Sometimes, voters get cynical about longterm officeholders, often casting them as “career politicians.”

However, in many cases, those staples at an institution bring years of insight and experience and dedication to the job.

That is the case with Phillip Carpenter, a board member of the Lawrence County ESC, who has been working for students and faculty in local schools for nearly four decades. This month, he was honored by the state school board association with a service award for his work.

And Carpenter is not limited to just volunteering his time to the ESC and is known as a contributor throughout his community. 

As his colleagues can attest, the honor is well deserved and we commend Carpenter for all he done in his time on the board.