The Warren County Public Schools Board of Education will welcome a new member next month following an appointment by Kentucky Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis.

Lloyd H. Williford, a local financial adviser, was announced Thursday by board Chairman Kerry Young during the board’s monthly meeting. Williford fills a seat vacated by former board member Don Basham.

“My interest is I want to give back to the community,” said Williford, who has worked for the Edward Jones investing firm for 20 years.

“The community has served me well. I love the people here. I love the challenge, and so I want to give back to the community,” he said.

Williford has deep roots in Bowling Green. After moving here in 1968 with his family, his father began developing athletic opportunities for young people.

“He felt like children needed something to do,” Williford said, adding his father worked with officials to help create Warren County Parks and Recreation. “They built little leagues and other ball fields and of course that has expanded over the years.”

Williford is the second appointment made by Lewis this year, who stepped in to fill seats left open after the resignations of Becky Evans and Basham. Kevin Jackson, a Smiths Grove native with more than 30 years of education and coaching experience, was sworn in to fill Evans’ seat in October after being appointed to the post. Williford’s appointment restores the board to its full five members.

Williford will likely be sworn in early next month. While serving on a board of education can be challenging, Williford feels he’s up to the task because he already knows a few of the board members currently serving.

In other business, the board advanced a project to replace Cumberland Trace Elementary School by approving early schematic designs.

Borrowing heavily from the T-shaped design of Jennings Creek Elementary School, board members reviewed a rough blueprint and computer renderings that show two classroom wings and a media center facing Cumberland Trace Road and Interstate 65.

“We can still change the facade of the structure, but the overall concept structurally of how it would look on the property is what they approved tonight,” said Chris McIntyre, the district’s chief financial officer.

In September, the board approved Sherman Carter Barnhart as its architect firm and Alliance Corp. as construction manager of the roughly $20 million project. McIntyre previously told the Daily News the construction is expected to begin next spring and take about 15 to 18 months.