William is armed with a wry – and active – sense of humor (see his website profile). But when it comes to his community involvement, his decisions (and actions) are thoughtful and strategic.
Williamis Board Treasurer for both Central South Carolina (CSC) Habitat for Humanity and Richland First Steps (RFS). Why did he turn his focus to these two groups?
He says, “A few years out of college, once my annual charitable contributions included a comma, I decided I needed to think about the purposes I wanted to support with my time and my dollars. Topping my list were housing and education.”
“Housing came about from my job as a financial advisor. Housing is the biggest piece of most budgets. When I looked at incomes relative to the cost of housing, it was obvious to me many lower income people are in a position where they cannot succeed. Bottom line, CSC Habitat provides affordable homeownership to deserving homeowners.”
“Education came to me when I was reflecting on what has been the most important piece of my incremental success. Richland First Steps provides a wide range of services from home visits to daycare services to underprivileged families in Richland County who may not have the time or resources to prepare their own children to get ready for school. I’m a true believer that if someone can both make it through the education system and learn in the process, they can find a job that takes advantage of their unique talents and be a success. Education has the ability to move entire families up in socio-economic class.”
Deep thinker. Firm believer. Action taker. That’s William.
