Hinsdale South Teacher Lands Distinguished Service Award

The third time proved to be the charm for teacher Gary Hutchinson who, after being nominated the past two years, this year won the coveted National Business Education Association Distinguished Service Award.

The award recognizes outstanding contributions to business education by an administrator or supervisor of business education.

“I was shocked,” said the Hinsdale South business education teacher about the phone call he received letting him know of his win. “I had to ask him three times if he was telling the truth.”

Hutchinson was presented the award at the NBEA 2011 Annual Convention in New Orleans in April.

Hutchinson, also the high school’s career and technical education department chair, has been teaching at Hinsdale South for 12 years.

He knew as a sophomore at Illinois State University he wanted to be a business teacher.

One of his first jobs was as assistant manager for a Tastee Freeze while in high school. In college, he was store manager for a Garcia’s Pizza location.

“I couldn’t see myself sitting behind a desk all day,” Hutchinson said. “I wanted to get out and about.”

He also liked the idea of passing on his experience, and teaching seemed to be a natural fit.

His favorite part of being a teacher?

“The interaction with the students,” he said. “I like teaching them real-life things, like personal money management or business management or business law and easily relate those areas to them.”

Hutchinson has also helped spearhead the use of technology in the classroom, including instructing students on word processing, creating spreadsheets, and desktop publishing, as well as using technology as a teaching aid. He and the staff he supervises create PowerPoint presentations and videos used for lessons.

Hutchinson is no stranger to recognition.

Among other awards, he was included in the Who's Who Among American Teachers in 2002 through 2004, and named Administrator of the Year in 2009 by the Illinois Business Education Association and Career and Technical Educator Teacher of the Year in 2011 by the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education.

His professional memberships include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Illinois Business Education Association, the Association for Career and Technical Education, the Illinois High School Association, the Chicago Area Business Education Association, the National Business Education Association, Delta Pi Epsilon for Northern Illinois University, the North Central Business Education Association,  and the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education.

Hutchinson is pleased with the National Business Education Association Distinguished Service Award, but he refuses to take all the credit.

“My winning an award like this would not have been possible without the help of all my colleagues, especially those at Hinsdale South and Central,” he said.