Following a decade of leadership, the chief executive officer of a company in Lake County will be retiring at the end of the month.

Thomas Acevedo, 70, is retiring from S&K Technologies, headquartered in St. Ignatius.

Originally growing up in Plains, Acevedo said that job opportunities took him east, toward Connecticut where he worked in the casino industry.

Obtaining his undergraduate degree at the University of Montana and then attending New Mexico Law School, Acevedo said that the trajectory of his career wasn’t always geared toward where he landed.

“If you asked me 10 years ago if I’d be working in management, I’d say no,” he said.

Acevedo worked with Mohegan Sun Casino for 10 years before coming to S&K Technologies.

While at S&K Technologies, Acevedo said that his biggest accomplishment has been “putting a first-rate team together that works well.”

He added that he’s also proud of the amount of dividends his team has been able to establish, sharing with the tribes.

For this year’s cycle, Acevedo said that $4.2 million will go to the tribe.

The company has done contracting with federal agencies, he explained, including the Johnson Space Center in Houston, the United States Air Force and the Department of Energy.

The company also has contracts overseas.

“We also do work in Saudi Arabia,” Acevedo added.

S&K Technologies employs about 7,500 people nation and worldwide, he confirmed.

According to the company website, S&K Technologies was formed in 1999. It is “a wholly owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.”

Once retirement kicks in, Acevedo said that he plans on taking it easy.

Acevedo and wife Elizabeth will visit with their two children and three grandchildren.

“I’m going to relax for a while,” he said, adding that he and Elizabeth “love to travel.”