TEAI Offers Thanks to Steve Parrott

So Long, Thank-You, and Best Wishes to Steve Parrott!

The TEAI Board of Directors would like to express our deep gratitude and heartfelt "thank-you" to Steve Parrott, who served as our ISBE Liaison, ITEC Conference Coordinator, and "General Guru" for over 15 years. Steve is moving up and on to another position at ISBE in the Wellness Department as a 21st Century Grant Principal Consultant. Steve has been a productive member of TEAI for over 20 years!

Among the many words of thanks and praise we have for Steve, here are some of the most telling...

"Steve's willingness to always make himself available to everyone at any time will be missed. He was always a great 'go to' guy about networking, grants, and the on boarding of new Tech Ed teachers in Illinois." - Corey Duzan

"TEAI (Technology Education Association of Illinois) would like to extend their greatest gratitude to Mr. Steve Parrott for his dedication and commitment to Technology and Engineering Education for the State of Illinois. He provided informed advice about state and federal programs and gave us the "big picture" from the ISBE point of view, and overall leadership in his liaison position between our teacher members, board of directors, vendors, schools administrators, and the state. Steve has been the voice of TEAI at the state level - being a “hero” for all teachers and students.  Because of Steve, Illinois TEE has grown into an essential core curriculum in our schools. Thank you Steve for all of your countless hours of support, to TEAI." - Donald Whitman

"It was reassuring to work with Steve. He consistently lead the planning and production of our conference - reserving and coordinating the host conference facilities, food, and hospitality, not to mention recruiting and organizing the conference sessions and publications. He came with a fresh attitude year after year, and did his work with contagious positivity. He will be greatly missed!" - Kurt Wolter

"He was and is the right type of leader. Always positive, enthusiastic, and energetic. He took his job seriously and with an attitude and heart that helped everyone, he dealt with. Our students benefited greatly from having him guide and direct us at the front, and we could model his professionalism and drive to provide the best solutions and pedagogy in our classrooms. He was tireless in his dedication, volunteering on numerous boards and committees at the local, state, and national level. Thanks for your service Steve, you have had an impact on our profession that will be felt for a long time to come." - Troy Blunier

"Steve has been an integral part of TEAI for as long as I can remember.  Not only does he have great foresight with coming and future trends in education, but his ability to problem solve and come up with creative solutions to best meet the needs of our membership has been phenomenal.  Furthermore, he has been the link to helping make our conferences run smoothly and efficiently, and has been nothing but the utmost professional in all of his dealing.  While I will miss seeing him as often as before, I can rest assured that he is going to still have a profound impact on all that we do for years to come." - William "Bill" Merchantz

"For the past 20 years that I have known Mr. Steve Parrott, I can unequivocally say he has been one of the key champions of technology and engineering education for Illinois and the United States. Further, Steve has always been professional, courteous, one of the first to volunteer, and has always remained positive about the discipline and what it means for the youth of our nation."  - Dr. Chris Merrill

All the best wishes to you Steve!