The Columbia International University’s School of Business is growing fast and will get a new name on Thursday Oct. 7.

In a noon ceremony the school will be named for John and Lyn Cook, owners of Cook’s Pest Control, America’s 8th-largest pest control company.

A little known secret is Lexington County’s attrac tion to higher education.

For example, all but one of the Columbia International University School of Business faculty including Dean Scott Adams are county residents. So as is the CIU Chancellor Dr. Bill Jones, Online Studies Provost Dr. Brian Simmons, and Community Ambassador Randy Halfacre. The Deans of the College of Education Dr. Connie Mitchell and the College of Intercultural Studies Dr. Ed Smither reside in Lexington as do over half of CIU’s faculty members.

“Many CIU commuter students are Lexington County residents,” Adam said, “and on-campus students hail from all of the county’s public high schools as well as Northside Christian Academy and Gray Academy.