Williams holds the position formerly held by Mark Browne, who retired from the city in November after three years.
Williams sat down with Community Impact to introduce himself and talk about his hopes and goals for the city during his time as city manager.
Tell me a little bit about your background. What brings you to Schertz?
I grew up in the North Dallas area, and I went to [the] University of North Texas and got my bachelor’s degree from there as well as a master’s in public administration.
I started out there, wanting to move into city management, and I worked my way into the finance side, so I initially wanted to be a city manager, but was able to find a job as a budget analyst for the city of Dallas and ended up going that path before working my way back into city management.
I have been married going on 30 years this August, and we have four children: a daughter who lives in Washington, D.C.; a son who just graduated from the University of North Texas; a son who goes to Sam Houston State; and a son that is working in the hospitality industry.
Schertz was an exceptional opportunity really. It was an opportunity to serve [in] the city manager role in a growing and dynamic city, but it already has excellent foundations in place as far as the community, the leadership and the staff. That excites me.
What do you see as the current atmosphere of the city and its identity?
Right away, I noticed that it is a very upbeat and a very positive community. People I have met around town, they are welcoming and friendly, and they pretty much accepted me right away.
Even though we are growing, Schertz is still a close community. There are a lot of people that are from here that really identify with the city, and even the people that have moved in, they have a strong Schertz identity, which is really nice.
I think it is one of the best-kept secrets around, because it is in a great place with a lot of things to do, and you still have that small-town feel.
What is the mindset you and staff have when approaching growth?
I have spent almost my entire career in rapid growth. In fact, the last two cities I was in were at one point some of the fastest-growing cities in the country.
Realizing that growth is coming and laying out a course for ensuring that the city is prepared and has a vision is a critical first step. Then, you can really start working towards preparing yourself for that future.
Schertz has done an exceptional job at laying the foundation in both of these areas through the implementation of our strategic and master plans. Keeping focused on our goals will be key as we move into the future.
What do you hope to achieve in this role?
I want to take the city to the next level. Schertz is already a great community and a very well-run municipal organization before I ever got here.
I want to take it to the next level in terms of our staffing, our planning and the way we build a community. I want it to be something that we can all be proud to live in and be part of for generations.
All that being said, from now until the future, I want to be sure that we are giving exceptional customer service and providing exceptional services to our residents. That is what I want to achieve everyday, living up to our motto: “Community. Service. Opportunity.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
