The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) has announced that Angela Rigney, has been named the director of the Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC®) program, effective Feb. 19. Most recently spending 13 years as the Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education for Pittsylvania County Schools, Rigney brings more than two decades of experience in K12 education and adult workforce development programs.
With a vision to inspire and prepare students for high-demand careers in technology and engineering, GO TEC is an innovative talent development initiative that started in Southern Virginia and is expanding across the Commonwealth. Rigney will oversee the program’s growth as Career Connections Labs and curriculum are implemented throughout Virginia in middle schools from Abingdon to Hampton Roads.
“I am honored by this opportunity to lead GO TEC, especially during this critical time of growth,” said Angela Rigney, GO TEC Director. “Working with our many partners across K12, industry, higher education and economic development, we will continue to inspire middle school students, highlight STEM careers and, ultimately, create dependable talent pipelines.”
The GO TEC program provides middle school students with innovative, hands-on exposure to careers in strategic sectors – and helps them identify the steps needed to pursue those careers. IALR serves as the fiscal agent and program lead for GO TEC, which provides applied STEM education and connects students to careers in strategic growth sectors.
“Angela’s dedication to educational excellence and her experience with career and technical education initiatives align perfectly with our mission to drive economic growth through STEM education, skill development and work-based learning,” said Dr. Julie Brown, Vice President of Advanced Learning, IALR. “We are confident that Angela will be a capable and visionary leader for GO TEC as we continue to expand and enhance our efforts in preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow.”
Rigney joins the GO TEC program at a critical moment in the program’s growth. Through GO Virginia, local government and philanthropic funding and in partnership with three in-region coordinating entities (IRCEs) – EO (formerly the United Way of Southwest Virginia), the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) and Old Dominion University Research Foundation (ODURF) – the GO TEC team is implementing the GO TEC Career Connections curriculum and classrooms in middle schools across the Commonwealth. After starting as a pilot program in Danville and Pittsylvania County Schools, more than 9,000 students from 44 different middle schools will interact with the GO TEC curriculum annually beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
In more than 20 years working with Pittsylvania County Schools, Rigney’s titles included Agriculture Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal and Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education. Rigney holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Radford University and a Bachelor of Science in agriculture from Ferrum College.