Lexington One announces Walker to retire, Caldwell, Stacey promotions
January 25, 2017
LEXINGTON, SC – During the January 17, 2017 regular monthly meeting of the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees, Superintendent Gregory D. Little, Ed.D. informed the board that Chief Human Resources Officer Mary R. Walker plans to retire effective December 31, 2017. In planning for Walker’s retirement, the board approved the administration’s recommendation that Michael L. Stacey, currently serving as Human Resources Director for the district, would succeed her. Stacey assumes the title of Chief Human Resources Officer on July 1, 2017.
The board also approved the promotion of Jeffrey F. Caldwell to the position of Chief Student Services Officer as Dr. Little reorganizes Central Services to meet the needs of the district’s annual 500 students per year growth and the responsibilities of serving more than 26,000 students. His promotion is effective immediately. Caldwell currently supervises and will continue to supervise student services, transportation and the district’s school nursing program. In addition, he assumes the responsibility of the district’s social workers.
Mary R. Walker has served Lexington School District One for 40 years and continues to demonstrate an impeccable work ethic. She has led the district through the planning and staffing of 11 new schools, while continuing to provide for the many needs of their employees and overseeing the HR end of the implementation of a new payroll/HR system.
About her retirement Superintendent Greg Little reflected, “Mary Walker has been an exceptional leader. Although she possesses a wealth of knowledge, it is her kind and caring spirit that we all appreciate.”
In 1977, Walker began her education career as an art teacher in the Gilbert schools. In 1987, she was promoted to the position of assistant principal at Gilbert Elementary School. In 1992, she became the first principal of Saxe Gotha Elementary School.
In 1995, she joined Central Services as coordinator of personnel services earning a promotion in 1998 to director of human resources and another in 2004 to assistant superintendent, now chief human resources officer.
Walker earned many awards during her career. The South Carolina Association of School Administrators named Walker the 2016 South Carolina Personnel Administrator of the Year. In 2015, she received the Joseph M. Bedenbaugh Administrator of the Year Award, in 2005 the S.C. Association of Educational Office Professionals Administrator of the Year Award, in 2004 the Lexington One Educational Office Professionals Administrator of the Year Award and in 1987 the Gilbert Elementary School Teacher of the Year award.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Spanish from Newberry College and a Master of Arts in Teacher in Art Education and an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Jeffrey F. Caldwell, promoted to the position of Chief Student Services Officer, began his career as a fifth-grade teacher at McLaurin Elementary School in Florence.
He moved to Swansea Middle School in 1986 and served as seventh-grade teacher until joining Lexington District One in 1989 as a seventh-grade teacher at Lexington Middle School. Shortly after, in 1990, he was promoted to assistant principal at Lexington Middle School and was promoted again in 1993 when he became principal there.
Caldwell joined Central Services in 2004 as coordinator of test administration and became director of student services in 2006.
He received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Francis Marion College and a Master of Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Named Friend of Foreign Language by the S.C. Foreign Language Teachers Association, Middle Level Principal of the Year by the S.C. Art Education Association and Teacher of the Year at Swansea Middle School, he is member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators.
Michael L. Stacey, currently serving as Human Resources Director for the district, has 37 years in public education. He began his career as a ninth-grade science and mathematics teacher at Northpoint Junior High in Northport, Alabama, in 1979.
Stacey moved to Savannah, Georgia in 1984 to teach science at Groves High School and was promoted to middle school assistant principal at Hubert Middle School in 1989 and to Bartlett Middle School principal in 1990. Stacey returned to South Carolina in 1994 as principal of York Comprehensive High School. He joined Lexington District One in 1999 as the first principal of White Knoll High School.
In 2006, he transferred to Central Services where he served as Director of Middle School Education, Media Services, 504 Services, Leadership Development and Quality, and Alternative Education in Instructional Services. He became Human Resources Director for the district in 2014.
Stacey received a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education from the University of Alabama and an Educational Specialist in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern. He has secondary education, secondary supervision and superintendent certifications.
He is a graduate of the Tapping Executive Educators program of the South Carolina Department of Education and the CP&L Leadership Executive Institute. He has presented at the High School Summit, High Schools That Work National Conference, South Carolina Association of School Administrators, the CP&L Executive Institute, and the Superintendents’ Conference.
Stacey, a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, was named SC Principal of the Year by the Guidance Counselor Association in 1998.
