Local CTE Instructor Named Haas ‘Educator of the Year’

Orleans Niagara BOCES Career and Technical Education Instructor Bill Rakonczay received the Hass Educator of the Year honor at the annual Haas HTEC Conference this week in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Mr. Rakonczay with Jeremy Bout of Edge Factor

Hass and Edge Factor presented Mr. Rakonczay at the July conference which features educator content for machinists, CNC instructors and other advanced manufacturing professionals. Mr. Rakonczay has been an instructor for the BOCES Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) program for more than 30 years at the Medina Campus. The Gene Haas Foundation recently awarded the AME program with a $250,000 grant to upgrade the classroom into a state-of-the-art facility.

Mr. Rakonczay has partnered with the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program (FLYAP) since its inception and has assisted Team FLYAP with placing dozens of students into paid co-ops and future employment with local companies.

Earlier this summer, one of Mr. Rakonczay’s students, Anthony Cercone was named the National Skills USA 3 Axis CNC Programming Champion of the Year. Anthony also participated in FLYAP with a paid co-op and is now working full-time in advanced manufacturing as a CNC Machinist.