Mary Wideman-Williams

Mary Wideman-Williams
Chief Operating Officer
Seattle Center
Executive MPA, University of Washington's Evans School, 2005

Areas of Specialization:
Succession Planning and Leadership Development

Mary Wideman-Williams serves as the director of employment services and training for the City of Seattle.  She teaches courses through the Evans School Cascade Executive Programs on succession planning and leadership development.

In her work with the City of Seattle, Wideman-Williams is responsible for the city’s centralized employment functions, employee training and development strategies, and a variety of mayoral initiatives and special projects.  She leads a staff of 25 human resource specialists working on the development and implementation of a comprehensive and strategic workforce plan for the city that integrates succession planning with a commitment to workforce equity.

Wideman-Williams started working the city in 1998 as the manager of payroll and personnel services for Seattle Public Utilities.  During her seven years with Seattle Public Utilities, she developed the department’s Workforce Planning and Development unit and a division focused on urban creek stewardship, salmon recovery, and the exploration of cutting edge processes and technologies for environmental sustainability.  She was also responsible for leading the department’s highly regarded leadership development and succession planning initiatives.

Her proven leadership skills and human resources expertise have made Wideman-Williams a sought-after resource.  She is a frequent guest lecturer and trainer for a variety of groups, including the Mayor’s City Leadership Institute.  She has also served as a panelist and presenter at several local and national conferences.

Wideman-Williams devotes her spare time and energy to community organizations such as serving as the president of the Seattle Management Association, and the civic engagement leaders and marketing and communications coordinator for her church.  She is also involved with several community-based efforts to eliminate the academic achievement gap in Seattle Public Schools and address youth/gang violence.

Wideman-Williams holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs.