ITEEA Executive Director Announces Retirement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 08, 2021

Reston, VA, June 08, 2021 —

ITEEA Logo with STL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

ITEEA Executive Director Announces Retirement

 

RESTON, VA, June 8, 2021 - Steven A. Barbato, DTE, Executive Director/CEO of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), announced his retirement to the Association’s Board of Directors at a meeting on June 1, 2021. Barbato has led the association as the Executive Director/CEO for nine years.
 
Barbato has a long career of excellence in education that includes curriculum development, teaching, educational research and development, elementary leadership, and extensive student organizational experiences. Before joining ITEEA, Mr. Barbato had numerous professional association responsibilities and activities that include involvement with elementary and secondary principals, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, technology and engineering teacher education, mathematics and science education, and more. He has led team efforts pertaining to science and technology alliances, early childhood assessments for literacy, curriculum mapping, grading policy revision, education foundations, and teaching technology and engineering through STEM learning to children.  
 
After retiring from Lower Merion Public Schools in Pennsylvania, Barbato's intent was to work with ITEEA for a few years to assist during a transition period. Instead, he remained for nearly a decade, demonstrating top-tier leadership and collaboration skills, which resulted in making ITEEA a more dynamic, proactive, and engaged organization. Some of his accomplishments include being part of the leadership team that recently released Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy: The Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education, growing ITEEA’s international outreach and Centers, forming meaningful partnerships with other STEM-minded organizations, along with building programs that focus on resources, projects, and supports so educators at all levels can deliver the best possible instruction to allow ALL children to become technologically and engineering literate.
Barbato now plans to fully retire in order to spend more time with his family, including his first grandchild.
ITEEA President, Virginia Jones, DTE, PhD, commented, "Steve provided the passion and drive our organization needed to propel us into the future of technology and engineering education. With his guidance, our organization re-envisioned Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy as the standards for all learners across all disciplines. Steve will be sorely missed, but we extend warmest congratulations to him and Abbe on a well-deserved retirement and many happy years ahead."  
Longtime ITEEA Communications Director, Katie de la Paz, shared, "the entire ITEEA staff is incredibly sad about Steve's departure, but we recognize that he has more than earned this time with his family. His enthusiasm and dedication to the field and our organization are matchless. We are grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of Steve's team."
Barbato plans to officially retire on September 1, 2021, but has pledged to be available to assist in the transition to a new Executive Director.