Welcome CTE Leaders!
June 8-10, 2026
Younes Conference Center South, 416 W Talmadge Rd, Kearney, NE 68845
The NCE Conference is a professional development learning opportunity featuring national and state CTE leaders. The conference’s focus will be on addressing current and ongoing themes related to CTE instruction. The NCE Conference is sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Career Education, and in cooperation with the Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska.
Accommodations: A block of rooms have been reserved with a special conference rate. Please make reservations as soon as possible to secure the group rate. Use the code: Career Education Conference 2026.
Hotel Name: Comfort Inn
Street Address: 118 3rd Ave, Kearney, NE 68847
Phone: (308) 251-2722
Special Rate: $139.95
Hotel Name: Fairfield Inn
Street Address: 510 W Talmadge Rd, Kearney, NE 68845
Phone: (308) 236-4200
Special Rate: $144.95
Hotel Name: LaQuinta Inn & Suites
Street Address: 108 3rd Ave, Kearney, NE 68845
Phone: (308) 237-4400
Special Rate: $139.95
*You must call the hotel directly to book and receive the conference room rate. The hotels cannot be responsible for reservations made through any third party. Please note, that the website IS via a 3rd party. Rates quoted herein are per room, per night, and do not include applicable taxes.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Alyson Freeman
Alyson Freeman has spent her career at the intersection of curiosity, engineering, and global impact. From early work at NASA and Los Alamos National Laboratory to engineering and leadership roles at Samsung, Intel, and now Dell Technologies, she has consistently turned complex problems into opportunities for innovation.
Today, she leads Data Center Sustainability for Dell, shaping the physical infrastructure required for the age of AI. Her background in semiconductor materials and patents in AI energy management offers a unique perspective on how “the cloud” is grounded in physical environments that rely on skilled trades and technical expertise.
Beyond her technical leadership, Freeman passionately advocates for workforce development and STEM education. She serves as the global lead for Dell’s Women in Technology community; sits on the advisory board for the Global Sustainability Leadership Institute at the University of Texas Austin, the iMasons Climate Accord industry consortium, and the National Girls Collaborative project; and co-founded a global Coding for Kids program that has introduced thousands of students to the power of technology.
Her insights have been featured in numerous global publications including Forbes, AI Magazine, and Sustainability Magazine. She was recently named one of the 100 most influential sustainability and impact leaders for 2026 and has received national recognition for her dedicated mentoring and STEM work with children.
Dr. Tim Elmore
Tim is Founder of Growing Leaders, an Atlanta‐based non‐profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. His work grew out of 20 years of serving alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell. Elmore has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Psychology Today, and been featured on CNN’s Headline News, Fox Business, Newsmax TV and Fox & Friends to talk about leading multiple generations in the marketplace. He has written 40 books, including Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes, and Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership. His latest book, The Future Begins with Z: Nine Strategies to Lead Generation Z As They Disrupt the Workplace, releases fall of 2025. You can find his work at: TimElmore.com.