Thomasville Middle School

Taylor Williams was appointed by the Thomasville City Council as the newest member of the Thomasville City Board of Education. He replaces Dr. Jerry Schreiner.
“Public Education is very important to me,” Williams said. “I believe it is probably the greatest asset we have other than our churches to help teach our kids how to be successful in life. In the public schools you have children from all walks of life, and it teaches you how to interact with people who may not be just like you, the same as when you go out and get a job later in life. 
“I had great teachers all the way through Thomasville City School from first grade until I graduated, but probably my most influential teachers were my high school football coaches: Stacy Luker, Jack Hankins, Pat Thompson, Clint Anderson, and Shannon Felder. I have lifelong relationships with these men that I can never replace. 
“They were very strong disciplinarians and taught us that you have to work hard to achieve your goals,” Williams said. “I can still call any of them today for advice or just to talk. They are like a father figure for a lot of kids and could be the only guidance some kids receive. I truly believe they do not get the recognition they deserve. Sports and many other extracurricular activities in school help keep kids in school and out of trouble. I know it did for me, and I saw it first hand with a lot of the kids that I went to school with.”
Williams was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated from Thomasville High School in 2002. “I then went to Alabama Southern Community College for three semesters, before deciding that college wasn’t for me, and I started my career in the construction industry,” he said. “I currently work in the Maintenance Dept. at International Paper in Pine Hill.”
Williams’ wife Beth is a fourth grade teacher at Thomasville Elementary School. “My wife and I have been married for almost 15 years. We have three children: Brayden (12-years-old); Mary Kendyl (11-years old); and our great surprise, Kallee (three-years-old). 
In accepting the school board appointment, Williams believes he is making a commitment to the Thomasville community. “My father (Mike Williams), who has passed now, always gave his time,” he said. “He was very good at building things and took great pride in it. He did not have lots of money to donate, but he did have his time here on earth and he donated it. 
“He had access to all types of equipment, and if you look around the school and the city of Thomasville, there are so many things that he helped build. I don’t have the access to all the things he did, and I don’t have great wealth, but what I do have is time. So I felt that serving on the school board is one way I could give of my time to try and serve my community the best way I know how. At the end of the day, it’s about helping our kids succeed.
“…The school system impacts the community greatly,” Williams said. “When a family first looks to move to an area, the first thing they look at is what kind of school system does the community have. If you don’t have a great school system with a great reputation, that family will look somewhere else. Teachers are the key to a great school system, and they need an administration that will support them. That is why it is so important to have a school system with great teachers and great leaders.”
Williams will serve on his first Thomasville school board meeting in July 2021.
His spare time also seems to be very busy. “I like to hunt and fish, and I play a little golf,” he said. “I really enjoy coaching my kids whether it’s football, baseball, soccer or any other sport they decide to play. I also serve as a Deacon at Thomasville Baptist Church, and I am also a member of the Thomasville Volunteer Fire Department.”