A year after he stepped down from a 20-year career leading Kingfisher High School’s ag program to national prominence, Ryan Burns accepted a new challenge last week.

Burns was hired as Dover Public School’s ag instructor at a school board meeting last Wednesday.

Burns, who currently serves asweldinginstructoratChisholm Trail Technology Center, will join his wife Lori Burns on the Dover faculty, where she is a science instructor and teaches student leadership classes.

The Burnses served as longtime co-advisers of the Kingfisher FFA program, earning national recognition for themselves and their students in nearly every area of competition, from individual and team speaking events to livestock judging.

“We’re excited to bring Ryan to Dover to add to the quality teaching staff we currently have and are continuing to build,” Dover Supt Max Thomas said. “Our students definitely will benefit from his knowledge and leadership.”

Current Dover ag instructor Patrick Driscoll will remain on the Dover faculty and reassigned to other teaching duties which have not yet been finalized, Thomas said.