Kim Williams has been a steady part of West Lee Middle School for the last 20+ years since taking over as the school's Data Manager. Williams has a long history in Lee County Schools having served in three different roles prior to taking her current position as Data Manager. In all, she has served students as an In-School Suspension Instructor, Bus Driver, Media Assistant and Office Assistant. While West Lee has been her career home for more than two decades, she says in some ways it feels longer, and really it has, because she was a student at West Lee Junior High the second year it was open.
Q: What originally drew you to Lee County Schools? What has kept you here all these years?
Williams: "Hillcrest Youth Home is the job I had before coming to West Lee. It had fluctuating hours and coming to the school system worked better for me and my family especially considering my son was in elementary school."
Q: Can you describe the sense of community within the district and how it has contributed to your longevity here?
Williams: "My sense of community and belonging as it pertains to West Lee Middle School. I think it was in 2008 or 2009 our school mascot was changed to the Lions Pride. What the Lions Pride represents is the best description of my feelings for my School. As a student I was proud to be a West Lee Junior High Yellow Jacket and I'm equally as proud to be a member of the West Lee Middle School Lions Pride!"
Q: As you reflect on your time in Lee County Schools, what are you most proud of?
Williams: "I have a cork wall in my office. On my Pride Wall I have 11yrs of Staff pictures, there's thank you notes, kids drawings, some trinkets and a few photos of my work family past and present. Everything that wall represents is what I'm most proud of!"
Q: If there is one thing you could tell future employees about this district, what would it be?
Williams: "Wooo...only one thing, that's a hard one. Okay so I'm Southern and Country AND everything comes with a foundational story before getting to the answer. It was an unnerving timeframe because as a District we'd just gone through a lot of Staff cuts. When I was presented with the job of Data Manager I had to go to DPI for 4 days of training. While I was training in Raleigh one of the Assistant Principals at the time was Mr. Williams (no relation) was working to get our students scheduled. He could've left it for me to do considering it was my job and he'd been switched to another school, but he didn't. He told me he was going to finish it and he was a man of his word. So my answer is, do the job! When the job is everything you hoped and dreamed it would be and when it's not, do the job because the job you do makes a difference! In my 20+ years I've worked with many Mr. Williams'.
The District hires many people with that type of work ethic. Future employees find that person, connect with them and glean everything you can from them! And when the time comes become that person for someone else. Have I lived up to it...I show up and try."