| The Marketing Leader of the Year Award is the highest award given to adults by North Carolina DECA and is presented only for exceptional achievements. As such, it is not necessarily awarded on a yearly basis; this year marked the first award presentation in a decade. The recipient is selected on the basis of overall contributions to marketing education on local, district and state levels.
O’Brien is also noted for his development of online courses and programs to license marketing teachers hired by local school systems through the state’s Lateral Entry Program. Additionally, he has also developed an online master of education degree program for business and marketing teachers. Enrollments in both programs have increased 500 percent over the past four years. More than 100 business and marketing teachers are currently enrolled in five sections of only one of the online graduate courses. |
