Gregory Pierce
Gregory Ervin Pierce was born in Duncan and graduated from Velma-Alma High School in 1966. He was active in FFA on the Livestock Judging and Parliamentary Procedure teams. He also showed hogs and steers, was active in sports and was class president and a National Honor Society member.
He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural education and an administration certificate from Oklahoma State University. He enlisted in the National Guard and served eight years in the 1245th Transportation Company with the theme, “You call! We haul you all!”
Pierce taught agricultural education at Tishomingo Public Schools. In 1978, he moved to the Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education as agriculture curriculum specialist. He became assistant coordinator of the Curriculum Instructional Materials Center, then coordinator of evaluation and testing, executive director of the Mid-America Vocational Curriculum Consortium and coordinator of CIMC. He left ODVTE in 1990 and became superintendent of Velma-Alma Public Schools. In 1992, he became superintendent of Pontotoc Skill Development Center and Rural Industrial Incubator, now Pontotoc Technology Center.
Under his 20 years of leadership, Pontotoc Tech gained a reputation as a premier technology center and received many Gold Star School awards. Pierce oversaw several campus expansions and the addition of two additional partner schools. The PTC Seminar Center has been dedicated in his name.
Pierce developed instructional materials for the Associated General Contractors of America; the Tile Council of America; the National Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives; the United Union of Roofers, Water Proofers and Allied Workers; the International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers; NASA; and several foreign countries. He developed or coordinated the development of more than 250 publications for career and technology education. He also conducted workshops on competency-based education all across the United States.
Pierce served in leadership roles for organizations including president of the National Council of Local Administrators. He served twice as vice president of the Association for Career and Technical Education and as president of the Oklahoma ACTE Administration Division; finance chairman of the ACTE Board of Directors; president of the Oklahoma Area Career Technology School Superintendents; past president and member of the Oklahoma Career and Technology Foundation Board of Directors; president of the Ada Area Chamber of Commerce; and deacon of Ada First Baptist Church. He was a member of Leadership Oklahoma Class IX.
Greg and his wife, Freda, have two sons, Gregory Brian and Bradley Ervin, and one daughter, Kari Ann. They have seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Pierce was inducted into the CareerTech Hall of Fame in 2015.
