Commissioner Marie Williams, who leads the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, talks to Gov. Bill Lee as he meets with department staff. Williams was appointed commissioner by former Gov. Bill Haslam.
Marie Williams is the kind of state official who will get choked up on stage talking about the passion of her team. She came up through homeless services in Memphis and found her way to the state agency that oversees mental health and substance abuse services when Gov. Bill Haslam appointed her to lead the agency she’s now been a part of for more than 25 years. In this interview, Williams talks about her life, her work and her philosophy that has guided her career trying to fight the stigma of the heartless bureaucrat.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM