SC School Leaders Receive Top Honors
June 25, 2012
BEAUFORT, SC – June 25, 2012 – School leaders in Lexington,Spartanburg, and Beaufort have been named 2012 William B. HarleyLifetime Achievement Award recipients. In addition, the Friend ofPublic Education award was announced.
The S. C. Association ofSchool Administrators (SCASA) presents these awards. Each year, SCASAselects three education leaders as exemplars of education leadership.The newest award winners are Dr. Karl Fulmer, Chief Financial ServicesOfficer, Lexington School District Five; Dr. Donna Gutshall, AssistantSuperintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Spartanburg SchoolDistrict Six; and Dr. Valerie Truesdale, Superintendent, Beaufort CountySchools.
This year, a special Friend of Education Award wasgiven to Mr. Ken Childs, Esquire of Childs & Halligan, P.A. Dr.Fulmer has served in public education for more than 45 years. He beganhis career as a mathematics teacher and later served as an assistantprincipal, principal and now Chief Financial Services Officer forLexington School District Five. He is renowned statewide as a leader forschool administrators, not only among his peers, but also with statelegislators and superintendents. His expertise in education financing isoften sought. He is a Registered School Business Official with theSouth Carolina Association of School Business Officials (SCASBO) and is alongtime member of SCASA.
Dr. Gutshall has been a respected member of the educational communityfor 32 years serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, andpresently as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction forSpartanburg School District Six. Under her leadership, the districthas received high levels of academic success resulting in an ExcellentAbsolute District Report Card – one of eleven districts in the state. She is an active member of SCASA and has been recognized by SenatorStrom Thurmond, Governor Jim Hodges, and President Bill Clinton for herleadership and global contributions to students, her community, SouthCarolina and the nation.
Dr. Truesdale has served as high school and college faculty, as anassistant principal, a high school principal, a senior executive at theSouth Carolina Department of Education, a district chief instructionalofficer and as superintendent in Oconee County. Since 2007, Dr.Truesdale has served as superintendent in Beaufort County and sincethen, has reversed the district’s stagnant academic fortunes with astrong focus on teacher development, enhanced classroom technology,extended learning opportunities for struggling learners and improvedstudent discipline. Also an active member of SCASA, she was the 2009 SCSuperintendent of the Year.
Childs taught at Greenville High School and Wade Hampton High School andserved as Assistant Principal at J. L. Mann High School beforeattending law school. Ken served as a special professor of PoliticalScience at Furman University and was a founding member of the GreenvilleCounty Drug Commission. Ken was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in1975 and founded his own law firm in 1981. Ken practices in most areasof school law, including personnel, student discipline, school finance,policy development, school governance, and inter-governmentalrelations. A longtime member of SCASA, he is also a member of theColumbia Area Mental Health Board, the South Caroliniana Library Board,the Board of Trustees of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, andTrinity Cathedral.
The Harley Award selection committee uses the following criteria to choose the SCASA Administrator of the Year:
- evidence of outstanding leadership as an educational administrator;
- a record of service and leadership as a member of SCASA and its divisions;
- community service not directly related to the education profession; and,
- service to the profession above and beyond normal job responsibilities.
The Friend of Education award is given periodically to someone who isnot in a regular school leadership role, but who has served the publiceducation community throughout their career.
These leaders were honored on Tuesday, June 19, at the SCASA InnovativeIdeas Institute before 1200 school leaders. Each winner received a cashprize and commemorative plaque, and Herff Jones will present eachwinner with a ring.
“These education leaders are highly respected among SCASA members,” saidMolly Spearman, executive director of SCASA. “They exemplifyoutstanding leadership among educational professionals. SCASA is pleasedto recognize their exceptional service to public education.”
About SCASA
SCASA is the professional organization for school leaders inSouth Carolina, with a membership of more than 3,000. From professionaldevelopment opportunities and research, to publications and legislativeadvocacy, SCASA’s focus is to support school leaders in providing thebest possible education for South Carolina’s young people. As a stateaffiliate of three national associations for school leaders, SCASA alsoworks on the national level.
