Dr. Ben Burnett, left, visits with two-time WCU alumnus "Trey" Folse.
Two-time William Carey University alumnus W.L. “Trey” Folse has accepted a position as assistant state superintendent of system relationships at the Louisiana Department of Education, where he is leading teams and assisting districts as they reopen and adapt amid the COVID pandemic.
Before starting his new job on July 1, Folse was superintendent of St. Tammany Parish Schools and was named “Superintendent of the Year” in 2017.
Folse earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the WCU School of Education in 1983 and 1985.
“A variety of things attracted me to William Carey, beginning with the opportunity to receive a strong Christian education. The university has a reputation for a caring and supportive faculty, staff, and administration. Those support systems meant so very much to me, as well as the chance to play college basketball on the NAIA level,” Folse said.
“During my 35 years of service in public education, there have been many daily decisions that I make that are influenced by the time I spent at William Carey, as a student, and as a graduate assistant coach. I learned valuable life lessons at the university.
“My teachers and coaches, especially Coach Stephenson, Coach Halford, and Coach Knight, as well as my teammates and classmates, all had a tremendous impact on my life, personally and professionally. I am forever grateful for their being positive role models and providing guidance during formative years in my life.”
Folse and his wife Patty (also a teacher) have four children, Will, Abby, Jack, and David, and three grandchildren, Jacob, Sophie, and Davis.