PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVE
Debra Williams is a performance strategist and empowerment coach, certified as an auditor, and as a fraud examiner. Her specialty is leadership mentoring. Her competencies are enhanced with a Cognitive Behaviour Life Coach Certification. After working in environmental regulatory compliance in the United States of America, she continues to evolve professionally in positions of increasing responsibility in Canada. She is also a published author who writes uplifting content that reflects and represents the diversity of multicultural Black communities. Go to her Publications page to learn more.
Due to her dedication to inclusion and diversity of thought supporting public and private/non-governmental organizations, she understands how to influence transformation within integrated services, and the impact of culture on organizational strategy. Debra leads by example, knowing when and how to direct, motivate, delegate, and prioritize for efficient resource allocation, and the best methods to use when communicating difficult decisions. She applies scalable tools to define the scope of work, and ensure measurable deliverables are met and communicated while maintaining positive rapport in demanding, dynamic environments with intersecting priorities.
Debra has performed operational audits, process evaluations and managed resources during significant change including hire/fire/discipline decisions where necessary, while complying with labour relations guidelines. Her competence as a performance coach includes leading the development of strategic frameworks, negotiation of contractual agreements, risk assessments, business continuity plans, promoting research ethics and ensuring efficient data management to inform decision making. Conflict management and dispute resolution in politically sensitive, confidential multi-stakeholder situations has been a part of her professional skill set for over twenty-five years.
Some of her achievements that will enhance work with your organization include, but are not limited to:
* Municipal and private organizational experience gained in the USA doing land development planning, zoning, environmental protection, and soil and water remediation.
* Auditor who participated in numerous contract and process reviews, and was part of the team establishing and administrating a municipal fraud and waste hotline.
* In more than one role, evaluated the need for IT systems and worked with stakeholders and subject matter experts to optimize use of existing software, and/or evaluate new options to modernize software for efficient and effective outcomes.
* Factoring in direct, fixed, and variable overhead, led full cost accounting exercises to consider end-to-end costs influencing risk, outcomes and delivery of services.
* Director responsible for program support of social development, finance and administration client facing services as a liaison between different community programs serving similar clients to ensure consistency in best practices.
*Senior lead coordinator in preparation for what was eventually a six week labour disruption. During the strike, she was stationed in the command centre for assessment and redeployment of resources for essential services. Subsequently, she worked with the corporate leadership team to resume all services after a contract agreement was reached.
* Director who led a newly formed unit responsible for establishing performance and standards guidelines for client facing community health services. She focused on building the capacity of four multi-functional teams of distinct subject matter experts, including exempt and unionized staff. As a servant leader, she met the challenge to improve cross-cutting internal supports, optimize resilient performance management and remove barriers to change. She managed teams that delivered the robust division-wide performance management system, including stakeholder engagement, to develop indicators for reliable tracking and reporting to inform budget preparation, service and business continuity plans.
* Under her direction, assigned staff led internal consultations to deliver a 5 year strategic plan including actionable, measurable goals.
* Realigned communications team resources and modernized social media capacity for measurable improvements including effective, award winning, positive marketing campaigns.
* Designed an annual knowledge exchange forum that enhanced cross cutting resilience and knowledge integration between colleagues, developed capacity and promoted professional practice excellence.
* She has a BS in Geology, and an MA in Energy and Mineral Resources (emphasis on cost accounting of clean water resources) and worked in environmental and conservation of sensitive watersheds under review for new construction.
* Development and maintenance of business continuity plans, including emergency preparedness with scaled response guidelines for resumption of services.
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