Conversations with Denise Williams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Williams.

Hi Denise, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
It all started with my grandmother. She was always in the community helping underprivileged children bringing them home from being outside them and fed them.. They didn’t fit well with me. I was a young woman, and I didn’t feel compelled to help doing those things. But my grandmother says you will help so when grandmother spoke, you would do it. We will take children wash their clothes gave them, and as I said, previously see them she was always helping in the community. And I was right along with her so then when I started working at the AF base, I was director of security and I was working briefing, high-level, commanders and generous. But then my 18th year of service I begin to have major issues with my immediate supervisor. I was told I couldn’t really I couldn’t write. I was also told that I needed to be in the back more and not out front mind you I was a supervisor at this time. But they didn’t wanna give me the full control as a supervisor, but they let the white women. Have complete control of supervisory responsibilities. However, I wasn’t offered that opportunity. So I begin to have major problems with my supervisor so I filed an EEO complaint with the AF Base, I was there soon for $5 million by my supervisor nevertheless I was able to resolve it I had to go to court. I had to get an attorney. I was put on medical league for a year behind the stress of it all. My home went into foreclosure, My Car was repossessed. My son was kicked out of daycare and I failed very ill. But when you know God you will lean and depend on him and that’s exactly what I had to do. And let me tell you I prevailed significantly by the grace of God (QUICK vs UNITED STATES, AIR FORCE).. upon my retirement in 2013. I retired with honors, but I have to retirement. I wanted to start my own mediation business, but to my surprise, God had another plan and the community voted me in as the president of NAACP so I’m doing God‘s work and until he’s ready for me to take a seat, his spirit will let me

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it hasn’t been always smooth as I described in my last statement how rough it was for me at my 18th year of service at the Air Force Base. Racism was a struggle for me mainly but when I came back to work after being off on medical league for almost a year, the Bass offered me a promotion so I came back and from there my career zoomed to the top and I had a wonderful career and bosses and mentors after that most difficult time of my entire career

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve been told that I have a gift of chatter. I love to meet people where they are. I love to sit down and have the hardest discussions that anybody could have and that is racism. Helping people who felt like they have been discriminated against helping people to understand where they are. How can I get out of certain situations? I have realized my calling Being the president of NAACP and a mediator is exactly my calling.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I would like to advise those who are starting out in their career. Keep push, pushing keep looking forward never look back and never give up.

I would contribute my work ethics to my parents to my parents.. they taught me how to meet people where they are. They taught me how to read a room. They taught me everything I know on how to deal with people in general plus working at the Air Force Base was proven to be the school of hard knocks so I have been under my parents tutelages my entire life until their passing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.naacpspringfieldohio.com/