Newly appointed Westgate High School Principal Percy Williams Jr., has hit the ground running in his new role, and said he is excited about the upcoming school year.

Williams was appointed to the role by the Iberia Parish School Board following longtime Principal Neely Moore’s promotion to assistant superintendent of the Iberia Parish School District.

Williams, a member of the first graduating class of Westgate back in 2002, said that the appointment was an unexpected but exciting one.

“It was surreal (when I was named principal),” Williams said. “It was unexpected.”

The new principal is a Southern University graduate of 2011 who started his teaching career at Northwest High School followed by five years at St. Martinville Senior High.

He then became assistant principal at Anderson Middle School and then assistant principal at Westgate for a year.

Williams said he has been busy with the transitioning process and prepping for the new year. The help of Moore and the supportive staff at Westgate has made the experience a positive one, he said.

“I’ve already started kind of transitioning,” he said. “I’m excited, there’s going to be some changes that are going to occur but I feel good about it and the staff has been very supportive. That always helps.”