Safe Children Coalition's educational outreach director is honored with national award

Special to the Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
Jone Williams, second from right, recently received the Avima D. Lombard Award at the 2023 HIPPY National Leadership Conference in Mobile, Ala. With Williams, from left, were Nikki Martin-Bynum, national HIPPY program director; Miriam Westheimer, HIPPY International chief program officer; and HIPPY International CEO Benny Feifel.
Jone Williams, second from right, recently received the Avima D. Lombard Award at the 2023 HIPPY National Leadership Conference in Mobile, Ala. With Williams, from left, were Nikki Martin-Bynum, national HIPPY program director; Miriam Westheimer, HIPPY International chief program officer; and HIPPY International CEO Benny Feifel.

Jone Williams, the educational outreach director for the Safe Children Coalition, was recently honored at the national level for her work with children and families.

Williams, who is responsible for the HIPPY Program (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) for Sarasota County, won the Avima D. Lombard Award at the 2023 HIPPY National Leadership Conference on April 16 in Mobile, Ala. The award recognizes professional services that have made a significant contribution to HIPPY and to improving the lives of children and their families.

"Jone Williams exemplifies the true definition of servant leadership. She excels at building community," said Lidia Clarke, associate director of Florida HIPPY. "In every interaction you have with Jone, you hear about the way in which HIPPY has changed the trajectory of children and families in Sarasota. I am honored to know her and feel so much pride in knowing how impactful she has been in sharing HIPPY with generations past and present."

Williams, who also oversees the SCC's Achievers Program for teens, was selected out of 12 nominees from throughout the nation. Winners of the award embody the late Lombard’s dedication to the equalization of educational opportunities for young children.

Home-based intervention

HIPPY is a home-based early intervention program that helps parents teach their 2- to 5-year-old children early literacy and language skills. There are 125 area families currently participating in SCC's HIPPY program.

Jone Williams works the phone during an SCC/Sarasota Family YMCA Thanksgiving meals event in 2018. "The reason I am so passionate about HIPPY is I know first-hand that it works," said Williams, who also oversees SCC's Achievers Program.
Jone Williams works the phone during an SCC/Sarasota Family YMCA Thanksgiving meals event in 2018. "The reason I am so passionate about HIPPY is I know first-hand that it works," said Williams, who also oversees SCC's Achievers Program.

"The reason I am so passionate about HIPPY is I know first-hand that it works," Williams said. "My son went through the program, graduated high school and college, and now works with children himself at Girls Inc. We both have a love for children and for the benefits – to children, families and communities – of early childhood education."

Williams, a Fort Myers native, graduated from Riverdale High School. She attended Fort Myers Business College and Manatee Community College – now State College of Florida – where she received certifications in the early childhood field.

“We are so honored to have Jone serving children and families on our organization’s behalf,” SCC president Brena Slater said. “Her decades of service have been essential in helping new generations achieve success in school and life. We congratulate Jone on this well-deserved recognition.”

Williams has been a member of the Business & Professional Women/North Sarasota since 2004. She serves on the executive committee for the Sarasota County Branch NAACP and is a co-advisor for the Sarasota NAACP Youth Council. Williams is a past community health worker for the Newtown Wellness program, where she volunteered for years, and was a certified breast cancer awareness facilitator for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Submitted by Sharon Kunkel

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: SCC educational outreach director is honored with national HIPPY award