Meridian Technology Center welcomed six new instructors who will be sharing their industry experience and expertise with students this school year.

“Many of our new instructors are graduates of either Meridian or one of CareerTech’s 28 other technology centers,” noted Meridian Superintendent/CEO Dr. Douglas Major. “They have the technical background and passion to train the next workforce. Their experiences as students in our system and as professionals in their fields will be of great value to the students they will teach and the companies that will employ their graduates. We are fortunate that they each decided to join our instructional team.”

Gloria Branch brings more than two decades of teaching experience to her new role as an instructor in Meridian’s Information Technology program. She spent 15 years teaching mathematics at Cushing High School before adding computer programming, cyber security and Project Lead the Way’s Computer Science Essentials courses to her credentials over the course of the last eight years.

Kayrene Chavez and Audrey Poston are leading Meridian’s Cosmetology programs.

Chavez earned her cosmetology license after attending Francis Tuttle Technology Center. She earned her Master Instructor license at Moore Norman Technology Center. Before coming to Meridian, Chavez taught at Canadian Valley Technology Center. She is still a practicing cosmetologist at a salon in south Oklahoma City. Chavez is the instructor of the daytime Cosmetology program for high school students.

Poston attended Meridian as a high school student. After earning her cosmetology license, she grew a steady client base at Stillwater’s LaRitz salon. After five years with the company, she went out independently and was self-employed for two years. During that time, she also returned to Meridian to complete the requirements for the Master Instructor license. Poston spent three years teaching Cosmetology at Autry Technology Center before accepting the Evening Cosmetology Instructor position at Meridian.

Welding Instructor Jacob Coburn is also a Meridian graduate who has returned to Tech to teach. As a former contract welder, Coburn brings 12 years of welding experience to the classroom.

Jordan Short is leading the Collision Repair Technology program. He works with students attending Tech full-time as well as students who enroll in the program’s new apprenticeship model. Short attended Meridian as a high school student. Before returning to Meridian, he was the lead technician at Wilkins Autobody in Guthrie.

Eric Reeves began his Automotive Technology career working for nearly a decade at Stillwater Safety Lane. Eight years ago, he joined the instructional staff at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, where he was employed as the Automotive Instructor in the ProTech program. Reeves joins instructor Rick Carlile as an instructor in Meridian’s Automotive Technology program.

In addition to the new instructors, Mark Lobsinger has joined the Career Planning Center as a Career Development Specialist. In this role, Lobsinger will work with students throughout the district to help them explore career options and provide tools and resources to help them achieve their career goals. Lobsinger comes to Meridian from Carson High School in Carson City, Nevada, where he was employed as a Career and Technical Education teacher. He will work with fellow Career Development Specialist Scott Schaefer.