08/17/2026
Southwest Technology Center is pleased to announce Lane Pruett as the new Campus Director/COO, bringing more than two decades of experience in education, school administration and Career and Technical Education to the Southwest Tech team.
Pruett comes to Southwest Tech with 23 years of experience in education, serving students as a classroom teacher, CareerTech instructor, curriculum leader, principal and administrator. Throughout that journey, one priority has remained constant: preparing students with the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to build successful lives.
For Pruett, joining Southwest Tech also represents a return to CareerTech, an educational system he credits with shaping his own philosophy as an educator and leader.
“I believe CareerTech plays a vital role in education and in the future of Oklahoma,” Pruett said. “Our responsibility is to give students opportunities and prepare them for life. Success looks different for every student, and our job is to help them discover a pathway that allows them to succeed.”
Pruett began his career after earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 2002. While earning his degree, he framed houses and worked for a metal building company, experiences that gave him firsthand appreciation for the value of skilled trades. Following graduation, he began teaching mathematics and went on to serve schools in Kansas and Oklahoma.
His first professional experience within Oklahoma's CareerTech system came at Northwest Technology Center in Alva, where he served as a mathematics instructor and department chairperson from 2013 to 2017. There, Pruett taught upper-level mathematics courses, helped develop curriculum for the Biomedical Sciences program and gained a deeper understanding of the role CareerTech plays in connecting education, workforce development and Oklahoma's economy.
Pruett later earned a Master of Education in Educational Administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and moved into school administration. He has served as a PK-12 principal at Burlington Public School and, most recently, as principal at Cherokee Public Schools, where his responsibilities have included junior high and high school administration, athletics, transportation and school operations.
Even as his career moved into administration, Pruett remained connected to the classroom and hands-on learning. After joining Cherokee Public Schools, he used his own woodworking experience to reopen the school's Wood Technology program after it had been inactive for approximately 10 years. He continued teaching classes alongside his administrative responsibilities before eventually passing the established program on to another instructor.
That combination of classroom, CareerTech, skilled-trade and administrative experience has shaped Pruett's approach to leadership.
Pruett describes himself as a servant leader who leads by example, with an emphasis on relationships, visibility, high expectations and consistency.
“Students are our product, and everything we do should ultimately come back to what is best for them,” Pruett said. “I want our staff to know they can talk to me, and I want our students to know the people here care about them. Relationships matter, but so do expectations. We can support people while still holding ourselves to a high standard.”
As he begins his leadership at Southwest Tech, Pruett says listening and learning will be among his first priorities. Rather than approaching the position with predetermined changes, he plans to ask questions, understand existing processes and build relationships with faculty, staff, students, partner schools, business and industry, and communities throughout the district.
At the same time, he is not afraid to examine established practices and ask whether they continue to serve students and the workforce effectively.
“Change is okay when change is needed,” Pruett said. “We should always be asking what we are doing, why we are doing it and whether it is producing the outcomes our students need.”
That philosophy extends to Southwest Tech's relationship with business and industry. Pruett believes maintaining relevant CareerTech programs requires ongoing conversations with employers and community leaders, a willingness to respond to changing workforce demands and a commitment to ensuring students leave Southwest Tech prepared for the opportunities available to them.
“Industry needs change, communities change and workforce needs change,” he said. “We have to listen, adapt and make sure what we are teaching continues to prepare students for what comes next.”
Pruett's approach to staff leadership follows a similar philosophy. He emphasizes coaching and professional growth while maintaining clear and consistent expectations. When challenges arise, he believes in addressing them directly, listening first, providing support and resources when appropriate, and applying standards fairly.
For Pruett, however, student success remains the measure that matters most.
Whether success means earning an industry certification, entering the workforce, continuing an education or simply discovering a career path a student did not know existed, he believes CareerTech has a unique ability to change the trajectory of a student's life.
“I've always been most proud when students are successful,” Pruett said. “Sometimes that means helping a student accomplish something they didn't think they could do. We shouldn't be the people telling students no. We should challenge them, give them opportunities and help them see what they are capable of becoming.”
Family is also an important part of Pruett's life. He and his wife, Kirsten, are the parents of two children, Kayli and Kaden.
As Pruett begins this new chapter at Southwest Technology Center, he says it is both the opportunity and the challenge of the position that excite him.
“The question I keep coming back to is: How do we prepare our students to be successful, productive citizens?” Pruett said. “That's what excites me about this opportunity. There is always something we can learn, something we can improve and another opportunity we can create for a student.”
Southwest Technology Center serves high school and adult students throughout southwest Oklahoma through career training, workforce development and educational opportunities designed to meet the evolving needs of students, employers and communities.
Southwest Technology Center: Changing Lives One Career at a Time.
