L-R: Penny Osbourne, Tony Huff, Kelly Poole, Jimmy Wagers, Heaven Morgan, Tom Pope, Chyann Kendel
It is time to honor the Butler Tech colleagues who bring our EMPOWER norms to life each day, elevating one another, our students and our entire organization.
From establishing clear roles to embracing risk-taking, these individuals represent the mindset and commitment that continue transforming lives across Butler Tech.
Congratulations to our 2026 EMPOWER Award recipients:
Administrator of the Year
Tony Huff
High School Teacher of the Year
Chyann Kendel
Adult Education Teacher of the Year
Heaven Morgan
Counselor of the Year
Penny Osborne
Instructional Support Staff of the Year
Kelly Poole
Support Staff of the Year (Peg Clark Award)
Jim Wagers
New to Butler Tech
Tom Pope
These recipients exemplify what it means to live the EMPOWER norms through their actions, leadership and impact.
We also extend our appreciation to every nominee. Being recognized by your peers is a reflection of the difference you make each day across our campuses, classrooms and teams.
2026 EMPOWER AWARD NOMINEES
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Tony Huff – 2025–2026 Recipient
Michael Albrecht
Abbie Cook
Greg Franseth
Allyson Gudorf
Jen Hayes
Jim Miller
Stephanie Meibers
Darrick Murphy
Dave Plotts
Becky Salyers
Joel Siebert
Adam Snoddy
William Sprankles
Chris Trentman
Tim Reynolds -
Chyann Kendel – 2025–2026 High School Recipient
Heaven Morgan – 2025–2026 Adult Education RecipientAmanda DiVito
Virginia Dossenback
Val Hunter
Amanda King
Jason Laflin
Kate Larson
Katie Milbower
Heaven Morgan
Rich Packer
Dan Prochaska
Kim Schultheiss
Shawn Starkey
Laura Taylor -
Penny Osborne – 2025–2026 Recipient
Jeanette Becker
Rachel Conley
Amanda Howard -
Kelly Poole – 2025–2026 Recipient
Heather Campbell
Corri Hernandez
Fred King
Amy Miller
Chris Neubarth
Joe Schorr
Chelsea Tipler
Jeremy WestThe Entire AM Hub Staff:
Margarita Cueva
Nathan Lane
Hayden Morgan
Tom Pope
Lindsey Wilkey -
Jim Wagers – 2025–2026 Recipient
Heather Bohn
Rick Crocket
Brett Kahny
Fred King
Tiffany Jones
Jodi Krusling
Emily Lykins
Tori Martin
Steven Morris
Jim Smith
Jeff Taffur -
Tom Pope – 2025–2026 Recipient
Paul Adams
Ousmane Bah
Brandon Bloom
Bryan Butz & John Deaton
Michael Eyler
Corri Hernandez
Emily Hughes
Sheila Lang
Tori Martin
Jason McDonald
Sara Morris
Misty Petredis
Eliza Ramos
Caleb Swelbar
Jeff Tafur
Kelli Young