Travis Anderson has been named as the new principal at William
Byrd High School, effective July 1. He will replace Tammy Newcomb, who recently was named
as the new executive director of administration for RCPS.
principal at William Byrd High School. (photo by Debbie Adams)
Anderson grew up in Mechanicsville. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a
Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Virginia Tech, and a Master’s Degree in
Educational Leadership from Radford University.
He began his career with Roanoke County Public Schools in 2012 as a math teacher (mainly
geometry) at Cave Spring High School. In 2018, he became the testing coordinator at William
Byrd High School. In 2020, he was named as an assistant principal at WBHS.
As for how he came to be a Byrd, “I heard from a good friend how great the school was, so I
jumped at the chance to be able to follow him here. I’d heard that the WBHS area is a very close
community, much like my hometown I grew up in.”
As for his special interests, Anderson loves Hokie football and seldom misses a home game; in
fact, he estimates that he has only missed three or four games since 1996.
He and his wife, Christine, have four children, a 2-year-old, 6-year-old twins, and an 8-year-old.
They are active members of Clearbrook Baptist Church. Despite his job responsibilities,
Anderson says the family does find time for board games and puzzles in the evenings and many
church activities.
Anderson has been the coordinator for the school on the renovation and expansion project that
will be completed later this month, with students fully returning to the building for classes on
April 1 after spring break.
“Mrs. Newcomb is leaving the school in a good place,” Anderson said. “I will still turn to her for
support and advice in her new role at central office. I love working with the William Byrd
students and the community, and I am excited for the new opportunity to lead in this community.
There is a lot of positive history and tradition to build on.”
“Mr. Anderson joined the Terrier community five years ago and immediately immersed himself
into the school and community,” said Newcomb. “His commitment to teaching and learning is
something that sets him apart, but his work ethic is unmatched. He has been an integral part of
the construction project and without him I’m not sure how we would have navigated the Covid
years. The WBHS staff and students are in good hands. I’m excited for Mr. Anderson and look
forward to working with him in his new role.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Travis Anderson brought in as an assistant principal and grow in
this role,” said School Board representative Tim Greenway. “The teachers at Byrd have nothing
but rave reviews to say about him and sing his praises every day. He has managed our two-year
renovation on a day-to-day basis with very little supervision. I have no doubt Travis will serve
our community well and be a valued leader at William Byrd.”
The School Board also selected Phillip Martin as the new supervisor of social studies for
Roanoke County Public Schools. He is from Botetourt County and graduated from Roanoke
Catholic School, where he was a standout in basketball. He also played basketball at Radford
University where he earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and social sciences. He went
on to receive his graduate degree from Radford in Educational Leadership. His wife is also an
educator, teaching English and history.
Martin joined RCPS in 2020 as a dean at William Byrd High School, following nine years of
teaching experience in Roanoke City Public Schools at John P. Fishwick Middle School (U.S.
History) and at Patrick Henry High School (World History and World Religions).
In 2022, Martin was named as an assistant principal at WBHS.
~Roanoke County Schools and Vinton Messenger staff report
