Durham Tech students Lisa Carr, Hugh Jones, and Paeder Wall attended the Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) National Leadership Conference held in San Antonio, Texas, June 24 – 27. Attendees from across the United States and two countries were at the conference to sharpen their core business skills, expand their networks, and participate in more than 55 business and business-related competitive events. FBLA-PBL is the nation’s largest and oldest student business organization.

Jones and Wall were awarded first place in Network Design, which tested the competitors’ ability to evaluate the needs of an organization and then to design and implement network solutions.

Both also competed in Networking Concepts, in which Wall received first place and Jones received fourth place honors. Networking Concepts provides recognition for PBL members who have an understanding of network technologies.

PBL chapter advisers Michele Parrish, instructor in Information Systems Security/Networking Technologies, and Charlene West, assistant dean and department head, Business, Education, and Information Technologies, accompanied the students to the conference. According to Parrish and West, student Jones has landed a job as a direct result of his success at the conference. Wall works with the Durham Tech Information Technology Services Department, and Carr is assisting with the new student helpdesk.

Competing against over 300 students from across the state, DTCC Computer Information Technology student Lisa Carr, and Networking Technology students Vincent Hunt and Paeder Wall, took top honors in the Individual and Team Awards, as follows:

Chris Hart - 1st in Information Management and 10th in Cyber Security
Larry Novins - 10th in Information Management
Wes Welch - 10th in Statistical Analysis

Janice Kerber - 1st in Leadership (Professional Division)
Michele Parrish - 3rd in Social Networking (Professional Division)

Chris Hart also won the National Leadersheip Conference scholarship.