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McCann Student to Compete in Canada

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School students Spenser Tanner and Samantha Dorwin will travel to Quebec this May for "Competences Quebec."

Massachusetts SkillsUSA leadership announced at McCann on Thursday morning that Tanner, a metal fabrication senior, was selected by SkillsUSA Massachusetts to compete at the SkillsCanada invitational competition.

Tanner had only a few words during the press conference but enough to reassure he was ready for the challenge.

"I just want to weld," Tanner said.

Massachusetts SkillsUSA Executive Director Karen Ward said seven New England states were invited to compete. Each state chooses a competition: Massachusetts chose welding, and the competitor.

"We have a great welding program in Massachusetts and we chose Spenser to represent us," Ward said. "In this two-day competition he will be welding eight to 10 hours a day ... which is nothing new to him."

She said Tanner was chosen because of his great success in both district and state competitions.

As part of SkillsUSA's partnership with business and industry, Tanner will be accompanied by technical expert Scott Houle, a welding engineer and plant manager at Steel Fab in Fitchburg.

Houle said he has been involved in both international and national competitions in the past and has trained and employed champions.

He said he is looking forward to see what Tanner can do

"He has achieved in the competitions he has competed in, and he has that ability to handle the welding, blueprint reading and the pressure," Houle said. "He will absorb each of those moments and rise to the occasion so I look forward to spending time with Spenser and witness it firsthand. He will experience something he will never forget."

Houle gave Tanner a few gifts donated by welding supply companies and he will head north with a new automatic lens helmet, a new tool box, gloves, and other welding gear. He was also provided with all of the necessary SkillsUSA garb.

Ward said Tanner will not necessarily be competing against the Canadians but will receive the same medals they do if he hits the same scoring level.

Superintendent James Brosnan congratulated Tanner and said the spirit of vocational education and SkillsUSA is bringing mentors and experts together and sharing knowledge to create skilled workers.

"You are a passionate welder, you were taught by a passionate welder, and you were supported by a passionate welder and what SkillsUSA has always done is put all of those things together – advisers, students, leaders, and business and industry partnerships."

Members of the State Executive Council State President of SkillsUSA Corey Teves and State Secretary Stacey Muanya will travel with Tanner and represent Massachusetts.

Also, SkillsUSA National Region I Vice President and McCann's own Samantha Dorwin will travel to Canada and serve as the official spokesperson of the United States.

Dorwin said it is a privilege to speak during the reception at the Consulate of the United States on tours and at the Opening Ceremonies of the Conference.

"I am extremely grateful for such a wonderful opportunity as I will be able to travel as an advocate for an organization that has given me so much," Dorwin said. "It is an incredible honor to represent my school, and national SkillsUSA at such a prestigious high profile event and I am looking forward to an experience of a lifetime."

MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

03:46PM / Thursday, April 02, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search. 

 

The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.

 

The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term. 

 

The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.

 

David Jenemann

David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research. 

 

An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.

He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.