Navarra Williams
President & CEO of SAMMinistries
By: Charles Arriaga, Incite Blogger
The San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry, Inc. (better known as SAMMinistries) began in 1981 when a homeless man was found on the grounds of the First Presbyterian Church in downtown San Antonio after succumbing to freezing temperatures. Volunteers started caring for the homeless in the church gymnasium and today SAMMinistries staff and volunteers support families and individuals by helping them get back on track though the numerous programs they offer.
The man at the helm of SAMMinistries, Navarra Williams, is using his education, leadership skills and personal experience to help put an end to homelessness. Williams, born in Washington D.C., remembers being very poor as he was growing up. His father a short order cook and his mother a nurse’s assistant never got more than a high school education. Williams had dreams of one day becoming an Astronaut, an FBI Agent and / or a career in sales. Wanting more out of life he knew those dreams could only be obtained by pursing a higher education than a high school diploma. After graduating from Central Senior High School in Prince Georges County, Maryland he went on to earn his Associates of Arts – Business Administration in 1973 from Bay College of Maryland. He then went on to graduate from the University of Baltimore in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Admin. And, in 1981 he completed his MBA from the University of Indianapolis.
Starting as a Marketing Rep. for IBM while finishing his Master degree he went on to become a Controller at Royal Food Products where he worked his way up to the Assistant to the President. In 1984, Williams started at Hart-Hanks Cable as the Director of Finance and went to become the Regional VP and General Manager and finally the Regional President. After Hart-Hanks he moved over to TKR Cable Company as the Regional GM. In 1989 he took a position at then Paragon Cable (now known as Time Warner Cable) as Executive VP and GM then onto President. He left Time Warner in 2002 to take the Area VP spot at Comcast Cable.
After completing thirty-three years of business in the private sector he decided to hone his leadership and business skills to service. In 2007 he chose the President and CEO position at SAMM after a tough choice between 2 other charities. Having been no stranger to serving on numerous committees and boards throughout the years, he felt right at home and hit the ground running. Mr. Martinhold after 17 years of service left SAMMinistries in great in shape for Williams to create “Transitional Programs.” In the three years Williams has been at SAMM he has helped create the Workforce Development Program, The Prevention Program and The Haven for Hope facility.
