Pitt County Schools Superintendent Ethan Lenker will step down this summer.
Lenker, 59, who has led the district for more than a decade, on Monday announced his retirement effective July 31. His comments were made at the conclusion of the Board of Education meeting after he expressed appreciation for the school district’s senior leadership team, principals and board members.
“I love the job; don’t get me wrong,” he said in an interview following the meeting. “You couldn’t do this job if you don’t love it. I’ve been happy for 11 years here in Pitt County, but it’s just time.”
Lenker, who served as superintendent in Jones and Sampson counties before taking the local job in 2013, has more years has more years as a superintendent in North Carolina public schools than any superintendent in the state.
“I’ve done this for almost 20 years; I’ve been in education for 37. It’s time to do something a little different,” he said, adding that he has some opportunities to serve in a coaching-type role for some principals and superintendents. “I’m looking forward to that but just kind of a little bit slower pace.”
NC East Alliance said on Tuesday that Lenker will join the STEM East Leadership Team as a consultant. His new role was among several changes in leadership that the organization announced.
School board members, who appeared surprised to hear Lenker’s retirement notice, were quick to offer praise for the superintendent’s accomplishments.
District 6 representative Worth Forbes said Lenker has been “a game changer” for the local school district. District 5 representative Jennifer Hodgson, who was elected in 2022, thanked Lenker for “carrying us through some very difficult times.”
District 9 representative Benjie Forrest, the longest serving member of the board, recalled that before voting to hire Lenker, Forrest had asked to see the evaluations Lenker had received as the leader of other school districts.
“There was never any bad evaluation, comment or anything about Ethan Lenker, other than he was excellent at what he did,” Forrest said. “Experience and longevity go a long way to tell you what kind of person we hired 11 years ago, and I’m glad I raised my hand at that time.”
Lenker was named superintendent of the year in the northeast region three times, most recently in 2022, and was awarded the North Carolina Association of School Administrators’ Raymond Sarbaugh Leadership Award in 2023. Last month, he was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce.
During his tenure, Lenker has worked to create a model Advanced Teaching Roles curriculum; to launch two early college high schools, a virtual academy, a technical academy and three language immersion programs; and to develop numerous STEM labs throughout the district’s schools.
“This school district, this Board of Education is willing to put the money into those programs that just make the life of the students better,” he said. “The biggest focus we’ve had is on student achievement. We’ve done a lot of good things. Our advanced teaching roles (program) is second to none in the state of North Carolina. I think the work we’ve done there just shows what Pitt County’s about.”
Lenker said the time in Greenville has been good for his family.
“(I have been) here watching my kids grow up, watching my kids go to college. One is working now and the other one is getting ready to graduate from college,” he said. “It’s kind of nice I’ve been in one place long enough to see that. I said it when I got hired 11 years ago, ‘I just feel lucky to even be here,’ and now I’m really fortunate to still be here.”
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