[FRC Blog] A New Program Director for FIRST Robotics Competition

Posted on the FRC Blog, 10/12/2022: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/blog/2022-a-new-program-director-for-first-robotics-competition

A New Program Director for FIRST Robotics Competition

2022 OCT 12 | Written by Chris Rake, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, FIRST

Shortly after FIRST ® Championship, we launched a search for our new Senior Director of FIRST ® Robotics Competition. It is my pleasure to announce that we have completed this search, and Collin Fultz will be the new Senior Director of FIRST Robotics Competition, effective immediately!

Collin (left) with R2D2

Collin brings to this role a diverse background of experience both inside and outside of FIRST. He began in FIRST as a student on FIRST Robotics Competition Team 234. After high school, Collin attended Purdue University on a FIRST Scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While at Purdue, Collin stayed involved with FIRST by volunteering at events and as a team mentor. He also interned at Rolls-Royce, a Team 234 sponsor, and after graduation, Collin worked full-time as a project engineer there. He also worked as an application engineer for Bastian Solutions, helping create custom material handling solutions for customers.

In 2010, Collin started his career at FIRST as the Kit of Parts Engineer. Since then, Collin has also held the positions of FIRST Robotics Competition Team Advocate, FIRST ® LEGO® League Project Manager, Stewardship Manager, and (most recently) FIRST Robotics Competition Senior Program Manager and Interim Director.

Throughout this time Collin continued to volunteer for FIRST. He has been an Emcee, Game Announcer, and Robot Inspector for FIRST Robotics Competition, and a judge for FIRST LEGO League and FIRST ® Tech Challenge. In 2015, he joined the Board of Directors for FIRST Indiana Robotics and served for four years, including two as Board President. Today, he helps coach FIRST ® LEGO® League Challenge and FIRST ® LEGO® League Explore teams. Recently, Collin earned an MBA from Indiana University, graduating in May 2022.

“I am excited and humbled by this opportunity. In high school, I was incredibly lucky to attend a school that had a FIRST Robotics Competition team. The FIRST experience has shaped my life – professionally and personally – for more than 20 years, Collin shared. “My goal is to make this life-changing experience more accessible to students around the world. To allow them the opportunity to build, create, and innovate a better future for us all.

Please join us in congratulating Collin!

Chris

Congratulations, Collin!!! (and congrats FIRST for making a terrific choice!!!)

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Congratulations Collin! Thrilled to have someone with this much FRC experience in this role.

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Congratulations! Representing Indiana well!

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And here I thought Collin was the one on the right. Thanks for clearing that up.

Congrats.

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Congrats Collin!

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Congratulations Collin!! Great choice FIRST!

This is amazing news! There’s no better person for this job. I’m very much looking forward to the continued success of the FIRST Robotics Competition under Collin’s leadership.

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Good deal. Congrats Collin!

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This is good news for our program.

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So happy to hear that Collin has been selected as the Senior Director of FRC! Congratulations Collin!

Yes.

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I’m sure he’ll do great and all, but my heart skipped a beat when, for a split second, I thought that said Colin Furze! :wink:

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I had to do a double take too. Would have made for a lot wilder of an experience

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Nothing better than this line on the blog post:

Collin (left) with R2D2

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I, too, misread that. But I’m all for it.

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Looking for Collin? He just left. With a robot.

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Found the droid he was looking for.

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Great news! Congrats Collin!

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Can’t think of a better director for FRC. HQ got this one right for sure!

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