NCCER is pleased to recognize Roger Thompson of New Hope, Alabama as the 2017 Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Craft Instructor of the Year.

NCCER presented Thompson with the prestigious award and a $10,000 cash prize from NCCER and the Trimmer Construction Education Foundation at ABC’s Workforce Development Conference on March 2 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Craft Instructor of the Year award is presented each year to an instructor who possesses outstanding creativity, exceptional communication skills, a positive attitude and an unparalleled passion for teaching. The award recipient works diligently to promote lifelong learning and represents NCCER and ABC’s unwavering commitment to training America’s skilled craft workforce.

For 19 years, Thompson has taught nearly 500 first-year apprentices as an Electrical Craft Training Instructor at ABC’s North Alabama Craft Training Foundation (NACTF). He is also the chief electrical estimator at Jesse Stutts in Huntsville, Ala. With a combined 32 years of experience in the electrical field, Thompson is both a state of Alabama Master Electrician and an NCCER certified craft instructor.

“Roger enjoys the challenge of motivating and teaching the first-year apprentices and providing the cornerstone needed for each apprentice to be successful,” said Tiffany Brightwell, chapter president of ABC North Alabama. “He is a model instructor and often has contractors requesting their apprentices to be assigned to his class for their first year because they know Roger will take the time to prepare their employees for not only the classroom, but also the jobsite.”

Thompson began his career as an apprentice electrician and continued on to become a licensed journey lead electrician, electrical designer and now a craft instructor and chief electrical estimator. In his current role as chief electrical estimator, Thompson’s responsibilities include estimating supervision and estimating of health care facilities, government facilities, industrial, commercial facilities and systems.

This year’s Craft Instructor of the Year award finalists include James Davis of Hardeman County Schools, Alvin Pardo-Monell of APM Vocational Institute and Lowell Reith of Interstates. All three finalists were awarded $1,000 each and received complimentary round-trip travel and hotel accommodations to the ABC conference and awards presentation.

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