|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2006
JOSEPH C. WILLIAMS, JR. IS FIRST ALASKA NATIVE
TO SERVE AS KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH MAYOR
 Central
Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska tribal citizen
Joseph C. Williams, II made history in October 2005 by becoming
the first Alaska Native (Tlingit) to be elected in Ketchikan as
the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Mayor.
Williams entered the race late in the game, registering to run
at 4:00pm on the last day of registration. With only 3 weeks of
campaigning left Williams said a prayer asking that the election
be decisive; he didn't want a landslide win or landslide loss. When
the call came letting Williams know he was the new mayor, he was
told there were 106 absentee ballots and if all absentee ballots
were given to his opponent he would still win.
After being elected to Ketchikan Gateway Borough Mayor, Williams
was selected by the City of Saxman to serve as their Mayor. Since
no one has held both of these positions concurrently the borough
attorney was consulted to see if there would be a conflict. No conflicts
were found, Williams is now the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Mayor
and the Saxman City Mayor.
There have been a few bumps in the road for Williams as Borough
Mayor, one being a tie breaking vote for a Sea Urchin factory on
Shoreline Drive. Williams voted no. A yes vote would have converted
a residential area into a heavy industrial area and also increased
the population of sea gulls. This increase in population concerned
Williams; he knew that residents living on Shoreline Drive get their
water supply from the rainfall off their roofs. Sea Gulls roost
on roofs so Williams voted against the factory in favor of protecting
the water supply.
Williams was born in Ketchikan, Alaska in 1944. His parents raised
him with three siblings in the Tlingit village of Saxman. He attended
public school and graduated from Ketchikan High School. He attended
Sheldon Jackson Junior College, Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colorado,
the University of New Mexico, and Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage,
Alaska. Joe graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in business
management.
For the past 13 years Williams has owned and operated a tour company
in Ketchikan/Saxman. He and his family introduce the Tlingit culture
to visitors who come to Ketchikan.
Williams has been married to Suzi for 32 years and they have six
children and one grand child. In 1997 they were selected as Parents
of the Year by the Alaska Federation of Natives. Williams has been
a Christian for 28 years and he resides in Saxman with his family.
###
Media Contact:
Jodi Wolf – CCTHITA Publications
9097 Glacier Highway, Ste. 206
Juneau, AK 99801
Tel. 907/463-7123
|
