In his more than 20 year tenure at Autry Technology Center, Dale Gates impacted Autry students, faculty, staff, and ultimately our community, in immeasurable ways.
As Director of Curriculum, Dale worked to ensure the best quality instruction at the school, and even developed new programs and revamped existing ones. Overseeing Trade & Industry programs, countless people obtained certificates under Dale’s leadership. These graduates launched into careers with unique skill sets, little to no debt, and improved quality of life.
“Dale Gates had a huge impact on student successes in leadership and professional development contests during his tenure at Autry Technology Center,” Janet Strate, Autry’s Director of Full-Time Programs, said. “He spent countless hours working with students to prepare for speeches, job skill demonstrations, and parliamentary procedure activities and contests.”
Gates retired from Autry Tech in 2019. During his Autry tenure, Gates prepared students for speech competitions within Career & Technical Student Organizations (CTSO). “Through his guidance and direction, many students were successful on the district, state and national levels as contest winners and officers for their student organizations,” Strate said.
Before working at Autry, Gates held multiple Agriculture Education positions from 1981 through 1995, in Kingfisher, Stillwater and Fairview, Oklahoma. Making his passionate career in education – from start to finish – an effort to enhance student’s lives and prepare them for the future.
Gates was known for his competitive edge, specifically in preparing students for speech competitions. He spent hours on end with students, and sometimes coworkers, preparing them for presentations by listening and taking notes. He knew how to instill confidence, and could take a presentation from average to attention-grabbing.
In 2017, Gates had one more large feat to accomplish for Autry Tech, and that was leading the way for a successful and smooth accreditation process. The school was first fully accredited in 1987, according to autrytech.edu. Maintaining accreditation involves interviews and a strict audit of the organization.
“Dale’s attention to detail was very evident in both his professional and personal life,” Strate said. “He was an instrumental leader in Autry Technology Center’s 2017 accreditation process. He gathered and compiled information and data from all departments as well as worked with all staff members in preparation for the evaluation. He was very thorough and left no stone unturned in this process.”
Gates’ legacy at Autry, and across Northwest Oklahoma, has continued long after his 2019 retirement.
“While he was employed at Autry Tech, Dale would get every employee’s birthday and write it down in his planner,” Strate said. “He would get up each morning and check his planner for the birthdays, then he would send a “Happy Birthday” text to those with a birthday on that day.”
Dale, who is enjoying retired life with his lovely wife Juanita, continues to send his old coworkers a happy birthday text each year.
“Those birthday texts/messages continue to bring smiles to Autry Tech employees and help us remember the fun times we had with Dale!” Strate said.
Gates’ note taking didn’t end at birthdays, according to his former coworkers.
“Mr. Gates, or Dr. Dale, as I like to call him, became a hero of mine when I met him in 2014,” Elizabeth Cummins, Former Autry Technology Center Employee, said. “He taught me so much about work, presentation and organizational skills. It always made me laugh that he had a drawer full of notes from every staff meeting from 1995 to 2019.”
Dale’s son, Clint, said this quote best sums up his father’s career: “The best teacher is one who never forgets what it’s like to be a student. The best administrator is one who never forgets what it’s like to be a teacher.” – Neila A. Conners
Thank you, Dale, for positively impacting Enid, Oklahoma – one Autry graduate at a time.
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