[ April 15, 2022 ] Pickens High School Principal Chris Wallace provided the following letter on his decision to step down as principal to transition to a new position in the district - Director of Transportation and Maintenance.

To The Dragon Nation:

Five years ago, I was afforded the opportunity to begin my tenure as principal at Pickens High School. When I made the commitment to take on this role, I did so with the goal of challenging students and staff to be at their best and to always be looking for ways to better themselves and the environment around them. Additionally, I challenged myself to be that person as a role model for them. I feel that great strides have been made in equipping quality, capable young people with the tools necessary for them to experience success at our school and beyond. Over these past five years, it has been a true blessing to witness first-hand the numerous accomplishments by the students and staff of Pickens High School.

After much prayer and consideration, I will be stepping down as principal of Pickens High School at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve in this capacity. The impact that our students, staff and community have made on my life during my tenure here is immeasurable. For this, I am grateful.

Upon transitioning out of this role, I will begin serving as the Director of Transportation and Maintenance for our district. Within this new role, I will also be overseeing Safety and Security. I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve our more than 4,000 students and their families within our district, as well as the wonderful staff who make up our outstanding Transportation and Maintenance departments.

As is the case with any demanding job, sacrifices must be made in order to give those you serve the very best you have to offer. I am eternally grateful to my family, who have understood that much of my time, effort and energy had to be dedicated to PHS over the last five years. I could not have possibly been successful in this role without the unconditional love, support and encouragement from all of you. I especially want to thank my wife Lynda and my son Nathan. I appreciate your love and support more than you will ever know.

I chose to dedicate my life to education 16 years ago, with the last 14 of these years serving in our district. Twelve of these years have been as a PHS employee, the same school I graduated from 26 years ago. Pickens High School is home to me and will always have a special place in my heart. Although I will not be leading PHS into the 2022-2023 school year, I have no doubt that the caring and talented staff assembled there will continue to do exceedingly great things for our students in the years ahead. They are committed to this profession and the work of shaping our students into productive and prepared members of society.

I would like to conclude by thanking the many who have supported and encouraged me throughout my journey over the last five years. I am grateful for each of you and the many kind words that have been shared with me. To my staff at PHS, I want to send my sincere thanks to you for ?rowing? with me and for working hard alongside me to make our school a great place to work and learn. I want to thank the members of our Board of Education, our Superintendent Mr. Tony Young, and Chief Operations Officer Mr. Stacy Gilleland for their support and belief in my abilities to fill this important role within our district moving forward. I pledge to work diligently in my pursuit to continue making a positive impact on our students, staff, system and community.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Chris Wallace, Ed.S.



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