The Goal Is Simple

To publicly and meaningfully recognize those great people and organizations who have the most tremendous impact on our state’s high quality transportation-related education programs.

The TCOE is proud to sponsor awards to educators, advocates, supporters, and industry partners, for their outstanding contributions to the field of transportation-related education.  Award winners are nominated by their peers, and recipients of these awards are selected by the TCOE Awards Committee each spring. We sincerely hope you will use this opportunity to help us recognize, and promote, the good work that is happening across the state of Minnesota in transportation education. 

2020 Award Recipients

Hall of fame

Mike Lehn
—
ASE

Transportation program supporter
of the year

Dan Walton
—
Viking Land Harley Davidson

academic professional
of the year

Carl Borleis
—
Alexandria Technical and Community College / Minn. State TCOE

Outstanding educator
of the year

John Witthauer
—
Northeast Metro 916 Career and Tech Center

Outstanding
new educator
of the year

Jonathan Rymer
—
Riverland Community College

Let’s Nominate

Your participation through nominating colleagues, faculty, staff, teachers, and industry partners is strongly encouraged.  Nominators are asked to provide some basic information about the candidate, as well as a minimum of three letters of recommendation from varied sources. The deadline for submissions are due by March 31st of each year, nominations can be submitted at any time.

Please review the TCOE Awards Criteria before filling out the nomination

Read CRiteria
nominate now

Award categories

Detailed descriptions are located in the Awards Criteria

Hall of Fame (HOF)
The HOF award commemorates lifetime contributions to transportation education in Minnesota.

Outstanding Educator of the Year (EOY)
The EOY award celebrates educational and instructional excellence in the field of transportation teaching and learning.

Outstanding New Educator of the Year (ONEOY)
The ONEOY award recognizes early-career educators who demonstrate a deep commitment to, and potential for, excellence in the field of transportation teaching and learning.

Exemplary College Program of the Year (ECPOY)
The ECPOY award showcases post-secondary level transportation programs that serve as exemplary models of institutional support, instructional leadership, and program-wide excellence.

Exemplary Secondary Program of the Year (ESPOY)
The ESPOY award showcases post-secondary level transportation programs that serve as exemplary models of institutional support, instructional leadership, and program-wide excellence.

Transportation Program Supporter of the Year (TPSOY)
The TPSOY award applauds the efforts of individuals and/or industry partners across Minnesota who have demonstrated exemplary support, through gifts of their time, talent, or resources, of transportation-related educational programs.

Academic Professional of the Year (APOY)
The APOY award recognizes the efforts of an academic professional from Minnesota who has demonstrated exemplary job performance through their high quality work and steadfast support of transportation-related educational programs.