Wellton PD’s Williams will join school board

Wellton Police Department’s David Williams will soon take an additional oath of office – this time as an incoming member of the Wellton Elementary School District governing board.

Williams fills a preexisting vacancy on the East County governing board, which pursuant to state law required Yuma County Schools Superintendent Tom Tyree to appoint a qualified candidate to assume the position until the 2022 general election.

According to Tyree, Williams’ responsibilities as executive assistant to Wellton Police Chief David Rodriguez (who also serves on the governing board) will seamlessly translate into his role as school district governing board member, espousing stability and a team mentality.

“Because of his role as the executive assistant to the chief of police, (Williams) is responsible for the financial administration of a fairly large budget of both state and federal grants, and is responsible for the development and organization of the budget for the police department – meaning he’s got a real strong financial background that, I think, will come in handy for any person on the governing board,” Tyree said. “Another thing is that, in the position he’s in, he’s a member of a team. His ability to successfully function in that type of environment will serve him well on the governing board.”

Williams, who will be officially sworn in during the board’s next meeting, also serves as the police department’s patrol support and animal control officer as well as the technician who maintains records and evidence.

A husband and father of three, Williams settled in Yuma County about 18 years ago by way of Pensacola,

Florida. With its smaller size and quieter pace of life compared to other corners of the county, Williams said Wellton – as well as its elementary school – feels like home.

“It’s a small town with a small town mentality where everybody knows everybody – you have that sense of unity, and if something tragic happens, the community comes together and tries to help you through it,” he said. “At the school, I feel comfortable talking to the principal and the superintendent and the teachers. The teachers keep us well informed (as parents) on what’s going on and we’re able to communicate directly with them if we have questions.”

Williams’ new role will be a learning experience for him, he said, as this is his first-ever stint on a governing board; but, fellow board members, parents, teachers and other stakeholders can count on him to be present at every meeting and actively engaged in the district’s goings-on.

“I’ll be there every month,” he said. “Any extra meetings or extra activities the school puts on, I’ll be there to support them.”

With his background, Williams is skilled in “keeping a steady head and seeing the totality of what’s going on before making any kind of decisions,” which he feels may serve the board well.

“I know I’ll be able to help out when it comes to budget talks, reviewing the budget and making sure it’s balanced,” he added. “I’m there to be supportive and keep an open mind and make sure things keep going the way they are, because I think everyone’s doing a really good job of running the school.”

As an officer, Williams also hopes to continue fostering positive relationships between community members and law enforcement. While the tension that exists between the two entities in larger metropolitan areas as of late is not true of the town of Wellton, Williams indicated that he desires to continue educating the community – namely its younger members – on the importance of the law and good citizenship.

“I don’t see it being an issue in Wellton; I don’t see it being a huge issue in Yuma County. There are frequent flyers who don’t like law enforcement, but there’s a reason they don’t like law enforcement: they’re always in trouble,” he said. “For the most part, we have a very good following here; we don’t have any naysayers or anybody that’s totally against us. I, along with everybody in the department, always want to be a positive influence – we don’t want to come across as negative or trying to hold anybody down. We try to be as helpful as possible.”

“We’re more on the line of education than just trying to issue citations and take people to jail and keeping people in the court systems – we don’t want that for people if at all possible,” he added. “We try to be a positive influence, especially with the younger generation – we don’t want to mess up the younger generation before they actually have a chance to learn from their mistakes. Just a little bit of education can go a long way.”

Williams now translates that same perspective to the Wellton Elementary School District governing board, where he aims to continue creating an impact for the better.

“I try to live my life the best way that I can and be a positive role model for everybody I come in contact with,” he said. “As a member of a board, I’m just one person. I’ll bring positivity to it and hope that people will follow that positivity.”