DES MOINES, IA — Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today honored Des Moines Public Schools Central Campus welding teacher Chad Donahue with a Congressional Record tribute and the Iowa Medal of Merit after Donahue was surprised with the news that he was named a 2026 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence winner.
“I’m proud to congratulate Chad Donahue on this well-deserved national honor,” said Rep. Nunn. “Chad has spent two decades mastering his trade, and now he’s using that experience to prepare the next generation of Iowa welders for good-paying careers right here at home. In Iowa, we know the value of hard work and hands-on training, and Chad is passing that on to the next generation. I’m going to keep backing teachers like him in Congress by expanding apprenticeships and skilled trades training across Iowa.”
Donahue is one of just 25 public high school skilled trades teachers nationwide selected for this year’s Prize for Teaching Excellence. He is one of two awardees from Iowa, selected from more than 550 applicants across 49 states. His $75,000 award will go toward the Central Campus skilled trades program to support hands-on education for Iowa students.
Expanding pathways into skilled trades careers has been a top priority for Rep. Nunn in Congress. He has worked to secure nearly $5 million in federal funding for workforce training at Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa Western Community College, and Indian Hills Community College, including renovated and expanded skilled trades labs at Iowa Western’s Atlantic and Clarinda Rural Centers. He is also leading the bipartisan PARTNERS Act to expand apprenticeship partnerships between small businesses, community colleges, and workforce training providers.
Photos from the celebration are available here.
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