Team

Our team is comprised of fiercely committed individuals who bring expertise in public policy, politics, philanthropy, communications and global development. For each client engagement, we hand select the team with the unique skills, expertise and style to help you achieve your goals.

To learn more about our core team, click on their individual names.

Whitney Williams

Founder + CEO

Whitney Williams has worked on the front lines of domestic and global development for two decades. Her core skill is forging teams of divergent, unlikely, and powerful players to advance the common good worldwide. She established williamsworks to serve individuals, foundations, and advocacy organizations by bringing clients’ goals into sharper focus and by guiding action…

Patricia Amira

Advisor

Based in Kenya, Patricia Amira is a seasoned and versatile communications specialist with over 10 years’ experience, including both commercial radio and television. She was the creator and content driver of the first pan-African produced talk-show format, The Patricia Show, which was broadcast across the African continent, in Europe, Asia and the USA. Patricia has…

Katherine James Schuitemaker

Advisor

Katherine James Schuitemaker is driven to help life-changing ideas and the people behind them succeed. At williamsworks her focus is on helping client leadership develop strategies for effectively building the multi-faceted base of support – internally and externally—to achieve their vision. Katherine’s 25-year experience in technology company executive, consultant and board roles ranges from scrappy,…

Laura Wood Peterson

Advisor

Laura Wood Peterson focuses on strengthening opportunities for those who live in rural parts of the globe, starting in rural America. Laura draws on over a decade of experience in Washington, DC and builds trusted partnerships bridging urban and rural constituencies to advance public policy priorities, helping make the big ideas seem smaller because all politics are local.…

Colleen Martin

Director

As a skilled manager and political advocate, Colleen Martin joins williamsworks from a successful career in electoral politics where she has worked on some of the most competitive Congressional, Senatorial and Gubernatorial races in the country. She has lived and worked in Illinois, Montana, Arizona, Ohio, Kansas, and most recently in North Carolina battling against…

Mona Rogers

Director

Mona comes back to williamsworks having been a part of its start up in 2003. Mona has spent her time since working in athletics, marketing, research, coaching and becoming a mom. She has spent most of her adult life in the Pacific Northwest. A recent job change, though, gave her and her family the opportunity…

Amarilys Oyola-Pérez

Senior Manager

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Amarilys has nine years of experience in multimedia production and strategic digital media management and coordination. Her scope of work focuses on collaborating with educational and non-profit organizations to increase their impact and fulfill their mission. Recently, she volunteered and worked with the organization TECHO during their disaster relief…

Isabella McShea

Coordinator

Isabella is a grassroots organizer primarily for issues surrounding reproductive justice, environmental degradation, and other forms of inequality within our society. Hailing from Seattle, Isabella graduated from Colorado College in the spring of 2020. In her last semester of college, Isabella worked as a social media & outreach intern for Whitney’s Gubernatorial campaign. Isabella strives…

Lucy Hendrickson

Coordinator

Lucy Hendrickson is a sophomore at the University of Montana in Missoula. She is studying English and Political Science. Her passions include the environment, politics, equal rights, education, community and music. Lucy’s love of writing and the outdoors is what drew her west, where the mountains and rivers have brought her peace and inspiration. Missoula has quickly…

Joan Mattelin Garrett

Special Assistant

Joan is a Montanan, born and raised. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master of Education, both from the University of Montana. She has worked for political campaigns, nonprofits and as an elementary school teacher. After taking a break from the work force to stay home with her three children, she…

Carol Williams

Senior Advisor

Carol Williams’ career as an activist, peacemaker, educator, mother and grandmother has spanned four decades. As a passionate civil servant, Carol has dedicated her life to representing the people of Montana, maintaining a clean and healthy environment for future generations, promoting peace, and advocating for the rights of women and children. She spent more than…

Pat Williams

Senior Advisor

Congressman Pat Williams’ career has been dedicated to strengthening America’s education system, making schools safer for our children, fighting for the underprivileged and protecting his home state of Montana's special places for future generations. Starting as a teacher in Butte, as a state legislator, then as Montana’s Congressman and as a faculty member at the…

Renny Jiang

Intern

Renny Jiang is an incoming freshman at Brown University concentrating in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Even though Renny calls Los Angeles her home, she is ready to escape the suffocating summer heat of California and explore the misty mountains of Montana. As a prolific writer and debater, Renny hopes to use her skills to learn…