Midlands superintendent recognized as S.C. Administrator of the Year
Akil Ross was surprised Monday night to be presented with a statewide recognition.
The Lexington-Richland 5 superintendent discovered during Monday’s school board meeting that he had been named the S.C. Administrator of the Year by the South Carolina chapter of the National School Public Relations Association.
Toni Chewning, current president of the chapter and a staffer with the Palmetto State Teachers Association, said the group recognizes a school administrator each year who is ensuring “the district is telling their story, in a timely manner and showing up in leadership.”
“Dr. Ross is someone who exemplifies what it means to lead with integrity and embrace the power of effective communication,” Chewning said in presenting the award at Monday’s meeting. “Whether it’s leading your district through a bond referendum or handling a crisis, he consistently demonstrates the commitment to accurate, timely, effective communication.”
Since he became Lexington-Richland 5’s superintendent in 2021, has been the face of the district through its ups and downs.
Chewning praised Ross for frequently holding virtual town halls with parents to explain issues like the projects behind the Chapin-Irmo district’s 2024 bond referendum or redistricting attendance lines for area schools. His communications style is key to maintaining trust in the community, the group said.
The NSPRA represents public information officers in each of South Carolina’s 72 public school districts, and “the superintendent is the key person that the communicator needs to work with,” Chewning said.
She told Ross she was grateful to him for the guidance he gave her at a conference when she first transitioned from the classroom to the state teachers association.
“I was there overwhelmed. I knew I had impostor syndrome. Even though I knew I was there for a reason, I was hesitant to share my ideas and thoughts,” Chewning later told The State. “He was just so intentional that everyone felt included and had a voice — not just me, but everyone at the table.”
When she left, “I had more confidence and I was more pumped up about what was going on in districts around the state.
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