Press Releases | June 21, 2018

Shannon Williams joins The Mind Trust as SVP of Community Engagement

Indianapolis—(June 21, 2018)—The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit, has hired Shannon Williams as the organization’s Senior Vice President of Community Engagement. She will lead The Mind Trust’s initiatives to engage, empower, and invest in communities that are most affected by education change in Indianapolis. Williams has served for the past eight years as president of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, one of the nation’s oldest African-American-owned newspapers, and the Indiana Minority Business Magazine. She has held numerous leadership roles during her 18-year tenure at the publication.

“We are tremendously excited to have Shannon Williams join our leadership team,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. “Shannon’s extensive track record of civic leadership, deep relationships across our community, and unwavering commitment to educational equity will prove essential as we work to engage and empower students, families, and our broader community in the effort to ensure every child in our city has access to a great education.”

“Over the course of my career at the Indianapolis Recorder, I’ve been constantly reminded of the immense need for more high-quality schools in of our city’s neighborhoods. I am eager to contribute to The Mind Trust’s transformative efforts to ensure all students in our city are provided with the opportunities to enhance their lives,” said Williams.

Rose Mays, widow of respected businessman William “Bill” Mays, who purchased the Recorder over 30 years ago said Williams’ departure is bittersweet.

“Shannon has served the Recorder extremely well over the years. She effectively maintained the newspaper’s legacy and journalistic integrity, has been a strong advocate in the community and enhanced the brand nationwide. While I am saddened to see her go, the role at The Mind Trust perfectly aligns with her passion and skillset. She will be great in this new capacity.”

In her role, Williams will oversee initiatives like The Mind Trust’s Education Bus Tours and Community Conversations, which give families and community members the opportunity to learn about crucial issues facing Indianapolis schools. She will also work with key groups of civic and community leaders to build understanding of The Mind Trust’s work, such as the Lewis Hubbard Group, a group of education champions co-chaired by Democratic City-County Councilor Maggie Lewis and Republican businessman and former senior Bush Administration official Al Hubbard.

Williams has served on the boards of Crossroads of America (Boy Scouts of Central Indiana), The Oaks Academy, the Indianapolis Public Safety Foundation, IUPUI University Library, Edna Martin Christian Center, Indiana Sports Corp’s President’s Council, and the National Newspaper Publishers Association. She is a graduate of Jackson State University and the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program. Williams is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Circle City Chapter of The Links Inc. She is a graduate of Indianapolis Public Schools’ Broad Ripple High School.

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