Former Tyler Fire Chief, Neal Franklin is no stranger to Bullard by any means. Living in Tyler with his wife, Valli already working at The Brook Hill School, one son already graduated from the school and two other children still enrolled at the institution.

The five-year fire chief and 23-year fireman has decided to make a change with his recent resignation from the Tyler Fire Department to follow a lifelong dream.

Not a big surprise for the Tyler native, as Franklin has always known he wanted to be a teacher as was his father, Olen Jay was a former teacher and principal of Hogg Middle School in Tyler for several years.

"The support that I got from the city of Tyler over the years has just been great but I have been doing this a long time," Franklin, the Stephen F. Austin graduate said. "I always knew that when I retired from the fire department that I would like to get into teaching and God has blessed me with a great opportunity to work with kid's in a great Christian environment, and God just opened up the doors to make things fall right into place for me."

Franklin will serve as the school's assistant basketball coach, with head coach Wally Dawkins, and will also work in a position of leadership training and character development," said Brook Hill athletic director, David Collins.

We think Neal is a great addition to the staff at Brook Hill," added Collins. "We have been blessed with having quality coaches on staff, and we are glad to have Neal on board.

"He is a proven leader in the community, and a man of high character and he will do a great job for us at Brook Hill," Collins concluded.

After 23-years of working in sometimes life-threatening conditions, you become attached to your 'other family.'

"It's sad to leave my fire department family but they are excited for me and the new direction I have decided to take on, and I will miss them," said Franklin. "I had thought that I would be fire chief along time but when this opportunity came up, we prayed about it as a family and talking long hours with my wife, and we both just felt like this is what God wanted me to do with my life at this point."

Franklin's resignation goes into effect on August 8, and will then immediately step into his new shoes at Brook Hill.

"I was happy where I was at but when this opportunity came up, I just felt it was what I needed to do," Franklin added. "To get to coach and learn from the new basketball coach and long-time friend, Wally Dawkins will be a great experience and I feel like a new recruit, right out of high school I'm so excited about getting started."