Chief Judge Charles E. Williams has joined the board of Embracing Our Differences.
(Sarasota, Florida) Dennis McGillicuddy, co-founder and board chair of Embracing Our Differences, announced recently that the organization has welcomed Chief Judge Charles E. Williams to its board.
Judge Williams is the chief judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit, which includes Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. He graduated from Howard University and the University of Florida College of Law. After a career in the state attorney and public defender’s offices, he went into private law practice. While he was in private practice, he was selected by then Gov. Lawton Chiles to be appointed a Circuit Court judge for the 12th Judicial Circuit. Judge Williams has served on numerous committees and boards and is most proud of his partnerships with the Palmetto Youth Center, Booker High School Law Academy, Florida Studio Theatre and the Sarasota County Bar Association’s Diversity Committee. He is a member of the Florida Bar Jury Innovations Committee and the Florida Bar Trial Court Performance and Accountability Committee. Judge Williams is the recipient of the Sarasota County Branch NAACP’s 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, the 15th Annual Edgar H. Price, Jr. Humanitarian Award, and the 2014 C.L. McKaig Award, in recognition and appreciation of his tireless dedication to promoting the ideals of equality, justice, and professionalism.
Judge Williams also writes, directs, and produces documentary films. His film “Through the Tunnel” won Best Historical Documentary at the DocMiami International Film Festival. His most recent film, “The Enduring Beauty of Memory,” won Best Documentary Film at the 2014 Movieville Film Festival.
Judge Williams says that he is committed “to making this community more diverse and inclusive so that it is reflective of who we are as a people and a country.”
“This outstanding individual joins a team of dedicated people who are united in their commitment to support the needs of Embracing Out Differences, an organization that has represented a vital part of the cultural and social fabric of the region for the past 14 years,” says EOD board president Dennis McGillicuddy.
Embracing Our Differences board of trustees includes Dennis McGillicuddy, chair; Richard Bergman, vice chair; Michael Shelton, secretary/treasurer; and Carol Buchanan, Graci McGillicuddy and John Weber.
For more information about Embracing Our Differences, please call 941-404-5710 or visit www.embracingourdifferences.org.
About Embracing Our Differences
Embracing Our Differences is a not-for-profit organization that uses the transformational power of art and education to celebrate and promote the diversity of the human family. It accomplishes this through an annual, large-scale outdoor juried art exhibition and a comprehensive series of educational initiatives, programs and resources designed for teachers and students. Visit www.embracingourdifferences.org.