Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award

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Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Victoria Williams, NCARB, AIA, LEED AP
Victoria Williams is being nominated for the
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal, because her dedication to community
service and support for her profession
exemplifies what Hillard T. Smith stood for.
Victoria lives the Rotary premise of Service
Above Self. She not only supports a variety of
community organizations but also has invested a
great amount of her own time in leadership roles
within those organizations. Her impact has been
felt wherever she serves as can be attested by
the number of public recognitions she has
received. By selecting Victoria as this years
Silver Medal recipient, she would be a testimony
to the values the award signifies. The community
has benefited in a number of ways due to
Victorias involvement from organization
increases in membership and revenues, to added
services provided to the community, and to
increasing the profile of the profession she
practices. She is viewed as a role model not
just for her willingness to do whatever it takes
but also for the accomplishments achieved under
her watch.  
Introduction
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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Introduction
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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Victorias strong sense of community involvement
stems from her intrinsic desire to promote and
impact programs that enable others to grow
personally as well as professionally. Through
involvement and leadership in Junior Achievement,
the Emerald Coast Business Womens Association,
The Panama City Pops Orchestra, Panama City
Rotary and the Small Business Institute, she
strives to empower youth, business women and
small business entities to aspire to succeed .
She also serves her community as a member of the
Panama City Beach Chamber as well as the Bay
County Chamber of Commerce, where she serves on
the Board of Directors and several outreach
committees. Victoria strives to promote the
architectural profession by serving on Panama
Citys Downtown Improvement Boards Architectural
Review Committee and is Co-Chair of the Downtown
North CRA Design and Planning Board. As an
appointee of the Bay County Commissioners, she
serves as a Bay County Planning Commissioner to
determine current land use as well as future land
use and zoning. Within AIA, Victoria serves on
the AIA Northwest Florida Board in Membership
Relations.
Introduction Involvement Overview
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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Junior Achievement is a worldwide non-profit
organization that is dedicated to teaching
students how to compete in a global economy.
This is done through a partnership between the
business community and local educators. This
organization is one that Victoria deeply
supports and believes is critical to providing
the tools our youth require to make the
transition from academia to the workforce. As
President of Junior Achievement of Northwest
Floridas Eastern Region Board of Advisors, she
cultivated a cohesive team atmosphere and
empowered the Executive Director which enabled
the Eastern Region to exceed their goals. Under
her leadership, class sponsorships increased and
the number of students who had Junior Achievement
increased by 55. Victoria also re-implemented
the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Banquet which
honored two business leaders, M.G. Nelson and
Representative Marti Coley. This event raised
approximately 25,000 to fund Junior Achievement
classes in Bay County and achieved full Board
participation.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement

Ise your image(s) within this 7 x 7 space.
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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Victoria serves as Co-Chair for the Special
Events/Fundraising Committee for the Eastern
Region Board of Advisors developing and
coordinating Junior Achievement fundraising and
awareness efforts. In the Adopt-a-Precinct
program, Victoria serves as the Assistant Clerk
during elections. In addition to donating the
money to Junior Achievement from working the
Precinct, Victoria strives to raise community
awareness of Junior Achievement and its lasting
influence on our youth.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Due to her passion for Junior Achievement and her
past performance on the Eastern Region Board of
Advisors, Victoria was elected to Junior
Achievement of Northwest Floridas Board of
Directors and serves as a liaison to the Eastern
Region Board of Advisors as well as a member of
the Management and Operations Committee. Though
her service in the Board room is vital, Victoria
is determined to take Junior Achievement directly
to students and teaches elementary as well as
high school courses in Bay and Washington County
as well as participating in mock interviews at
various high schools in order to prepare students
in presenting their credentials to future
employers.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
The Emerald Coast Business Womens Association is
comprised of professional women who assist each
other in business opportunities, promote each
others strengths and talents, and come to the
aid of the general community. Victoria served as
Vice President prior to currently serving as
President of the Association. Although she
encourages general involvement in assisting Bay
County, the groups primary focus is providing
scholarships to women over 25 years of age to
return to school and further their education.
The funds for this endeavor are generated by
Death by Chocolate which has been held for
eleven years. In addition to her other
responsibilities, Victoria was the Media and
Sponsorship Chair for this event. Past
scholarship recipients are present to assist as
necessary and answer any questions regarding this
program. During Victorias presidency, over
11,000 in scholarships were awarded. Another
community outreach project that Victoria
spearheaded was providing Christmas gifts for
approximately thirty battered women through the
Salvation Army Womens Shelter.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
The Panama City Pops Board of Directors was
previously comprised of musicians and their
families and/or fans. Due to the overwhelming
growth of the Orchestra, the Board determined
that there was a need to provide a business
atmosphere and implement business practices on
the Board level. Victoria Williams was elected
to the Board and quickly moved into the Vice
President position due to her willingness to
contribute her time and expertise to evoke
cooperation and cohesion among the Board members
and unite the Board and musicians in a common
goal, mentor and play memorable music.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
The Panama City Pops Orchestra is not only a
highly respected Orchestra, but also a non-profit
mentoring program. Emerging student musicians
are invited to audition for an opportunity to
participate in rehearsals as well as in at least
four professional concerts a year. This
mentoring program aids in bridging the gap
between playing an instrument in high school or
college and obtaining scholarship or professional
musician opportunities. Victoria is in her
second term as Board President following her term
as Vice President. Victoria implemented several
operating procedure changes including updating
the bylaws, developing procedures for handling of
monies, streamlining the budget by cutting
unnecessary expenses and fostering positive Board
morale.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Victoria is determined to provide an artistic
outlet and opportunity to Bay County and its
youth while enriching the cultural fabric of the
region. Patron attendance has steadily increased
and Orchestra sponsorships have remained steady
in spite of the current economic environment.
Victoria participates not only as the President,
but also as the set-up/tear-down crew and is very
involved in the Fundraising/Development Committee
who is responsible for such events as the Season
Sunset Party and Battle of the Batons which
invites Bay County Celebrities/Politicians to
conduct the Orchestra and compete, through
donations to the Orchestra, for the title of
Maestro.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
With Service Above Self as one of her mantras,
Victoria was inducted into the Panama City Rotary
where she was quickly invited to join the Board
of Directors as the Club Service Chairman. In
this position she created a review process that
includes communications with all Assistance
Applicants, whether they received donations from
her Rotary Club or not. This has kept
communication open between the Club and the
community and has helped foster a better
understanding of the type of programs that
Rotary financially supports.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
As the Club Service Chairman, Victoria has led
her committee in reviewing and recommending
donations for those programs that follow Rotary
Internationals Goals of access to clean water,
combating hunger and promoting good health,
expanding literacy and promoting the overall
well-being of children. This review process has
resulted in the award of many thousands of
dollars towards education and outreach programs
in Bay County while staying within her allotted
budget. In the effort to continue the momentum
she created in the Club Service position after
her term is completed, Victoria developed a
written protocol for the Club Service Chair.
This is just one example of her efforts to
streamline processes in order to concentrate on
the tasks at hand. Her protocol format is now
being used as a template for other positions
within the Club in order to achieve a smooth
transition to the next Board of Directors.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary

One of the many projects that the Panama City
Rotary is currently involved in is the Panama
City Lighthouse which will be a fully functional
and approved nautical aid for safe passage into
St. Andrew Bay. Victoria is a member of the
Lighthouse Committee and has chaired a
fundraising opportunity in partnership with the
Artist, Paul Brent. This Saturday event helped
to raise awareness about the project as well as
over 2000 to go towards the construction of the
structure.
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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
You definitely get out of the Chamber of Commerce
what you put into it. Victoria devotes countless
hours to promoting the economical development of
small businesses and new Chamber members through
her involvement with the Bay County Chamber of
Commerce. One of the first Committees that she
joined was the Ambassadors. This provided
opportunities for her to meet and mentor new
businesses, assisting them in getting to know
their Chamber and its various committees and
members. After serving on this committee for
several years, Victoria was elected to Chair the
committee. After her term, she decided to
continue her involvement with the Ambassadors and
enjoys helping new members maneuver the Chamber.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary
• Bay County Chamber of Commerce

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
The Small Business Institute, SBI, was created by
the Chamber of Commerce in order to provide
resources and programs to help grow the small
businesses of Bay County. Upon joining the
Committee, Victoria was asked to sit on its
Steering Committee. Its role is to provide
guidance for the overall program and what it
offers the small business community. While
remaining on the Steering Committee, Victoria
became the Chairman of the SBI in 2010 and has
implemented a weighted scoring process to rank
and award the Small Business of the Month to
deserving businesses.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary
• Bay County Chamber of Commerce

Leadership Bay is a community leadership
development program sponsored by the Bay County
Chamber of Commerce. The current classs project
is a Business Plan Competition in an effort to
promote and empower aspiring entrepreneurs to
start a business or further develop their
existing business. Based on her community
involvement and her strong leadership skills,
Victoria was asked to be a judge for the
Competition. Winners of the Competition receive
a cash prize in addition to Chamber membership,
materials and services.
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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
The Bay County Chamber of Commerce extended a
Board of Directors seat invitation to Victoria
for one year. She proved to be a valued asset
and has been elected to a three year term. Her
focus is primarily on small business programs and
education of the community on issues such as
Amendment 4 and off-shore drilling in the form of
resolutions drafted by the Government Committee,
the value of networking through the Chamber, and
integrating business leaders experiences into
the education of our youth.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary
• Bay County Chamber of Commerce

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
In addition to her involvement in her Community,
Victoria strives to promote good design and
proper planning within Bay County as well as
furthering the mission of AIA. She has served
on the Architectural Review Committee of the
Panama City Downtown Improvement Board since 2004
and has been involved in writing and updating the
Design Guidelines as well as conducting reviews
of various signage and building design packages
proposed for the Downtown area. She was called
to serve on the Downtown North CRA Design and
Planning Board where she was elected Vice-Chair
due to her extensive knowledge of the area and
procedures. Victoria is responsible for the
development of design and planning requirements
within the CRA and is in the process of producing
a publication to be distributed to property
owners and new businesses moving into the
neighborhood as guidance for future
renovations/construction endeavors.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary
• Bay County Chamber of Commerce
• Architectural Involvement
• Panama City Downtown Improvement Board,
  Architectural Review Committee

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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Victoria was appointed to the Bay County Planning
Commission in 2004 by the Bay County Commission
and served by reviewing proposed zoning, use and
future land use changes during one of the most
active construction periods in Bay County
history. She resigned shortly after the birth of
her second daughter only to be reappointed in
2007. She continues to work diligently to
promote good planning practices while striving to
retain the rights and benefits of the citizens of
Bay County.

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary
• Bay County Chamber of Commerce
• Architectural Involvement
• Panama City Downtown Improvement Board,
  Architectural Review Committee

Victoria continues her work in promoting
Architect collaboration and the profession itself
as Membership Relations Chairman for the AIA
Northwest Florida Board of Directors. She is
working closely with staff to develop a roster of
members and non-members in our region as well as
crafting a membership retention program through
open communication, payment programs for those
who require extended dues payments, continuing
education courses and workshops in an effort to
educate them on the benefits of membership as
well as a united voice for issues currently
facing architects. Victoria was also the AIA
Northwest Florida 2009 Community Service Award
recipient. This honor was bestowed on Victoria
based on her overall community involvement and
impact.
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Williams
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award Silver
Medal
Victoria Williams exemplifies what community
service and volunteerism is about through service
to youth, small businesses and her general
region. Her tireless contributions and
dedication reflected in this presentation embody
the very essence of the premise behind the
Hillard T. Smith Community Service Award .

• Introduction
• Involvement Overview
• Community Involvement
• Junior Achievement
• Emerald Coast Business Womens Association
• The Panama City Pops Orchestra
• Panama City Rotary
• Bay County Chamber of Commerce
• Architectural Involvement
• Panama City Downtown Improvement Board,
  Architectural Review Committee