By MIKE RUSSO
Williams is a 19-year Baldwin resident, and currently has two children in the Baldwin School District. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College, and currently works as a lead engineer in Distributed Generation Services for National Grid.
Williams has worked for the Baldwin Educational Assembly (BEA) as a member of the Budget Advisory Committee, School and Community Relations Committee, and as an at-large member of the executive board. Trustees said he is also a regular attendee at board meetings.
He is also well-known in the community for his work with the Baldwin PAL over the past decade. He is currently serving as second vice president, and has taken on many roles within PAL, including assistant judo coach, soccer coach and commissioner, and executive board member.
School board members, who voted unanimously to appoint Williams, said they were excited about him joining their team and were confident that he would make a relatively easy transition from resident to trustee. Williams will also be to take advantage of school board training, offered in the summer by the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association,
trustees added.
"You really know more than you think you know by attending these meetings," said Trustee Mary Clark, citing Williams' familiarity with issues and policy discussed at board meetings.
Board President Mary Jo O'Hagan said that Williams' background in working with children and his budgetary knowledge from working on the Budget Advisory Committee was a big selling point among the board members. "He's the one best-suited and it is a wonderful opportunity with the greatest ease of transition," she said.
As Williams is filling a position that was vacated by longtime trustee James Scannell in June, his term only lasts until the May 2010 district vote. Williams' future on the board would then be subject to a vote of residents in a general election.
Williams is expected to be sworn in at the next board meeting, scheduled for 8 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the District Office.
Comments about this story? MRusso@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
