Daniel Williams, Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate

Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted.

Daniel Williams

Lake Wales City Commission

Seat 2 Candidate

Hello my name is Daniel Williams, I'm 47 years old an a native of Lake Wales, Florida. I graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1991 and went on to attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I graduated from "The Peay" in 1996 with a double major in Political Science and African-American Studies. While in Tennessee, I met and married my beautiful wife of 24 years, Dezonia Williams. Together we have two wonderful children, Danielle and Deyzon Williams as well as a host of spiritually adopted children through the foster care system.

I moved my family back to Florida in 2003, in order to serve alongside my father in ministry, Bishop Roscoe Williams, III. Upon my return to my childhood home, I began working as a Youth Pastor, which afforded my wife and I the opportunity to pour into numerous youth in the community where I was born and also inspire and mentor several Webber International University students. During that time, I established relationships with young adults who have become a part of our family as we continue to help guide them and their young families.

I was born with a heart to serve and from my days as a youth working beside my father, community cleanups, youth rallies, and block parties have been just a few of the ways I've been able to do that. I have worked in child welfare for a period of 21 years. During my time in Tennessee, I was a juvenile probation officer, and after moving back home to Florida, I became a DCF supervisor before moving on to Heartland for Children as the Independent Living Program Manager, helping youth age out of foster care and become self-sufficient adults.

As an adult, I continued to serve and encourage young people to serve as well by participating in the Lake Wales Stay At Home Work camps and the Thanksliving camps with members of our ministry's youth department. My efforts to serve the Greater Lake Wales area continue to this day through the ministry I pastor. Under my leadership, we serve underprivileged families by providing food each week as well as purchasing Christmas and Thanksgiving gifts or supplies for those families. I also lead initiatives each year to make sure our city's youth have what they need to be successful in school and have positive interactions. Our Back to School Shoe Drive and Virtual Victory Tablet Drive are two examples of initiatives. Since the onset of the COVID pandemic, I have served the elderly by picking up supplies and delivering to them so they can remain safely in their homes.

I've served as Chair of Independent Living Advisory Committee with Heartland for Children for 8 years. I'm a member of our local NAACP branch, a board member at the Lake Wales Care Center, member of Lake Wales Ministerial Alliance and previous president and current board member of the Highland Crest Homeowners Association.

Therefore, I'm running for Lake Wales city commission, seat 2 district 19. It is my desire to assist the City of Lake Wales in becoming the greatest place a person could ever live.

I will accomplish this by ensuring that our city is connected to all of its communities and their cultures and by reestablishing VALUES & a VISION for our city. My areas of focus for our city will be Redevelopment of the Lake Wales Connected Plan, Business & Economic Development, At-Risk Youth Initiatives and Family First Programs.

I have always had a strong desire to build and encourage youth because they are tomorrow's leaders, but I also desire to help adults of all ages by helping them obtain the knowledge and/or resources they need to become successful and productive citizens of our great city.

I am seeking to continue my service to all the citizens of our awesome city by running for Lake Wales City Commission, Seat 2, District 19. It is my desire to assist the City of Lake Wales in becoming the greatest place in which a person could ever live by LISTENING, LEARNING & LOVING and working tirelessly to ensure that our city is connected to all of its communities and their cultures and by reestablishing VALUES & VISION for our city.

On April 6, please come out and cast your vote for Daniel Williams. Thank you and God bless!