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Profile of a REP leader: Vince Williams

Vince Williams was one of REP's very first members. He found out about us — somehow, in our pre-www days — and signed up in the fall of 1995. One of his first acts to help this fledgling organization get its footing was to prepare a paper on the economic importance of clean water... specifically, how clean water benefits families and communities as well as the commercial- and sport-fishing industries, water-based recreation and other economically-vital activities.

Vince’s enthusiasm for the idea of “greening up the GOP” led him to serve as secretary of our Steering Committee, which formed in the spring of 1996 to draft our bylaws. He attended our first annual meeting at Florida’s Wakulla Springs State Park in October, 1996, and has been actively involved ever since. In 2000, he was elected to our Board of Directors, which he now serves as Treasurer and chairman of the Policy Committee. He has announced his intention to stand for re-election to the Board in 2004.

Vince is the author of REP's new National Wildlife Refuges Policy Paper. In 2001, he was one of three members who wrote our paper on Water Quality.

Another organization that has benefitted from Vince’s enthusiastic participation is the American Fisheries Society, which gave Vince a professional certification. He was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists in 1992 for making significant personal contributions to the field of fisheries science, especially his work to find innovative solutions to restoring aquatic resources. In addition, Vince has published two dozen scientific papers and magazine articles, and received numerous awards from conservation groups and other professional organizations. His professional interests include water quality and aquatic habitat restoration, fisheries management, public recreational use, and resource economics.

Vince Williams grew up on the Rhode Island coast and received a B. S. degree in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island. He now lives in Woodstock, Georgia, and works for the State of Georgia.

Affectionately known as “Bubba” by REP’s board and staff, Vince combines a down-to-earth sense of humor with his professional, organizational and writing skills. His sharp wit and no-nonsense knack for cutting to the heart of an issue have proven invaluable as REP grapples with a labyrinth of intertwined political and environmental issues.