Dr. Geneva J. Williams to Retire as President & CEO of City Connect Detroit

DETROIT, Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After ten years at the helm, Dr. Geneva J. Williams is retiring as President & CEO of City Connect Detroit, effective March 1, 2011.  She will continue in a consulting role with the agency, while also advising other organizations in the art of collaboration to solve community problems.  Dr. Williams is retiring after a career that spans more than 35 years, primarily with Detroit nonprofit organizations.  

City Connect Detroit marks its tenth anniversary this year, with Dr. Williams as the catalyst behind the success and growth of the organization since the beginning.  City Connect Detroit was established in 2001 by foundations and city officials as a way to link public and private institutions to federal and other national funding.  Under Williams' leadership, City Connect secured more than $114 million in new national, state and foundation funding for community issues; used federal stimulus funding to facilitate public and private partnerships resulting in summer jobs for more than 7,000 teenagers and young adults in 2009; and developed a community campaign that raised more than $1 million to provide work experiences for 600 youth in 2010.

"Dr. Williams is the inspiration and heart and soul of City Connect.  Her dedication to collaboration as a way to change lives and communities is reflected in all that she does.  It has been a privilege to work beside her, being witness to the incredible vision and passion she leads with," said Kenneth L. Lewis, chairman of the City Connect Detroit board of directors and a partner at Plunkett Cooney law firm. "Her intense interest in youth is unparalleled. She recognizes that there's no future unless we develop our young people."

City Connect Detroit Executive Vice President Dierk L. Hall will become Interim President & CEO.  Hall joined City Connect in 2002 and has been intimately involved in the operations of the organization with an emphasis on relationship management and fund development.

"While I will assist with the leadership transition, City Connect has a strong foundation and mission that will continue to transform communities and move Detroit forward for years to come. Dierk and the City Connect team will build upon this momentum, especially in the area of youth employment," said Dr. Williams. "I am excited about City Connect's future, just as I am about the new chapter in my professional life."

Previously, Dr. Geneva J. Williams served as Executive Vice President & COO of United Way Community Services in Detroit and President & CEO of United Community Services of

Metropolitan Detroit.  She earned a Doctor of Education from Wayne State University, a Master of Social Science at Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Research, and a Bachelor

of Arts from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.  Dr. Williams serves on numerous boards and has received a variety of awards and honors, including being named one of Detroit's 100 Most Influential Women by Crain's Detroit Business.

About City Connect Detroit

Celebrating 10 years as an "Architect of Change" in metropolitan Detroit communities, City Connect Detroit (www.cityconnectdetroit.org) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that facilitates public and private sector solutions to community problems and raises funding to support these solutions.  Since its inception, City Connect Detroit has secured more than $114 million for Detroit-area initiatives supporting a wide array of community development projects.

A photo of Dr. Geneva J. Williams is available by e-mailing [email protected] or [email protected].

SOURCE City Connect Detroit

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