Dorothy Fowler/News-Sun
Trey Williams, the new principal at Lovington High School, is a man with several missions.
His first, and most important mission, is seeing the Lovington High School Wildcat student body and staff are safe, he said.
That mission has any number of moving parts, including overseeing periodic fire drills, calling for lockdowns or shelter in place when emergencies occur at the school, and active shooter drills.
Part of his job is to be sure all the doors providing entrance to the building, and all the interior doors to classrooms, are in proper working order. That requires the cooperation of teachers, who report mechanical problems to Williams, who then reports them to the maintenance department of the district — which is charged with the responsibility of making whatever repairs or adjustments are necessary.
“So far this year, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to keep everyone safe,” he recently said to a group of teachers. “That is a primary goal.”
Another of his missions is to build relationships with teachers, staff and students to maximize opportunities to do the best job they’re capable of.
Williams believes his coaching and teaching experience have provided the skills necessary for building relationships.
“My ability to form professional and educationally appropriate (relationships) with students has prepared me for this position. It’s about relationships,” Williams said.
He is beginning his 19th year in education, with more than 14 of those years as a teacher/coach.
Williams has coached volleyball, track, softball and tennis and has taught New Mexico history, Texas history, world history, health, physical education and driver’s education in both Texas and New Mexico.
He spent the last three and one-half years in administration as assistant principal at Lovington High School.
Graduating from Canyon High School in Canyon, Texas in 1996, Williams earned a Bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M University in Canyon and a Master’s degree in educational administration from Grand Canyon University.
“I chose to enter educational administration to support teachers and have a larger impact on overall student learning,” he said. “But I miss being a teacher. What I miss most is the day to day interaction with my students.”
Several Lovington teachers and staff said they appreciate Williams’ positive approach to his tasks as principal and the support he offers to them and to students.
“He’s in the halls a lot,” said one teacher. “He’s talking with students and teachers and really taking care of business.”
