April 16, 2018

Carbondale city manager will speak at Emeritus Faculty program

by Pete Rosenbery

Gary WilliamsCARBONDALE, Ill. — Gary Williams, the Carbondale city manager, will be the guest speaker at the Emeritus Faculty spring program at SIU Carbondale on April 25. 

Williams will give his “Vision 2020” presentation, a look at recent developments in the city. The program is at 9 a.m. at the university’s Transportation Education Center, located at Southern Illinois Airport between Murphysboro and Carbondale. 

The event is free and open to the public. 

The lecture is a part of the Emeritus Faculty Organization, which is part of the university’s Emeritus Association..

Sharing insights from more than 20 years of economic development experience 

Williams has more than 20 years of experience leading public and private economic and community development operations.

He was named Carbondale’s city manager in June 2016 after serving in an interim capacity for nine months. Prior to that, Williams was Carbondale’s assistant city manager for economic development and the city’s economic development coordinator. 

Williams’ background includes:

  • project manager and president at Southern Illinois Masonry, Benton
  • senior project manager, Vail Resorts, Breckenridge, Colorado
  • project manager, Toll Brothers, South Barrington
  • construction management certification faculty, Northern Illinois University 

Williams is also involved in several volunteer organizations in the region, including: 

  • Carbondale Business Development Corp.
  • Southern Illinois Coach Belt Champion Community, Inc.
  • Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Board
  • Jackson Growth Alliance Board
  • Built Environment Action Team/Jackson County Health Department Task Force
  • Downtown Arts Coalition
  • SIU President’s Business Council 

Williams earned a Master of Public Administration degree from SIU Carbondale in 2014, and his bachelor’s degree in political science and government, also from SIU Carbondale, in 1995. He was also selected to participate as an executive academy fellow with the Delta Leadership Institute in 2013-14. 

For more information about the presentation, contact Carolyn Wagner Snyder, emeritus faculty organization chair, at csnyder@siu.edu.