After seven years as superintendent of the Forsyth County school system, Buster Evans is saying goodbye. “It’s been a very emotional 24 hours,” Evans said Friday as he announced his retirement. “I’m going to miss it, but I feel like what we’ve done here will have lasting impact ... I have been so blessed.” During an executive session Thursday night, Evans notified the Board of Education that he plans to retire July 1, following his 30-year career in public education. Board member Ann Crow, who has worked with Evans since he came to Forsyth in 2007, said she’s going to miss what he brought to the school district.“It’s been an honor to work with him over the last seven years and to see all the changes that he’s carried us through,” she said. “He certainly put us in the position to be one of the best school districts in the country.“Buster is a person who’s a good listener. He’s a person who brings out the best in other people, he’s a team builder with great character and he’s a person that inspires success anywhere he goes. He’s going to be a hard act to follow.” During his tenure, Evans also worked on behalf of students and teachers at the state level, helping develop state initiatives to improve education in Georgia. He also represents Forsyth as a trustee and chairman of the Teacher’s Retirement Service of Georgia, a position he has held since 2006. In addition, he serves on the Governor’s Education Advisory Board, Digital Learning Task Force, Superintendents Education Policy Advisory Group at the University of Georgia and the Georgia Education Solutions Group. He plans to continue working on learning and career development opportunities for adults. The school board will be meeting this week to set a timetable for finding Evans’ successor. Darla Light, who chairs the board, said Evans has “established a foundation of excellence and when he retires we will continue to focus on our vision of ‘Quality Learning and Superior Performance for All.’”“We will be forever grateful to Dr. Evans for his outstanding leadership and for taking our district to unbelievable levels of achievement,” she said. “We wish him the best in his new career pathway, and know that he will continue to make a difference in the future of our state.” Check back for updates at forsythnews.com.