Bryan “Dox” Doxford was raised by blue-collar parents. Dox’s father worked as a tradesperson in aerospace building planes, rockets, satellites, etc., though he never attended college. His mother worked in the service industries in positions like airline reservation specialist and radio office management.

Dox was introduced to SkillsUSA in high school by a teacher he emphatically claims changed his life forever by doing so. Dox was asked to attend a meeting at another high school, no further details given, and he went because he respected the teacher and valued his wishes. From that meeting, Dox joined SkillsUSA, becoming a regional officer, and so his SkillsUSA experience began. 

Since that time, Dox has touched almost every aspect of SkillsUSA. After serving as a regional officer, he connected with his high school chapter where a small group of members became close and lifelong friends. One of these friends would even eventually introduce Dox to his future wife ten years later! 

Dox competed in the Drafting competition at the SkillsUSA State Leadership & Skills Conference, where he did not place. Shortly after that experience, he was influenced and encouraged by a friend from his group who was a state officer and Dox was soon elected to state office himself. He then attended the Washington Leadership Training Institute and set a goal to become a national officer; a goal which he eventually achieved. He later competed in the QuizBowl competition at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference and won gold. 

Dox did not stop his involvement in SkillsUSA after completing school. He continued to serve as the National Alumni Chair on the Board of Alumni and has volunteered at state conferences almost every year. He also attended the national conference as a volunteer facilitator for state officer training. Though he moved between several states, Dox continued to serve whichever state he was in. He has served in Utah, New York, and hopes to serve in Arizona this year. 

When asked why he chose to stay involved through multiple relocations, he states he could speak at length to his reasoning. He strongly believes his involvement in the organization allowed him to discover his place and purpose in the crazy ecosystem of life. He was afforded the chance to develop life changing skills to open doors and make great things happen for him. 

Dox entered the workforce working at a pizza place and a saw shop. In these positions he utilized his people skills, his attention to detail (measure twice, cut once), and ability to say on task. From those beginnings, Dox later fell into the world of impact finance. He again attributes his success to his skills developed through hard work and the support of the SkillsUSA program. 

After working in the financial industry, he was able to see how strongly it wanted, valued, and sought educated, motivated people with developed skills to do the job. SkillsUSA offers this to all industries who make the choice to connect with the program. Dox knows the value of the SkillsUSA program, and trusts the industry’s understanding of how great it is. He believes this so strongly that when he left a position as a president and CEO of a company, he continued to include SkillsUSA on his resume along with his most recent position experience because the weight of the organization is that important. 

Now in management, Dox once again draws back to SkillsUSA regularly. His ability to lead and motivate a team comes from his experience as an officer with SkillsUSA, which he states is not dissimilar to being a manager. Many of the same lessons are used for both and they result in success across the board.

Dox cannot say enough good things about SkillsUSA. He showers appreciation on all the educators and advisors he met through the organization, stating they were always willing to see not just who a student was at that moment, but also their potential and who they could become. He cannot begin to describe the effect that level of support can have on a developing student. Not just an organization, SkillsUSA has truly become a community to Dox, as he feels it does to anyone who truly invests in the organization. 

“Hammers don’t swing themselves, shears don’t cut themselves; people do that,” Dox says reverently. “At the end of the day, nurturing the people doing those tasks and using those tools is the most important thing.” He continues by saying educators who put their students first and employers who put their employees first develop the best customers. By that, he means it creates a following of people who remain loyal because they see the great outcome of those efforts and want to continue to be a part of it. 

Dox’s final call out is to the parents of students who have an opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA. Parents get to hear about SkillsUSA, but when they can come to a conference and see it all in action, their understanding transcends to an entirely new level. Parents already see the potential in their children, and SkillsUSA is an organization that is plug and play. “It takes a village… a community sometimes,” Dox admits. And he believes if all parents could see what this organization truly does for its participants, they wouldn’t hesitate to join that tribe of support as early as possible.