TCA’s New Head of School Returns to His Alma Mater

Williams comes from a career in counseling, educational leadership

Dr. Jeff Williams is back spending his weekdays at Trinity Christian Academy for the first time since his high school graduation in 1988 — this time as head of school.

Throughout his career, Williams knew he wanted to return to TCA, but he didn’t know in what capacity; grandparent, board member, or his dream job of head of school all would have fit the bill, he said. In January 2021, a board member informed him that the campus’ top spot was open, and once he landed it, he headed back to Dallas.

“Through different seasons of my life and what God has taught me through my journey, he’s birthed in me a love for Christian education, and with that, there’s been a part of my heart, it’s hard to explain honestly, but there’s been this burning in my heart that I always felt like I was going to come back to TCA,” Williams said.

Williams started in July as head of school and has spent his first semester focusing on building relationships by working carpool lines, visiting classrooms, attending campus events, meeting parents, and taking steps to become a familiar face.

“Some people are ready for change, some people are not quite ready yet, and so I just feel the better job I do of building relationships and trust with folks, that’s really my main goal this year,” Williams said.

Before returning to TCA, Williams was head of school at King’s Ridge Christian School in Alpharetta, Georgia for five years and head of school at Second Baptist School in Houston. 

He ran a private practice as a psychotherapist for 15 years before tapping into education. As part of his practice, he worked alongside Second Baptist School doing consulting work and then joined its staff after discovering his passion for working with students.

“I would say [my] background in counseling has been incredibly helpful for me in the work that I do because I’m basically counseling all day long working with faculty and staff and families and community members,” Williams said.

As a TCA alumnus, he understands the importance of solid relationships with faculty. In his sophomore year, his coach encouraged him to use his gift of leadership to lead selflessly after he was on a success high.

“That is a perfect example of some of my greatest memories,” Williams said. “It was a hard conversation, and this guy could have easily not had the conversation with me, but had he not, who knows the trajectory of my leadership at that point.”

While navigating his first year on campus, Williams’ main goals are to update some of the campus buildings following wear and tear and to create a space where the entire student body can fit into one room. His greatest goal is to “fulfill the mission at the highest level of excellence” to continue improving TCA.

“I believe every school should be college preparatory,” Williams said. “We want to be life preparatory – prepare kids for life, whatever God has called them to do.”