District 49 welcomed a new coordinator of career & technical education for the '22-23 school year, and she arrived with not one, but two feathers in her cap.

Mary Krisko is the newest addition to the CTE team. Just before joining D49, she received two state-level CTE awards: Administrator of the Year for both the Colorado Association for Career & Technical Education (CACTE) and the Colorado Association for Career & Technical Administrators (CACTA). 

Both awards require nominations and letters of recommendation that are voted on by a committee. It was peers in career & technical education from school districts across the Pikes Peak Region that stepped up to make sure Krisko’s name was in the pool of nominees. "I was blown away … I knew I had been nominated for something, but had no idea for what," she said.

Krisko most recently served in Peyton School District as their career & technical education director. She also brings with her ten years of experience as a high school counselor.

Take a few minutes to sit down and talk with Krisko, and you'll see she truly believes in career and technical education. "I love advocating for students," she shared. "Everyone is different … we need to honor that and match careers with students' interests. There are so many opportunities with career-connected learning."

And while Krisko has two special awards to decorate her new office, perhaps D49 is the real winner.

"We are thrilled to have Mary Krisko as our new CTE coordinator," shared Mary Perez, director of applied and advanced learning. "She brings years of CTE insights and vision, and will help D49 plan connections between middle school and high school programs and local industry partners as D49 graduates prepare for their career choices after high school."

AUGUST STORY THEME: Excellence 
In the month of August, our goal is to feature stories that show how D49 improves district performance and validates all aspects of our operations against established criteria for organizational excellence.