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State Board Recognizes Career and Technical Education Month, Honors Commissioner Kevin J. Damer
Summary
The board unanimously adopted a resolution declaring February 2026 Career and Technical Education Month and passed a separate resolution honoring Commissioner Kevin J. Damer for nearly two decades of service, citing his leadership during COVID-19 and stewardship of federal relief funds.
The New Jersey State Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing February 2026 as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month and later approved a separate resolution honoring Commissioner Kevin J. Damer for nearly 20 years of service to the Department of Education.
Board member Berry read the CTE resolution, which notes that career and technical education programs in New Jersey serve roughly 137,800 secondary and post-secondary students and identified seven state CTE organizations serving about 51,900 middle school, high school and college students through memberships such as Future Business Leaders of America and DECA. The resolution highlights program areas including advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, aviation, biotechnology, environmental science, health sciences and welding and calls out state efforts to expand work-based learning and AI pathways.
Members then presented a resolution honoring Commissioner Kevin J. Damer’s record of public service. The resolution credits Damer with overseeing administration of more than $1,000,000,000 in education federal funding while serving in senior finance roles and more than $4,000,000,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding during the pandemic; it also cites his role in implementing initiatives to close the digital divide and expand high-quality preschool.
Board members offered tributes, with several noting Damer’s collaborative leadership and institutional knowledge. In response, Damer thanked the board and staff and said, "I love you all," in an emotional farewell.
The meeting record shows both resolutions were read aloud and adopted by voice vote. The CTE resolution and the commendation for Commissioner Damer were presented as acknowledgments of program and institutional accomplishments; neither resolution established new regulatory obligations or budget appropriations.
What’s next: The board announced upcoming public events, including a Northern New Jersey Amistad Commission African American history contest on Feb. 14 and a women’s history program scheduled for March 14 at Rutgers University.
