SDOC Assistant Superintendent of HR announces Retirement

Earnestine Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the School District of Oconee County (SDOC), has decided to retire from the school district at the end of the 2017-18 school year. Williams started her career as a first grade teacher at Pendleton Elementary in 1986. She left Pendleton in 2000 to teach first and second grade at Code Elementary in Seneca where she taught for current school board chairman, Andy Inabinet. Williams credits Inabinet with preparing her to be an administrator. In 2002, Williams returned to Pendleton Elementary as an assistant principal, but that assignment lasted only one year. In 2003, she came back to Oconee County as principal at J. N. Kellett Elementary. The final transition for Mrs. Williams took place in 2007 when she became the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resouces for the district – the position that she has held since. SDOC Superintendent Dr. Michael Thorsland says that Williams has a side that most people don’t know. “Mrs. Williams is always cheerful and friendly with people in public, but I’ve seen her be as tough as nails when hard conversations needed to be had. Directing an HR office in an organization of over 1,500 employees is tough, but Mrs. Williams has done it with skill and grace. She will be missed greatly!” During seven of her years in human resouces, Mrs. Williams worked for Dr. Mike Lucas when he served as superintendent. In somewhat of an ironic change, Dr. Lucas is now back with the district working for Mrs. Williams. He commented, “Mrs. Williams impressed me from the first time I visited her as the principal of J. N. Kellett Elementary. She came around the corner and had a group of young students that she mentored each school day. She wanted to make sure these were successful, so she started her day with them before they went to class. She’s always been about what’s best for students, and I knew she would be the person to help us with finding the right staff members to focus on students and the learning in the district. So, it’s with mixed emotions that I congratulate her on a long and wonderful career as an educator.”