Meet the BDCF Board: Introducing Ms. Joanne Williams
Pictured: Joanne Williams
It’s almost certain that you have seen and heard Joanne William’s insightful work on TV and radio as a reporter, anchor and host; as a writer; and as a creator of documentaries. A longtime resident of Brown Deer, Joanne joined the Foundation in 2024. Her career began in high school when she hosted the teen talk show on Milwaukee’s WAWA radio. Two weeks after graduating with honors in film from Northwestern, she started working for WTMJ TV, followed by several years at WGN TV and Radio in Chicago as a reporter, writer and part-time weathercaster. She returned to Milwaukee as WITI TV’s Community Relations Director, producing many projects, including “The Disabled Are Able”, which was nominated for a national daytime Emmy. In 1982, Joanne returned to the WITI newsroom and wore many hats as reporter, anchor and producer. Joanne then became the host and segment producer for Milwaukee Public Television’s Black Nouveau, which won an EMMY for the special “Crossing The Bridge” in 2018, awards from the National Association of Black Journalists in 2012 and the Bronze award from the Milwaukee Press Club for her documentary “Harry Kemp: The Photography Man.” She was a regional director of the National Association of Black Journalists, a founding member of the Wisconsin Black Media Association, and a past president of the Milwaukee Press Club. Joanne is a member of the Milwaukee Press Club Hall of Fame and a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle honoree.
In 2014 Milwaukee Business Journal honored her as a Woman of Influence. Her most recent documentary, Exchange in White America, has garnered national recognition and awards. She was one of the first three people to be recognized at the Brown Deer Community Foundation’s Black History Month Program in 2024. And if this portfolio of important work wasn’t enough, Joanne just completed helping the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County surpass its 2024 goals. Joanne, a lifelong tennis aficionado, serves as a Board member of the Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation.
The Brown Deer Community Foundation is glad to have Joanne Williams on our Board as we all work to find the Sweet Spots that will help our community, and our region thrive.
