Doug Williams to Receive 2024 Golden Deeds for Education Award

Public education advocate Doug Williams, retired Sunnyvale ISD superintendent and TASA past president, has been chosen to join a select group of Texans to receive the Golden Deeds Award, a coveted award for distinguished service to education in the state. Williams will be presented with the award at the 2025 TASA Midwinter Conference on January 27 in Austin.

TASA and the Texas A&M University Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource (EAHR) Development co-present the Golden Deeds Award each year to an individual from any profession who has, through actions and deeds, improved the educational system in Texas to enrich the lives of all Texas public school students. Recipients are chosen by a committee of school leaders from across Texas.

Williams began his career in education more than 30 years ago and has served as a teacher, assistant coach, athletic director, head football coach, and high school principal in a handful of Texas school districts. He led Sunnyvale ISD as superintendent from 2007 until his retirement in 2023.

Williams has also been a strong and vocal advocate on behalf of Texas public schools, serving as TASA's Legislative Committee chair from 2017 to 2019. He served as TASA vice president in 2019-20, as president-elect in 2020-21, and as president in 2021-22.

"Doug Williams has championed the cause of public education from the football field to the Capitol Building," says Matt Kimball, who nominated him for the award. "Known for his innovation and passion, Mr. Williams lead Sunnyvale ISD from a small, young K-12 district to a thriving center of educational transformation and empowerment. Along the way, he enthusiastically championed the work of other districts in the Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Network, the Texas Public Accountability Consortium, and through his advocacy at the State Capitol. Mr. Williams has an infectious energy known by his community, colleagues and leaders around the state. Even in retirement, he continues to mentor leaders, engage in advocating for public education, and has even spent sometime coaching middle school football. In thinking about the Golden Deeds for Education Award, I cannot think of a better representative than Doug Williams. His tireless work for public education teachers, staff and students is unparalleled!"