About the 2018 FLATE Award Winners

As was reported in our last FLATE Focus edition, the 2018 FLATE Awards represent FLATE’s efforts to recognize leaders who have been at the forefront of manufacturing workforce education and training. This is the eleventh year of our FLATE Awards program, and is one of FLATE’s many efforts to showcase and recognize the contributions of educators and industries in advancing technician education and training on a regional and statewide level. In this edition FLATE would like to share with you a little more about the 2018 FLATE Award recipients and celebrate their well-deserved awards:

Distinguished Manufacturing Secondary Educator-of-the-Year Award: Ted Madison Missildine, Freeport High School, Freeport, FL. 

Mr. Ted Missildine is an MSSC certified instructor at Freeport High School in the manufacturing and pre-engineering academy. He holds a Master’s degree in secondary education and worked in private industry before entering the education field in 1994. He is the Key Club sponsor and is also a licensed Merchant Mariner which he uses to run a successful fishing charter business. When not teaching, mentoring students or charter fishing, he spends his spare time diving and cooking.

Why Ted thinks manufacturing education is important: “College graduation has long been considered the benchmark of success. But with more options in our education system students today have increased opportunities for success. Manufacturing education allows students to gain certification in high school and enter the workforce, go on to advanced training at a technical college, or pursue degree options in college. This varied approach is opening the door to true career success for young people today. No longer is a college degree a guarantee or the only pathway. Careers in manufacturing are rewarding students at all levels based on their desire to achieve. The old adage “The more you learn, the more you earn” Is still true, but the way students can learn and earn has grown. The system by which students can learn and earn is now more than ever tailored to meet their individual desires and needs. Manufacturing education has optimized student options and student performance. It has allowed industry to begin to capitalize on a resource that has been underutilized due to stigmas and stereotypes. Manufacturing education has given students the opportunity to explore, grow and mature as students and potential employees with true marketable skills. Manufacturing education is allowing them the time to explore career options as high school students and choose a path that is suited for them.  And it does not penalize them based on those choices. Manufacturing education is truly developing lifelong learners and a skilled workforce.”

Distinguished Manufacturing Post-Secondary Educator-of-the-Year Award: Shirley Dobbins, Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, FL. 

Shirley Dobbins has been an educator for over 23 years. She has over 14 years of experience in higher education, and has focused the last 2 years on teaching in the Engineering field. She is presently the Department Head of the Engineering Technology Program at Hillsborough Community College Brandon campus. Shirley holds a master’s degree from the University of South Florida in Computer Engineering, a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s of science in Mathematics from Spelman College.  She serves on the board of HRE, a non-profit health education resource organization. Shirley is passionate about exposing all students to a STEM education. When not engaged in teaching or managing the Engineering Technology Program, she devotes her engineering expertise to the community by inspecting robots at the FIRST competitions. In addition, she engages in robotic camps and mentoring engineering students. Shirley's work life balance enables her to enjoy spending time with her supportive husband and five children.

Why Shirley thinks manufacturing education is important: “An education in Manufacturing is needed today because most good jobs require some expertise beforehand. The older internship and apprentice programs have almost disappeared and now the prospective student needs good basic fundamental teaching. They need it from experienced educators to be successful in today's world.”

Distinguished Partner Manufacturing Service Award: C.A. Vossberg, Electron Machine, Umatilla, FL.

Mr. Carl “C.A.” Vossberg, IV, is President of Electron Machine Corporation, a family-owned business. He has served in the capacity of Electrician, Project Engineer, and in 2005, was named Vice-President/General Manager. Mr. Vossberg is also managing partner of a wholesale tree nursery business, a 2010 graduate of Leadership Lake County, as well as an Instrument Rated Commercial Pilot. Mr. Vossberg has served as officer and member of many local community Boards and Committees, including President, Umatilla Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Member, Lake County Chamber Alliance. He holds an M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Florida. He has been awarded the 2013 Governor’s Innovators in Business Award: Export Excellence in a Major Market and the FLATE 2018 Distinguished Partner Manufacturing Service Award.

Why C. A. thinks manufacturing education is important: “Manufacturing education allows students to apply themselves, and hopefully excel, in areas not normally associated with pure academics. A student who may otherwise be frustrated with traditional academic programs, in some cases, can find a rewarding path in the lifelong pursuit of manufacturing products and then make connections and sense of the academics as they are integrated into the technical field of manufacturing.  The Millennial generation is particularly well suited for the fast-evolving technologies that are being applied to manufacturing.  Once a student grasps the key skills within this industry, they can efficiently expand their development to new technologies at a rapid pace using a practical approach.  Ultimately, when this personal fulfillment can be used to provide consumer value in the marketplace, society in general benefits from quality-of-life improvements on personal, organizational, and cultural levels.”

Award winners were honored and received their awards during the awards breakfast at The Florida Association for Career and Technical Education’s 52^nd Annual Conference and Trade Show held at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, FL. on Tuesday July 17, 2018.

FLATE would like to congratulate the recipients of this year’s awards once again and thank them for their contributions to the manufacturing industry.

For more information about FLATE Awards and to nominate a candidate for one of the three 2019 awards, visit our webpage here, or contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org.