DUBLIN, Ga. — Dublin City School's Superintendent Fred Williams was named the 2024 Georgia Superintendent of the Year, according to a Facebook post from the district.
Now, Williams will be in the running for the national School Superintendent of the Year, which will be announced in February.
“This high honor is extremely humbling yet exciting,” Williams said on the district's Facebook page. “I am so proud of how this recognition speaks to the work of the internal and external stakeholders of Dublin City Schools. Thank you so much for all you do!!! I love you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
The Georgia School Superintendents Association named Williams at its winter conference in Atlanta on Thursday.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp extended his congratulations to Williams.
"Congratulations to Dr. Fred Williams, Georgia’s Superintendent of the Year!" Kemp said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. "This is a well deserved honor, and we thank you for all you do to support the success of Dublin City’s students."
Serving as the district's superintendent since 2015, Williams believes the district can prepare “all students to be effective communicators, problem solvers and lifelong learners,” his bio on the school's website says.
Under his tenure, the district has seen its high school graduation rate soar 25.2 points, with the class of 2022 boasting a 95.5% graduation rate. The district says it has been outperforming the state since 2017.
The Dublin City School District oversees five schools with seven different campuses, according to the district's annual report. The district has 350 employees serving 2,284 students.
But even before becoming the district's superintendent, Williams was no stranger to the district.
He first joined the district in 1993 as a physical education teacher at Susie Dasher Elementary School. He also served as coach of Dublin High School's football team.
But it's not the first time Williams has been in the running for Superintendent of the Year. In fact, last year Williams was named as a finalist for the award, the district says.
When he was named a finalist last year, Williams told 13WMAZ that he focuses on making a difference in the lives of young people.
"You must realize that it's not about you, it's about serving other people," Williams said. "You must have resiliency, and you must be willing to make the decisions that are the right decisions for young people,"
Central Georgia has a track record of Georgia Superintendent of the Year honorees.
In 2018, Bibb County Superintendent Curtis Jones was honored, and in 2022, Baldwin County's Superintendent Noris Price was selected by the Georgia School Superintendents Association.
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