U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service -- Press Releases

Regional Director Sam D. Hamilton has named Emily Jo Williams as the new Assistant Regional Director for the Migratory Birds and State Programs Division, Southeast Region. Williams comes to the Service from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) where she held the position of senior wildlife biologist for the agency’s Nongame Wildlife Natural Heritage Section since 1995.

“Ms. Williams will certainly be an asset to our management team,” said Hamilton. “Her wealth of experience in migratory bird management issues, a history of developing and maintaining partnerships, and her energetic, enthusiastic nature will benefit our natural resources and conservation community.”

Williams’ contributions to wildlife conservation were outstanding during her tenure at Georgia DNR. She served as Partners in Flight (PIF) Coordinator for Georgia; was Chair of the PIF Southeast Regional Working Group and National Management Steering Committee; and represented Georgia DNR on the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Management Board. Prior to her employment with Georgia DNR, Williams worked for the National Rifle Association where she implemented programs such as the Friends of NRA, a volunteer fund-raising program for both Georgia and Alabama.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve our migratory birds and assist the southeastern states in their wildlife conservation efforts,” said Williams. “ I look forward to working with partners throughout the Southeast in addressing the many challenges facing our wildlife resources.”

Williams also brings to the Service an impressive history of collaborating with others to accomplish conservation goals. She played a lead role in developing the Forestry for Wildlife partnership between Georgia DNR and corporate forest landowners in the state. The partnership involves thirteen corporations that control over four million acres in the state and focuses on integrating wildlife and forest management. She was also involved in partnerships such as the State Technical Committee for the Farm Bill; Georgia’s Bobwhite Quail Technical Committee; the Georgia Piedmont Natural Resources Partnership; the South Atlantic Migratory Bird Initiative and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative. For the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Williams was co-developer and project officer for several grant projects.

Several conservation publications have been authored or co-authored by Williams such as “Georgia’s Swallow-tailed Kite Initiative: Implementing the Partners in Flight Process;” “Advancing Bird Conservation In A Way That Serves Broader Conservation Needs - A State Agency’s Perspective;” and “Strategies for Bird Conservation: The Partners in Flight Planning Process.”

Williams has also received numerous awards for her work in the conservation field. She is the recipient of the Partners in Flight Leadership Award (1997); Best Special Event, National Rifle Association (1993); Biologist of the Year, Georgia DNR (1991); and Stoddard-Burleigh-Sutton Award: Outstanding Contributions to Wildlife and Ornithology (1987).

A graduate of the University of Georgia and an avid sports woman, Williams and her family - husband John and daughter Jessica - enjoy a variety of outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, birding, snorkeling, scuba diving, gardening and spending time with their two canine companions.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses more than 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.

Photo of Emily Jo Williams
by Jim Couch, Georgia
Department of Natural
Resources.