Sessions of 2025 Midwinter Leadership Conference, Feb 5 - 7, 2025: Stephen Weltsch

Mr. Weltsch, Stephen

Executive Director
Wes-MEC

Stephen Weltsch is the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning, and Campus Operations for Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) in Glendale, Arizona. In that position, Stephen leads effective teaching and student learning systems across four central high school and adult education campuses. In addition, he supports high-quality CTE in forty-nine public-member high schools and facilitates strategic program partnerships with charter schools and community colleges. As a former CTE student, Stephen knows firsthand the power of education that provides hands-on learning experiences. As a high school CTE student, Stephen completed an accounting program at Glendale High School, where he overcame learning challenges and grew confidence in his academic abilities. The embedded leadership training provided by CTE increased his communication skills and knowledge to solve complex problems. The rich, work-based learning opportunities nurtured a professional network and allowed him to develop career-ready skills. Stephen is a three-time past state president for the Association for Career Technical Education of Arizona, current state president for the Arizona CTE Curriculum Consortium, and president-elect for NCLA. A strong proponent of quality learning systems, Stephen serves on several Accreditation Engagement Reviews each year and is a member of the Arizona Cognia Council. Stephen has presented nationally on Building Effective Industry Partnerships and Strategic Planning in Education. Stephen holds a BA in Accountancy and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University. Stephen has twenty-seven years of experience as a teacher, school administrator, and district leader in secondary education. Under his leadership, West-MEC programs have been recognized for numerous local, state, and national awards.