A Proctorville area businessman has been named to the Lawrence County Educational Service Center board.

Kenneth Shafer will replace Gerald Love, a veteran of the county school board who died last month.

"He's well respected and well liked," Lawrence County School Superintendent Harold Shafer said of Kenneth Shafer, who is no relation. "He's a good person to take Mr. Love's place and we're thrilled to have him."

Kenneth Shafer will serve on the board until an election next year. At that time, voters will choose someone to fill the remaining two years of Love's unexpired term.

"Really, if I can be of any benefit to the county or to the children, that's why I took it," Kenneth Shafer said. "And it's a good bunch of fellows to work with. I just want to work with them to get things accomplished."

The vote to appoint Kenneth Shafer was unanimous, Harold Shafer said. "We had several good candidates. We did not have any who would not have made a good board member."

Kenneth Shafer had previously served on the educational service center's advisory board.

Also at this week's meeting, the county board chose Roland Hayes to replace Love on the vocational education board.

"Gerald's death was a huge loss to us," Harold Shafer said. "I can't say enough about him. He served 16 years on the Fairland board, nine years on the vo-ed board and 17 years at the county. When you serve that long, it says two things: you have to be doing something right to be elected that many times and you have to be in it because you love children."