HD 165 (D-Midway)

Al Williams can be described as a devoted family man, dedicated church leader, military veteran, businessman, and State Representative of House District 165. A friend of hard working people in Georgia, Al Williams was sworn in among the 52 freshmen members of the 180‑member House of Representatives on January 13, 2003. He became the first African American from his home county to be elected state representative since Reconstruction and only the second to hold a legislative seat from the tri‑county area of Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh since that time. He has recently been elected to his second term in the state House.

Al Williams is an active member of one of the largest classes of incoming state legislators in the state’s history. Along with his House Committee appointments, which include Economic Development and Tourism, State Institutions and Property and Game, Fish and Parks (for which he formerly served as Secretary), Al was also appointed chairman of the Industry and Economic Development Committee of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. His active memberships also include the National Association of State Legislators, the National Association of Black State Legislators and the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.

Exemplifying the best qualities of leadership and public service, Al is deeply rooted in the community which he represents. Born in Liberty County, Georgia to the late Alexander and Carrie Williams, he was reared along with three siblings, including a twin sister, in Midway, Georgia, in a family with strong church and community ties. Al’s father was employed as a laborer while his mother taught in the Liberty County School System. His grandfather, the late Rev. W. C. Shipman, was the first black registered voter and first member of the NAACP in Liberty County. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Al became involved in politics at an early age. He helped organize the Young Democrats of Georgia, serving as its first black National Committeeman. He served as a political advisor and session aide to Zell Miller and to the late Senator Glenn Bryant.

Al has served on the Board of Directors for the Liberty County United Way and on the Citizens Advisory Committee for Georgia Power. He currently serves on the Liberty County Development Authority and the Dorchester Improvement Association. He is a member of the Georgia Historical Society, Liberty County Chamber of Commerce and the NAACP. Al is also on the Board of Directors, Coastal Area Support Team (CAST). A lifelong Democrat with extensive experience in national, state and local campaigns, he is a member of the Liberty County Democratic Committee.

Al is the president of Techno Systems South, a transportation services firm headquartered in Hinesville, Georgia which provides transportation for "welfare‑to‑work" participants. Techno Systems also served as the broker for non‑emergency transportation in Atlanta from 1997‑2000, brokering over 50,000 trips per month.

A dedicated Christian, Al serves as chairman of the Deacon Board of the Calvary Baptist Church of Richmond Hill and president of the Laymen, Zion Missionary Baptist Association. He is past president of Laymen of the New Era Baptist Convention. Al considers his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2000 as one of the most rewarding experiences in his life.

Al’s numerous awards and honors include the Liberty County NAACP Ralph Quarterman Award and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Award presented at a National Convention in Chicago. His many accomplishments have earned him recognition in the nationally acclaimed magazine, Black Enterprise, as well as in the Atlanta Tribune.

Al was educated in the Liberty County Public School System, later studying at Saint Leo University in Florida and John Marshall Law School. He proudly served his country in Vietnam. Al and his wife, Olivia, reside in Midway with the youngest of their children.