BELLE — Emily Williams was appointed on Oct. 25 to the Belle Ward 1 alderman seat that was vacated in July by Jeanette Struemph. The new board member has a dynamic history that reflects a commitment to public service, cultural affairs, and project management.

Williams’ qualifications begin with her career as an executive assistant appointed under former Governor Jay Nixon’s administration. She served as an executive assistant for seven years, fulfilling Sunshine Law requests and making contributions within the Department of Agriculture from 2008 to 2013.

“I am excited and ready to jump in to help with the Sunshine Law,” Williams said, acknowledging the city’s recent problems with allegations of Sunshine Law violations.

In 2013, Williams left the Capital to begin a new role at Missouri S&T as the International and Cultural Affairs senior office support associate until January 2017. During her four years in this position, Williams organized and fostered international relations within academics.

Venturing into the corporate realm in 2017, Williams joined Northern Edge Advisors, a New York-based organization. Over the course of seven years, she has worked as one of two project managers company-wide. According to her online biography, Williams’ role as a project manager has been instrumental in ensuring smooth communication with clients and prospective purchasers. Her responsibilities “extend to overseeing key project-related performance indicators, and tracking adherence to timelines for critical project deliverables.”

She loves that the company’s culture encourages maintaining a keen focus on the work-life balance that the organization values.

Williams said last month that she hopes to become more involved in the community as an alderman. She’s using organization and management skills to assist the city in moving forward.

“We have to keep the city moving forward,” she said emphatically.

She hopes that community engagement will help bring everyone back together and is a key organizer along with City Treasurer Charro Reasor, for the city’s Dec. 16 Old Fashioned Christmas event. She also hopes to be a founding member of the Belle Chamber of Commerce. Williams envisions a forward-moving city that prioritizes community engagement and strategic signage to enhance its identity.

On a personal note, Williams, her husband Joshua Wells, and their family moved to the Belle area from Vienna three years ago. She is a mother to a one-year-old son, a 13-year-old daughter, and a 17-year-old stepson.