Head of the Class

Roy Smith is the winner the 2014 Head of the Class Award for instructor of the year. A Great Lakes region finalist from Alpena, Michigan he received the most votes out of the 6 finalists from thousands of votes cast. Mr. Smith is a Utility Technology Program head instructor. During his tenure, he has almost quadrupled the yearly student enrollment as well as designed and developed a pole yard training lab.

“Roy Smith has been an instructor for 20 years,” stated Tom Barton, product marketing manager for Klein Tools. “His knowledge and skill from years of experience and his dedication to building relationships with both his students and the industry have gained the respect of many.”

“Roy Smith is the epitome of the lineman’s lineman,” declared Mark Klein, vice president domestic sales at Klein Tools. “He is a fountain of knowledge, goes by the book and believes teaching the next generation of lineman is an honor.”

Roy has been a part of Alpena College for years, both as a student and a teacher,” said Rick Arbic, Utility Technology Department Head at Alpena Community College. “Roy’s mentoring goes beyond the classroom – his students know that if they have a question today, tomorrow or next year, he is only a phone call away.”

Mr. Smith won $500 in cash and $500 in Klein tools for his school when he captured the “Great Lakes” regional title. When Mr. Smith won the grand prize, he received an additional $500 in cash and $500 in Klein tools for his school plus Klein Back-to-School Kits for each of his fall 2014 students (a $50/kit value). The kit includes:

• 1 Klein hi-viz t-shirt
• 1 pair of Klein safety glasses
• 1 Klein flash drive
• 6 Klein carpenter’s pencils
• 1 Klein camouflage dual zone cooler