Frederica Williams
Frederica M. Williams, MBA, FCIS (born 1958) has served as the President and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center in Boston, Massachusetts since 2002. She was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Her family is from the Krio tribe (Sierra Leone Creole people). She is the third child of the late Matilda Effeh Williams,[1] an entrepreneur and philanthropist, and Emeric A. Williams, Sr., Deputy General Manager of the Sierra Leone External Communications.
Education and Career
Williams attended the London School of Accountancy, passed the examinations of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, United Kingdom and was elected fellow of the Institute. She obtained a graduate certificate in Administration and Management from the Harvard University Extension School and a Master in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts. She also passed the exams of the Institute of Administrative Management (UK) with distinction and has participated in several Executive Education programs at the Harvard University Business School.[2]
She moved from London, UK to Boston in 1984 and worked at various hospitals until joining Whittier Street Health Center in February 2002 as President and CEO. In addition to fostering an environment of proactive health care and energizing a community, Williams has brought sound financial stewardship to Whittier to ensure that the services and resources offered by Whittier will be available for generations to come. Since Williams began at Whittier, the number of people served has increased from 5,000 to 25,000 in 2012 and her vision is to serve 40,000 by 2017.[3]
Under Williams’ direction, Whittier has embarked upon a community outreach campaign, which has included hosting New England’s largest men’s health summit, making health care practitioners available at local houses of worship, and providing residents of public housing with on-site access to health screenings. Under her leadership, the health center also built its first permanent 78,900-square foot, Silver LEED-certified health facility in 2012, with the capacity to provide 220,000 visits annually, and, in 2015, it inaugurated its innovative Health and Wellness Institute to help address chronic diseases in inner-city Boston and to provide affordable access to a state of the art exercise facility and community garden for thousands of residents and patients in need. [4]
Awards and Citations
- 2015: The Boston Business Journal: Power 50 List,
- 2015: The Boston Business Journal, Transformations: Meet the Men and Women Reshaping Views and Impressions of Greater Boston's Real Estate Landscape,
- 2015: Globe Magazine Awards Whittier Top Women Led Businesses in MA,
- 2014: The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute, Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts Award
- 2013: Commonwealth Compact, Diversity Stand-Out Award
- 2013: National Black MBA Association, Nonprofit Diversity Trailblazer
- 2013: Volunteers of America, Susan Wornick and Myrna Billian Community Leadership Award
- 2012: White House Communications Agency for exceptional community service
- 2011: The Network Journal, 25 Influential Black Women in Business
- 2011: Pinnacle Award by the Women’s Network of the Boston Chamber of Commerce
- 2011: Bill and Kerry Brett. Boston, Inspirational Women
- 2010: Community Leadership Award from the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians
- 2010: Boston Business Journal, Health Champion Award for Community Outreach
- 2010: Massachusetts League of Community Health Center’s Outstanding Massachusetts Health Center Executive Director Award
- 2009: The WMJX-106.7FM’s Exceptional Women in Healthcare Award
- 2009: Profiles in Diversity Journal, Women Worth Watching
- 2008: Women Business Magazine, Top 10 Heroes Award
- 2008: University of Massachusetts-Boston, Robert H. Quinn Award for Community Leadership
Memberships
Williams is a Trustee of Eversource Energy (formerly Northeast Utilities), New England’s largest energy provider in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. She is also a Member of the Board of Trustees for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Boston HealthNet, Women Business Leaders in Health Care, the Massachusetts Women’s Forum, and the International Women’s Forum . [5]
References
- ↑ Virtual Memorials: Matilda Effeh Williams
- ↑ 25 Influential Black Women in Business Class of 2011
- ↑ Howard Manly. “Second to None,” Exhale
- ↑ James H. Burnett. "Champions of Diversity Frederica Williams" Boston Globe, 9 December 2012.
- ↑ Bloomberg Businessweek Executive Profile