SCACTE 2024 Award Winners

Teacher of the Year

Dominic Hawkes

Dominic Hawkes is a Master Chef of Great Britain with over 29 years of experience in the food service industry. With a diploma in culinary arts, diploma in food hygiene, and certification in nutrition & health, and wines & spirits. Dominic later completed a bachelor’s degree in business studies, majoring in hospitality studies. Dominic’s commitment to education is exemplified by his successful efforts in 2022 when he and the Lancaster County School District Career Center became the first secondary school in the Carolinas to receive American Culinary Federation accreditation, certifying students with the coveted Certified Fundamentals Cook (CFC) certification.

Dominic’s dedication to his students was further highlighted during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns when he swiftly adapted his classes to an online platform. Since then, he has shared his valuable insights with audiences worldwide through his popular YouTube channel, Chef Hawkes. In 2023 he with his co-author Dan Stine published their first textbook & program “Introduction to Culinary Arts Management, Safety, Recipes & Certification.” The fastest growing culinary arts & food safety textbook in the US. This is designed to assist high school and post secondary students pass the Food Safety Manager exam, which has a significant failure rate. In February 2024 he, again with his coauthor, published a second textbook, “The Food Protection Manager’s Handbook.” A textbook and supporting materials to assist college students and professionals in the industry to earn the same certification.

His tireless efforts in the culinary arts also earned him multiple accolades, including his victory at the Carolina Classic Cook-Off and being featured on PBS Charlotte (WTVI). He has also been very generously recognized in South Carolina and nationally for his work in education.

New Teacher of the Year
Adam Yarborough

Administrator of the Year

Leon Burgess

Mr. Leon Burgess serves as the Director of Secondary Education, College & Career Readiness and CTE at Florence School District 3. In that position, Mr. Burgess oversees dual enrollment and CTE programs. He also manages CTE budgets, Perkins compliance, and relationships between secondary and post-secondary institutions in the area. Mr. Burgess received his undergraduate degree from Francis Marion College and his graduate degree from Francis Marion University. He has been with Florence County School District 3 for a total of 18 years. He has served as the Assistant Principal of Ronald E. McNair Middle School and CTE Director at Lake City High School. He has worked as an adjunct professor at both Williamsburg Technical College and Florence-Darlington Technical College. Additionally, He has worked with the Harbor Freight Fellows program for the past 4 years and prides himself in having students who are currently employed in the trades industry thanks to the start they got at the Lake City Career and Technology Center, partnering post-secondary institutions, and business partners willing to give students a chance. Mr. Burgess has found his passion and his calling in working to assist students in their professional lives after high school.

Counseling and Career Development

Paula Lail

Paula Stegall Lail serves as the Work Based Learning Coordinator for the Lancaster County School District in Lancaster, SC. She is a native of Lancaster and has 24 years of experience as a teacher and school counselor. This experience allows her to be a liaison between the school district and business/industries in Lancaster County giving all students opportunities to participate in work based learning experiences before high school graduation.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Jerry Flack

Jerry Flack has been a teacher and administrator at Lancaster County School District for 33 years. He has had many roles during his service years. He has been a Social Studies teacher, Career Guidance Counselor, Assistant Principal, Principal, Job Placement Director, Career Center Director, and Instructional Specialist. He is a member or SCASA, SCACTE, NEA, SCEA, PSTA, LCSD Retired Educators Association. Outside of his roles at the school level he is a member of Bethel Baptist Church, Lancaster County Recreation Department Coordinator and a Volunteer Coach for Lancaster Dixie Youth Baseball.

CTE Champion of the Year

Josh Rios

Josh Rios obtained the following certifications during the 23-24 school year:

Healthcare BLS
Stop the Bleed
FEMA online courses include Introduction to the Incident Command System, Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response, Introduction to the National Incident Management System, and Introduction to Hazardous Materials.

Finally, and most importantly, Josh obtained his National Registry EMT and South Carolina EMT certification, and he has already applied for employment. Josh is enlisting in the Army National Guard, and he is due to swear in very soon.