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Willie Williams, a 1985 graduate of Central High School, has become the newest superintendent of the Helena-West Helena School District.
The Helena-West Helena School Board approved Williams in special session Thursday night by a vote of 6-1.
Voting for Williams were chairperson Connie Jarrett, Rev. Jarvis Smith, Elder Kim Smith, Tommy Stephens, Michael Ashanti and Rayne Gordon. Larry Wilson voted against the appointment.
His annual salary will be $130,000. The compensation package involving a car, house, cell phone, insurance and teacher retirement benefits drew a 5-2 vote with Gordon and Wilson dissenting.
In another development, Roy Bridges, the deputy superintendent and long-time H-WHSD employee, informed the Daily World Sunday afternoon that he would not return for the 2009-2010 school year.
Since no official word has come from the H-WHSD, his retirement is listed as pending.
Williams comes to the H-WHSD from Memphis where he served as principal of Westside Middle School. His other administrative roles with the Memphis School District since 1999 included principal at Trezevant High School, assistant principal at Corey Middle School and assistant principal at Kingsbury High School.
Among his accomplishments, Williams said he played a major role in the establishment of Westside Middle School, restructured and organized the Kingsbury High School staff and revamped Trezevant High School into academies.
A lieutenant with the U.S. Naval Reserves, 2001-2005, Williams was an adjunct faculty member with Arkansas State University, 1999-2000; football coach-teacher at Earle, 1995-1999; graduate assistant, ASU, 1993-1995; veteran representative assistant, ASU, 1989-1993, and a hospital corpsman with the Navy at San Diego, 1985-1989.
Williams received his Bachelor’s of Science in biology at ASU, Master’s Degree in zoology at ASU and has completed the course work for his doctorate degree in education from ASU.
In his cover letter with his application for H-WHSD superintendent, Williams said he sought the position to “provide our district with strong leadership that would be driven by purpose rather than habit.”
The hiring of Williams concluded months of a search that began after Rudolph Howard resigned after three years as superintendent. Howard helped guide H-WHSD through its recovery from academic and financial distress after the state had taken over the district.
Other changes approved by the board were as follow:
•Maurice Smith is the new Central High School principal. The West Bolivar County, Miss. School District in Shelby, previously employed him. He succeeds Willie Jackson who was the interim principal.
•Yancey Stephens, formerly of the Barton School District, was named the CHS boys basketball coach and dead of the 9-10th grades. Tommy Fridell was previously named dean for the 11-12th grade.
•Troyinticia Stewart was hired as a CHS mathematics teacher. She is a former H-WHSD employee.
•Edward Taylor, a seventh grade teacher, was named the junior high dean. He had worked at Eliza Miller Junior High School at an earlier time.
•Jerry Donaldson, 8th grade teacher, was also named a junior high dean. He has been a physical education teacher at Westside Elementary.
•Stephanie Hoskins was hired as a second grade teacher at Beechcrest Elementary.
•Cynthia Stevenson was hired as a custodian at Westside.
•Shelia Shields was hired as director of the Save the Children program at Westside.
Willie Williams, a 1985 graduate of Central High School, has become the newest superintendent of the Helena-West Helena School District.
The Helena-West Helena School Board approved Williams in special session Thursday night by a vote of 6-1.
Voting for Williams were chairperson Connie Jarrett, Rev. Jarvis Smith, Elder Kim Smith, Tommy Stephens, Michael Ashanti and Rayne Gordon. Larry Wilson voted against the appointment.
His annual salary will be $130,000. The compensation package involving a car, house, cell phone, insurance and teacher retirement benefits drew a 5-2 vote with Gordon and Wilson dissenting.
In another development, Roy Bridges, the deputy superintendent and long-time H-WHSD employee, informed the Daily World Sunday afternoon that he would not return for the 2009-2010 school year.
Since no official word has come from the H-WHSD, his retirement is listed as pending.
Williams comes to the H-WHSD from Memphis where he served as principal of Westside Middle School. His other administrative roles with the Memphis School District since 1999 included principal at Trezevant High School, assistant principal at Corey Middle School and assistant principal at Kingsbury High School.
Among his accomplishments, Williams said he played a major role in the establishment of Westside Middle School, restructured and organized the Kingsbury High School staff and revamped Trezevant High School into academies.
A lieutenant with the U.S. Naval Reserves, 2001-2005, Williams was an adjunct faculty member with Arkansas State University, 1999-2000; football coach-teacher at Earle, 1995-1999; graduate assistant, ASU, 1993-1995; veteran representative assistant, ASU, 1989-1993, and a hospital corpsman with the Navy at San Diego, 1985-1989.
Williams received his Bachelor’s of Science in biology at ASU, Master’s Degree in zoology at ASU and has completed the course work for his doctorate degree in education from ASU.
In his cover letter with his application for H-WHSD superintendent, Williams said he sought the position to “provide our district with strong leadership that would be driven by purpose rather than habit.”
The hiring of Williams concluded months of a search that began after Rudolph Howard resigned after three years as superintendent. Howard helped guide H-WHSD through its recovery from academic and financial distress after the state had taken over the district.
Other changes approved by the board were as follow:
•Maurice Smith is the new Central High School principal. The West Bolivar County, Miss. School District in Shelby, previously employed him. He succeeds Willie Jackson who was the interim principal.
•Yancey Stephens, formerly of the Barton School District, was named the CHS boys basketball coach and dead of the 9-10th grades. Tommy Fridell was previously named dean for the 11-12th grade.
•Troyinticia Stewart was hired as a CHS mathematics teacher. She is a former H-WHSD employee.
•Edward Taylor, a seventh grade teacher, was named the junior high dean. He had worked at Eliza Miller Junior High School at an earlier time.
•Jerry Donaldson, 8th grade teacher, was also named a junior high dean. He has been a physical education teacher at Westside Elementary.
•Stephanie Hoskins was hired as a second grade teacher at Beechcrest Elementary.
•Cynthia Stevenson was hired as a custodian at Westside.
•Shelia Shields was hired as director of the Save the Children program at Westside.
