Following weeks of protests, the city of Akron, Ohio, called for a day of mourning on July 13. That Wednesday, residents paid their respects at the funeral for Jayland Walker, who was shot more than 60 times by police officers \u2014 which had prompted angry citizens to take to the streets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was Joan Williams \u201984, chief of staff for the Akron City Council, who was behind the scenes suggesting the protesters \u201cpause \u2026 and allow the family to put their loved one to rest.\u201d Williams says, \u201cWe need to do some reflection on what we as a city have lost in this whole process and say, \u2018Time out. We want justice, but we can take this time, lower the temperature, and have a moment of reflection.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Williams was just a few weeks shy of wrapping up her first year as the council chief of staff when the incident occurred. As the first person to ever hold the position, she\u2019s been defining the role by leaning into the skills she\u2019s developed throughout her 30-plus-year career in community healing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A sociology major at Colgate, Williams earned her MS from SUNY Brockport and started her career by working in foster care. She then became a case worker for Special Services for Children and simultaneously earned her MSW from Columbia University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, she accepted even more responsibility as director of a residential group home program throughout Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Long Island. One of the highlights of this role was when she took six youths to Zambia on a community service trip. The group brought donated toys and clothing to distribute at an orphanage. They also had the opportunity to meet the U.S. ambassador to Zambia. \u201cThe trip was very impactful, not only for them, but also for me \u2014 to see the transformation of young people when they got to experience something out of their norm,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2000, Williams felt like her \u201ctime was up [in that job], and I couldn\u2019t do it anymore,\u201d she says. Several youths had died; one was hit by a car, another was shot at point blank range in the middle of the night. Williams had to identify the murdered teen\u2019s body, which traumatized her. \u201cWe create a system to protect people, but it wasn\u2019t protecting people, because I couldn\u2019t keep this 14-year-old off the street,\u201d she says. \u201cIt cost him his life because he didn\u2019t have the internal controls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After taking a break, Williams \u2014 who had been ordained in 1999 \u2014 decided to pursue ministry full time and joined Bethel Gospel Assembly in New York City. As executive director of the church\u2019s counseling center and food pantry, her accomplishments included increasing the volunteer base by 600%; growing the budget by $300,000; helping to provide meals to 45,000 people; and writing grants, securing the church\u2019s first state grant at $25,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although she had measurable success in her nearly two decades with the church and the work gave her great joy, Williams felt hamstrung. \u201cThe laws and regulations we had to work under constrained us from meeting needs in real time,\u201d she says. \u201cAs a small organization, I was competing with the big, well-known organizations for dollars.\u201d So Williams decided to go into government in 2018. \u201cI wanted to be at a place where I could impact the laws from the high place,\u201d she says. Williams was hired by Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio to become the community outreach coordinator. It meant she had to leave New York City, where she\u2019d lived her whole life, and move to Akron. Transitioning into that new cultural context, Williams approached it \u201cfrom the point of view of learning, building relationships, and still trying to facilitate change,\u201d she says, \u201cbut doing it in another way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of 2020, Fudge was nominated for secretary of housing and urban development, and Williams joined the Akron City Council in summer 2021. The job has required Williams to help solve unprecedented needs right from the start. For example, shortly after assuming the role, she coordinated the city\u2019s multisite distribution of COVID-19 at-home tests.
\u201cAs my role has been added,\u201d she says, \u201cthe council\u2019s capacity to do certain things has enlarged.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her responsibilities also include communications and answering constituent correspondence, which has involved finding new ways for the council to engage a larger cohort. Bridging the distance between the people of Akron and the city\u2019s administrative leaders, Williams feels she can make \u201creal, tangible change.\u201d In addition, as an African American woman, she\u2019s contributing solutions to the city\u2019s problems with racism, which the mayor declared \u201ca public health crisis\u201d in 2020. \u201cThere are a lot of issues around equity,\u201d Williams says. \u201c[And] the African American population is underrepresented in government. I get to be a Black woman in government, translate things, and challenge people on perceptions [as well as] approaches to implementing laws and even forming policy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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