John G. Williams

John G. Williams
Year Elected ALS Fellow: 
Founder
Highest Degree: 
M.S., University of Illinois, 1956
Current Position: 
Director, Parks and Recreation, Sunnyvale, CA, retired
Bio: 

John Williams spent 30 years directing public park and recreation programs in Decatur (GA), DeKalb County (GA), Baltimore (MD), Dade County (FL) and Sunnyvale (CA). In addition, he taught graduate Park and Recreation Administration courses at San Jose State University and co-authored two texts and several articles and chapters on administration and management of leisure services. In addition to the Academy, he is a founding member of AAPRA and has served as President of APRS, Georgia Recreation Society, and Maryland Recreation and Parks Society, and as a Trustee of NRPA. He is a recipient of the Brightbill and Alumni Distinguished Service Awards from Illinois, Distinguished Professional Service Award from San Jose State, the APRS Distinguished Fellow Award, and NRPA's National Literary Award, among others. He is currently enjoying a post-retirement career building homes in Sonora, California, and doing Christian prison counseling.