Santa Barbara Secondary School District
Tony Bauer, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
2006
Bonnie Barber, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Secondary School District
Joe Graack, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District
2005
Lee Ann Ben Kinney, Santa Barbara High School, Santa Barbara Secondary School District
Philip Dinter, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
2004
Lance Ideker, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Secondary School District