UNION — A former state legislator will now direct career development services for school districts in three Upstate counties.
During a meeting of the Union County Board of School Trustees earlier this week, Superintendent Dr. Kristi Woodall announced that Union native Toney Farr has been named the Regional Career Specialist for the Upstate and will assume his duties in Jan. 2013.
Farr will provide career development services as outlined in the South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act of 2005 to the students and staff of nine Upstate school districts, which include Spartanburg Districts 1-7, Cherokee and Union County.
Union County Schools will serve as the fiscal agent for the position, and Farr’s office will be located in Union.
“I am very excited with the opportunity of continuing to work in the area of career education,” Farr said. “I am looking forward to working with the nine school districts in the Upstate area and in particular, my home district of Union. I am sincerely committed to helping students connect the dots between their academic opportunities and their future career aspirations.”
A former member of the S.C. House of Representatives, Farr brings a wealth of experience to this position as he has served as Director of the South Carolina Occupational Information System (SCOIS) since July 2005. Prior to accepting that position, he was a Senior Customer Services Representative for SCOIS for over 20 years. SCOIS is South Carolina’s Official Career Resource Network used by all districts throughout the state.
In his new position, Farr will provide schools with professional development related to career guidance, career and technology education, and individual graduation plan development. He will also assist in the development of regional business and industry partnerships related to student work-based learning opportunities for the purpose of workforce development and student career development. Additionally, he will network with other regional career specialists to support education in South Carolina.
“We want what parents have long wished for, and that is for their sons and daughters to have rewarding careers beyond their educational experiences,” Farr said. “I’m honored to continue working with such great career and educational professionals throughout the region that will help our students succeed. There are so many exciting opportunities out there for our students, we want to make certain that students know what the future workforce is looking for and to help prepare them accordingly using our various educational settings.”
Farr earned both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the S.C. Counseling Association Board of Directors, the National Career Development Association and a former member of the President’s Advisory Board at Winthrop University. Among his accomplishments, Farr received a Career Resource Director Certificate of Achievement from the U.S. Department of Education in 2006 and an Outstanding Administrator Award from the South Carolina Counseling Association in 2008.
A native of Union County, he and his wife Gloria are the parents of five children and are members of Foster’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Kelton.
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