Former Rockcastle County High School Principal James D. (J.D.) Bussell has been honored as the KATFCS Administrator of the Year during Kentucky’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Summer Conference on July 31.

The prestigious award recognizes school, district, county, state, or federal administrators who demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing teacher and student success, while making significant contributions to innovative and effective career and technical education programs.

Mr. Bussell received the honor for his outstanding support of RCHS’s Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) program. He was nominated by Family & Consumer Sciences teacher Mrs. Tammy Camel, whose program has thrived under his leadership.

“Awards like this are not about me,” Bussell said. “They are about the teachers like Mrs. Camel who work so hard and have amazing ideas about new, innovative ways to benefit both our students and our community.”

Candidates for the award were evaluated on three criteria: contributions to teacher and student success; innovations in CTE; and leadership in the local or greater CTE community. Mr. Bussell’s commitment to fostering an environment where CTE programs flourish earned him recognition from colleagues and peers across the state.