Van Williams

Van Williams

Spokesman, City of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas

Mr. Williams serves as spokesman for the City of Wichita. He joined local government in May 2005 after spending 16 years at the Wichita Eagle as an award-winning investigative reporter, award-winning sportswriter, election editor and a news editor.

Mr. Williams serves on the boards of Real Men, Real Heroes, a mentoring, tutoring and guest-speaking organization serving at-risk youth; Hard Hitters, a youth boxing club which also teaches life skills; and The Kansas African-American Museum, which aims to preserve and promote the state’s rich African-American history. He has also been a member of several other youth-mentoring organizations, including the YMCA’s Black Achievers program, Consider Opportunities in a Professional Environment (C.O.P.E), and the Jabara Family’s VE²NTUREKIDS entrepreneurial program. He coaches youth basketball, soccer and baseball. He was a participant in Leadership Wichita 2007 and the Kansas Leadership Center’s Kansas Civic Leadership — Context and Competencies.

He is a native of Wichita who graduated from Wichita State University, where he also studied U.S. History in graduate school.