Board Member Highlight: Joanna Williams
Joanna Williams - Chief Financial Officer, Twin Lakes | Jackson County Representative
Born and raised in Jackson County, Joanna attended Tennessee Tech University and made a deliberate decision that many rural communities hope their young people will make; she stayed. “I never left Jackson County,” Joanna says simply. “The people were really why I stayed.” That statement reflects a deep-rooted commitment to community. Between city leadership, school events, sports schedules, and civic responsibilities, the Williams family’s calendar is full. Yet for Joanna, this level of involvement is not a burden, it is an investment. She believes strongly in building a future locally so that young people can create meaningful careers and lives right here at home.
Professionally, Joanna serves as Chief Financial Officer at Twin Lakes, where she leads financial strategy and budgeting for one of Jackson County's largest employers. Her path to CFO is an encouraging example of what is possible within a rural community. Twenty-one years ago, she began at Twin Lakes in the billing department. From billing to customer service to accounting, she steadily advanced through the organization. Twelve years after entering the accounting department, she was promoted to CFO. Her professional journey reinforces a powerful message for workforce development efforts: staying in your hometown does not limit your potential. Advancement, leadership, and meaningful professional growth are possible within our rural communities when organizations invest in local talent.
As a mother of a high school senior and freshman navigating career decisions, Joanna understands firsthand how difficult it can be for young people to identify the right path. That is why she is especially excited about the RIVET program. She attended the initial grant award ceremony and saw its promise immediately. “VR allows an almost real experience,” she says. “It’s incredible.” As CFO of Twin Lakes, a broadband provider serving multiple counties, including several distressed communities, Joanna recognizes the critical connection between infrastructure and opportunity. Reliable internet access makes innovative workforce tools possible. But her excitement about RIVET goes deeper than technology. She sees immersive career exploration as a way to shift mindset.
“There is a mindset of generational poverty,” she explains. “And I think the Workforce Board, along with other agencies, can really break through that.” For students who have never imagined themselves in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, or skilled trades, exposure can change perception. Seeing a career, even virtually, can spark belief. And belief can open doors. “The Board is a way to help people,” Joanna says. “There’s no greater purpose.”
Over the past four years, Joanna has hired six individuals into her department at Twin Lakes, ranging in age from 22 to 58. That experience has shaped her perspective on workforce readiness. “You can teach tech all day,” she says. “Soft skills have to be learned through experience.” She values the training and wraparound supports that workforce programs provide, not only for recent graduates but for adults who may need new skills or renewed opportunity later in life. Through initiatives like Empower and other training pathways, she has seen how connecting individuals to practical preparation can change career trajectories. “It’s about creating the path,” she explains: the path from training and education to meaningful employment. The goal is not just jobs, but careers that allow families to thrive.
Looking specifically at Jackson County, she sees opportunity in entrepreneurship. Not simply one-time workshops, but sustained infrastructure where aspiring business owners can receive guidance, structure, and support. In partnership with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, she desires to see ideas, funding, and collaborative efforts help local entrepreneurs succeed.
Her vision for the future includes expanded industry, skilled trades growth through the new TCAT facility under construction near the high school, and increased healthcare access, potentially including telehealth solutions that could provide both care and career opportunities locally. She believes that when industry grows anywhere in the region, it strengthens surrounding counties as well.
Joanna also sees one of the Board’s greatest strengths in its diversity. Members represent small counties and larger hubs. Some lead major employers. Others are entrepreneurs or work in public service. That range of experience creates a powerful foundation for strategic decision-making.
When asked what advice she would offer someone considering board service, her response reflects her leadership philosophy. “Leadership doesn’t have to be all on yourself,” she says. “Listen. Be patient. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there.” She admits she initially wondered about the time commitment, but instead of feeling burdened, she has found herself energized and increasingly inspired by the work.
If she had to summarize her leadership style in one phrase, it would be simple: “I listen.” Listening, she believes, leads to efficiency. It improves processes. It strengthens teams. As CFO, she has built her career on refining systems and working smarter, not harder. That discipline begins with understanding the people involved.
On a deeply personal level, workforce development matters to Joanna because she has seen what guidance and encouragement can do. Her mother served as a guidance counselor at Jackson County High School. Years later, individuals still approach Joanna to share how her mother’s persistence changed their lives, from encouraging job applications to helping them envision careers they never thought possible. One former student became a judge. Another advanced into the medical field after gaining stable employment and returning to school. Those stories remain close to her heart. “One day, if I can be an influence in lives like that…”
Outside of work and board service, Joanna’s pride in Jackson County is unmistakable. From Cummins Falls, one of the most visited waterfalls in the state, to the vibrant festivals and local restaurants in Gainesboro and Granville, she treasures her small-town community. She unwinds by walking her dogs through town and cheering from the stands at her children’s sporting events. And it should come as no surprise that her keen attention to detail at work carries over into her enjoyment of true crime podcasts and documentaries.
Joanna Williams embodies the very outcome workforce development seeks to cultivate: a professional who is expanding opportunity for others. She believes communities should not have to shrink their ambitions to remain intact. She believes exposure can break psychological ceilings. She believes collaboration builds pathways and that growth should be possible, right here at home.
