Skip to main content

Central Tech’s Kent Burris receives Oklahoma CareerTech’s prestigious Arch Alexander Award

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Kent Burris, assistant superintendent for Business and Industry Services at Central Technology Center, was honored at the virtual Oklahoma Summit Aug. 4-5. Burris received the prestigious Arch Alexander Award at the 53rd annual Oklahoma CareerTech professional development conference.

The award was created by the University of Oklahoma Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in honor of the late Arch Alexander, a longtime deputy director of the state CareerTech agency. It is given each year to someone who has demonstrated the qualities Alexander showed in his work in the CareerTech system.

“The Arch Alexander Award recognizes CareerTech educators who have made significant contributions to Oklahoma’s CareerTech System,” said OkACTE Executive Director Skye McNiel. “These progressive leaders in program and curriculum development advance technology in education.”

Burris has been responsible for all financial aspects of Central Tech for the last 20 years. The Oklahoma State University graduate was hired as a purchasing agent in 1990 and promoted in 1995 to business manager, supervising facilities and transportation. In 2013, he was named director of Central Tech’s Business and Industry Services division, including supervision of Central Tech’s truck driver training, Adult Career Development, industry-specific and agriculture business management programs. In 2015, he was named assistant superintendent for Business and Industry Services.

Burris served on the Cushing City Commission, where he helped acquire a 960-bed private correctional facility. He was also instrumental in constructing a new municipal swimming pool that draws visitors from surrounding counties.

In 2019, when the Drumright Memorial Hospital was in the midst of a financial meltdown, Burris worked with the Drumright Industrial Authority to purchase a facility to keep the medical staff of the hospital in Drumright until the hospital could recover.

More than 4,000 of the state’s CareerTech administrators, teachers and staff members attended the virtual Oklahoma Summit, sponsored by Oklahoma CareerTech and its professional organization, OkACTE.

For more information about the Oklahoma CareerTech System, visit www.okcareertech.org.

Last Modified on Oct 05, 2021
Back to Top