CV. FAST FIVE Colby Mattila leads KTEC students on fulfilling career paths

Meet Colby Mattila, director of Kootenai Technical Education Campus, also known as KTEC. This is Colby's fifth year as director. Before taking on the role of director, Colby taught construction for three years at KTEC and 11 years at Post Falls High School. Colby has a passion for expanding and developing new career and technical education opportunities for students. He is the director of KTEC as well as the CTE director for Lakeland, Post Falls, Mullan, Kellogg and Wallace school districts.

Generation:

I would consider myself a Gen Xer.

Career and community involvement:

My first year of teaching was at Priest River High School. I was then hired to teach construction at Post Falls High School, where I taught for 11 years. During my tenure at PFHS, I developed a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, building houses for families in need in Kootenai County. In 2013 I was hired by KTEC to teach the construction program and in August 2016 I was appointed director. Since coming to KTEC, I have had the opportunity to work with many organizations, from local chambers to the Boys and Girls Club.

Parental status:

I am the proud parent of two great kids!

How have things been at KTEC through COVID, and how are they going now regarding the pandemic?

We have been extremely fortunate to be able to offer our programs with only minor modifications. We have implemented social distancing and follow Panhandle Health’s mask mandate, but still have been able to operate as usual.

What are some projects, events or new/exciting courses KTEC is planning or offering at this time? 

Every year we are handed something new and exciting to take on. This year we received a Humvee from the Idaho National Guard to rebuild. They provided the vehicle and an operating budget to see if we could beat another career and technical high school in Boise. It’s a great project that incorporates 90% of the programs we offer.

What do you want parents and potential students to know if they're considering enrolling at KTEC?

KTEC is a tuition-free career and technical high school. We offer a wide range of programs that offer industry certifications and college credit.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I grew up in Wallace Idaho and I am an avid skier and outdoorsman.

Since KTEC opened, what has made you the proudest and has been the most revealing about how important this campus is for our community?

In the past nine years KTEC has been open, we have had a lot to celebrate. The thing that makes me the proudest is talking to our past graduates to see where they are in life. They have taken the skills they learned here at KTEC and gone on to do remarkable things at an early age. The other thing that stands out is the outstanding staff we have assembled here at the school. All of them have a passion to pass on what they have learned in industry.