SkillsUSA Honors Bucher with Its Highest Award

Leesburg, Va. – Marlys Bucher was recognized as a National Honorary Life Member of SkillsUSA on stage before a crowd of 15,000 during the opening ceremony of the 48th Annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 25. This is SkillsUSA’s highest recognition award, given for outstanding service that advances the purposes and goals of the national organization.

Marlys Bucher holds a doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota in assessment and evaluation and has worked with Minnesota’s Department of Education for nearly three decades. She became involved with SkillsUSA in the mid-1970s when asked to develop a written and hands-on practical assessment for the dental assistant state competition. Since then, she has been a strong and valued supporter of SkillsUSA and career and technical education (CTE). As part of her role as state coordinator for secondary Perkins funding, Bucher developed a Web-based data collection system enabling secondary schools to gather data elements for the “core indicators” as required under Perkins legislation. She also served as a member of the SkillsUSA board of directors.

“Marlys Bucher has done so much to help SkillsUSA Minnesota grow, from increasing the number of local chapters to supporting the state alumni association,” said Tim Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA. “Her ongoing service to SkillsUSA and CTE has helped a multitude of students realize their full potential.”

SkillsUSA helps students discover and grow their career passions. As a nationwide partnership of students, instructors and industry working together, SkillsUSA works to ensure America has a skilled workforce. It helps every student excel. The nationwide career and technical education student organization serves more than 320,000 high school, college and postsecondary students—and their instructors—in technical, skilled, and service occupation instructional programs. CTE is learning that works for America. SkillsUSA has the active support of more than 1,100 corporations, trade associations, business and labor unions at the national level. Over 10.5 million people have been annual members of SkillsUSA since its founding as the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America in 1965. SkillsUSA programs teach leadership, citizenship and character development to complement technical skill training. The organization emphasizes respect for the dignity of work, ethics, workmanship, scholarship and safety.

To learn more about SkillsUSA, visit www.skillsusa.org.