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Ryan Williams has been appointed to the Escondido Union High School District board of trustees. Courtesy photo
Ryan Williams has been appointed to the Escondido Union High School District board of trustees. Courtesy photo
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EUHSD board appoints Ryan Williams to fill mayor’s former seat

ESCONDIDO — Late last month, the Escondido Union High School District board appointed a new trustee to represent the northeast portion of the district after the seat was left vacant when the previous member was elected the city’s new mayor.

Ryan Williams was unanimously appointed to Trustee Area No. 4 during the Escondido Union High School District board meeting on Jan. 24. Williams replaces Mayor Dane White, who stepped down from the board for his new role as mayor after he was elected in November.

Williams will serve the remaining two years of White’s previous term and plans to run for re-election in 2024.

The new board member has lived in Escondido for 12 years now with his wife, Michelle, and their four young children.

One of the big pulls for him to apply for the board vacancy is his interest in working and mentoring the youth. For years he has mentored teenagers and other young adults both at church and throughout his career.

“I really enjoy being able to mentor the youth of every generation in terms of understanding how to start their lives off with a good trajectory,” Williams said. “When it comes to career development, there are different paths they can take whether it’s college, technical school, starting their own business or however that looks for them.”

With a dual masters in business administration and engineering technology, Williams currently holds a senior role at Hunter Industries, a San Marcos-based company that specializes in irrigation equipment and manufacturing.

Williams has a soft spot for the district’s career and technical education (CTE) programs and hopes to see those tracks continue to flourish.

“There’s a track for everybody,” he said.

In his application, Williams committed himself to helping create a pipeline for students to careers.

“As someone who works for one of the largest local employers, I would be committed to working with local employers and the CTE programs at the district to ensure we are creating a pipeline to real, high-paying local job opportunities,” Williams said in his application.

Williams also noted in his application that he is a strong believer in school choice and believes the district has succeeded in making school choice a district value. He also added that he has experience in budget balancing and fiscal responsibility.

Williams also emphasized putting a focus on improving mental health resources for students in his application.

“The district is doing some innovative work with regards to the wellness centers on our campuses, and I would like to see that continue to grow upon this work to ensure we are meeting the social-emotional needs of our students,” he said.