Never met Dr. Patricia Stanley, but I will be crossing paths with the deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education twice next month. Dr. Stanley is the scheduled keynote speaker for both the HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop (March 5-7 at the National Conference Center in Lansdowne, Va.) and the HVACR Educators & Trainers Conference (March 16-19 at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas).

At both places, Dr. Stanley is to discuss, among other items, the new federal accountability requirements for secondary and post secondary HVACR programs, plus what each should be doing to comply with the new requirements. She is also expected to update attendees regarding the Perkins Act, industry certification, professional development, and career pathways.

“Pat Stanley is a leader in the field of vocational and adult education and her expertise and professional experiences are tailor-made for our audience,” said Gerry Kennedy, chair of the 2008 Instructor Workshop Steering Committee. “Dr. Stanley has set a standard of excellence in her career and we look forward to hearing her commentary on the state of American adult education and the future challenges.”

As a contractor, what would you want to ask Dr. Stanley? I’d like to know since I will have the opportunity to talk and interview the woman who was sworn into her new post in mid December 2006. So, by all means, do not hesitate to post some good questions that I can ask Dr. Stanley, who was president of Frederick Community College (FCC) from January 1998 to August 2005, becoming FCC’s sixth and first female president. Prior to joining FCC, Dr. Stanley was executive vice president of Cypress College in Cypress, Calif.

Word is that Dr. Stanley was selected for her present employment because of her comprehensive knowledge of community colleges and experience with workforce and adult education. Her primary responsibilities are for all initiatives and policies affecting community colleges and post-secondary education.

What should I ask her for the HVACR contractor community? Help me out.