Next week, Collins Career Technical Center will have a new superintendent for the first time in two decades.

Longtime educator Steve Dodgion has retired, after 47 years in education, 42 of which were at CCTC.

As faculty members and former students can attest, Dodgion was a key player in the growth of CCTC into one of the state’s leading schools of its kind.

Project Lead the Way STEM classes, which began there 14 years ago, came about largely due to his efforts.

This program, with a focus on science, technology, engineering and medical education uses a hands-on approach to prepare high school students for the jobs of tomorrow and keeps them at the forefront of developing industries.

While STEM is commonplace in much of the state and country, CCTC was one of the earliest to offer it in Ohio and, thanks to Dodgion’s foresight, the school’s program has been an immense success and a step ahead of many others in region.

The past year of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the need for a trained workforce for medical jobs is more important than ever.

And many of the nurses from our county entered that field by graduating from CCTC’s nursing program, which one the first for a career center in the state.

These accomplishments, as well as many others, have seen CCTC’s offerings continue to grow in recent decades and provide a path to a solid career for students in our region.

Dodgion has been a major leader in education in the county and his work has helped countless people in his long career.

All of Lawrence County and much of the Tri-State should be grateful for his time on the job and his legacy will only grow as those who benefited from CCTC’s programs go on to change the region and the world as well.