Mark Williams Aims to Lead District 55 With Compassion, Vision

Mark Williams, 43, is campaigning against incumbent Gloria Butler to represent Georgia State Senate District 55.

Before throwing his hat into the political ring, Williams was, and is, a high school counselor.

He has always had a compassionate, caring heart.  He mentored kids and teens while he was still in high school and continued to do so for years. Despite his passion for helping others, he first chose a career in corporate America as an accountant after attending Morehouse College.  

“I realized after nearly a decade that I was living for that Saturday to work with those kids,” Williams said.

So, in 1998 he went back to school. He graduated from Auburn University with a graduate degree in counseling.

Steen Kirby, an politically active 16-year-old who has known Williams since 2010, is helping him with his campaign. Kirby served as the political director for High School Democrats of Georgia (2011-March 2012) and is a precinct captain.

“Williams genuinely cares about the people in the community,” said Kirby. “He isn't in politics for himself. He just wants to help the community.”

Williams has been pounding the pavement for months now in an effort to reach out to voters and share his vision for the district.  He is married with one son; both his wife, Lisa Holder, and son are very supportive and excited about Williams' new direction.  

Snellville Patch spoke with Williams last week about his campaign and background.

Snellville Patch: Why did you decide to campaign for political office?

Williams: When I first moved here in 2004, I looked up who was in charge. We had some issues with the school system back then, so I decided first to run for school board. While I was campaigning, I saw [Gloria Butler] and asked if she could come out and meet with some people ...  After meeting her, I said to myself that if I didn't win the school board race I would run against her.

I learned a long time ago that I'm not going to sit around and complain about what someone is not doing if I'm not going to step up to the plate.

Snellville Patch: What do you think are the biggest issues facing District 55?

Williams: The biggest issue is that there is a lack of leadership. Some of the issues I would like to see addressed are our public safety and improved education. We need to come up with a plan to address the achievement gap.

Another issue is I think there is a lack of aesthetics in our area. When you look around, we have infrastructure that's failing us. There are businesses in the same strip that have different facades. It's not like in Suwanee or Buford where it looks unified.

Really though, it's just whatever people need. There are people with real life issues, quality of life issues.  I want to meet whatever the needs are.

I spoke with a lady recently who was in a wheelchair up by a Snellville middle school, and she needed a sidewalk put in. Those are the things we forget about as politicians.

Snellville Patch: What do you think sets you apart from the incumbent?

Williams: The skill set I bring is my counseling background. Not just my ability to listen, but my ability to effectively communicate. You need to be able to assess the needs of the community and implement programs for improvement.

For example, I've met some people who are upset with the trash program in Gwinnett. That's something I would like to see addressed. I'm motivated by what I don't see happening in the community.   

For more information, visit Williams' website.