Technology Center Director to Retire in June

Ken Lake, director at the Lexington Technology Center, plans to retire at the end of June, Lexington County School District One announced Tuesday.

“Ken Lake has been a devoted and passionate leader of Lexington Technology Center," Superintendent Karen Woodward said. "He has developed innovative, forward-thinking educational opportunities that are recognized throughout our state and nation. He is not only committed to his students and staff but also committed to the idea of comprehensive career education opportunities.”

Lake has 42 years of experience as an educator with 31 of those years spent at Lexington Technology Center.

He began his career in 1970 by teaching industrial arts and prevocational education to 9th through 12th-grade students and coaching golf, football and baseball in the Greenville County Schools system. In 1976, he moved to Clemson University where he served as assistant professor of vocational education for three years. In 1979, he moved to the South Carolina State Department of Education where he served as state supervisor of trade and industrial education.

Lake joined Lexington One in 1981 as assistant director of the Lexington Technology Center and was promoted to director in 1986.

He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial education from Clemson University and his administrative specialist degree from the University of South Carolina.

He is a member of the Association for Career and Technology Education (ACTE), South Carolina ACTE, South Carolina Association of School Administrators, South Carolina Career and Technology Administrators Association, National Council of Local Administrators, ASCD (formerly Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Lexington and Phi Delta Kappa National Education Fraternity.

He has been honored with the William B. Harley Award by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, the Barbara James Award and the 2020 Vision Award by the S.C. State Department of Education, Lexington One Educational Foundation’s Joseph M. Bedenbaugh Administrator of the Year Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the South Carolina ACTE.

Submitted by Lexington One.