C. Allen Powell, Executive Director/Co-founder
From its inception, it has been the dream of its founders that one day NV-THS membership would be recognized by business, industry, and education as the standard for excellence - the benchmark for performance and leadership.
Before NV-THS, little was being done to lift up outstanding career and technical students, and this, often as not, was too little and too late. In spite of all the rhetoric about the poor, negative image associated with career and technical education and the critical need for student recognition, no national organization took the initiative. We assumed that either they just didn't get it, were too busy, or were unwilling to do what clearly needed to be done - establish a national honor society for career and technical education students.
In 1984, our vision was small, but my colleague and I were determined to do something, motivated out of concern for our own outstanding young people at H.B. Swofford Career Center. We wanted to lift them up and tell their success stories to the people of our community. The results of our first, stumbling efforts were extraordinary. We had no idea that recognition could be so powerful.
Word began to spread and in a short time, a small group of educators and business people who shared our concern and vision joined with us, lending their names and influence to launch the National Vocational - Technical Honor Society.
Over the years, NV-THS member schools have brought significant recognition to hundreds of thousands of Americans who have paid the price to achieve a record of excellence. However, for all that we do to promote and honor excellence in career and technical education, no reward could be greater for NV-THS members than to be recognized as potential leaders and recruited by America's top corporations.
Today, most of the pieces are finally in place. The Society serves over 1,800 member schools and colleges and 30,000 members each year and is in the singular position to offer our members and corporate America something of great value. We have the opportunity and resources to bring America's top corporations into a direct, face-to-face relationship with America's top students. No other educational organization has ever been in the position to provide corporate America a continuous stream of skilled and talented people.
In the spring of 2003, the National Board of Directors unanimously agreed to change the name of the organization from the National Vocational-Technical Honor Society to the National Technical Honor Society.
Today, the National Technical Honor Society continues to carry out its mission to lift up and publicly recognize ordinary heroes, men and women committed to excellence, values, courage, and achievement - the tested and true fabric of a great nation. NTHS is also leading the way to introduce America's top career and technical students to staffing professionals of America's top corporations.
"Excellence in America's Workforce Begins with Excellence in Workforce Education"
Allen Powell, Exec. Dir. NTHS
Phone 800/801-7090 Fax 828/698-8564
