Lynette Williams: Transforming Lives
By: Ann M. Egan

At almost every nonprofit, there is one person who embodies the spirit and mission of the organization. Their identity is so closely intertwined with the organization’s identity that it is hard to imagine one without the other. At the Women’s Employment Network (WEN), that person is Lynnette Williams, Director of Program Services. WEN celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2006, and Williams has been on staff for 15 of those 20 years. Known for her no-nonsense style and her compassion, Williams has led thousands of Kansas City area women through WEN’s intense job-readiness program, helping them improve their prospects for sustained employment and economic self-sufficiency.

Williams is effective because she has been in their shoes Ð literally. She is a 1990 graduate of the WEN program. Williams was a college graduate with a stable employment history when her ex-husband’s drug addiction turned her world upside down. In 1989, she found herself homeless and the sole support of two young daughters, then ages seven and four.

Deciding to turn over a new leaf in the new decade, Williams left her job in 1990 to seek new employment - but quickly learned that a lot had changed since she had last been in the job market. Employers were asking more of job candidates, and she couldn’t seem to articulate the value she would bring as an employee. She wasn’t getting interviews, let alone job offers. Frustrated and with her financial resources depleted, Williams called WEN.

That call was the start of her turnaround. After completing the WEN program, Williams found a new job almost immediately. But it wasn’t long before she received a call from WEN, asking her to return as an instructor. She has been there ever since and today oversees the entire range of services provided by WEN’s instructors, case managers, and career specialists.

Looking back, Williams sees that she had something in common with nearly all of the women who come to WEN. “We needed someone to help us believe in ourselves so we could take those risks and next steps,” Williams explains.

WEN Celebrates its20th Anniversary in 2006
The Women’s Employment Network (WEN) has been an integral part of the Kansas City nonprofit community for the past two decades. WEN provides comprehensive services and support to improve the employment and economic situation of women - and the children and families who depend on them.

Founded in 1986 - through the vision of legendary Kansas City leaders Marjorie Powell Allen and Beth K. Smith - WEN has graduated more than 5,000 women from its program, while assisting thousands more through support services, community referrals and other training.

WEN’s Dimensions program is unique because it focuses on more than employment skills and training. It builds self-esteem and helps women identify and overcome the barriers - such as housing, health care, child care, transportation, domestic violence, and substance abuse Ð that would prevent them from building a stable foundation for workplace success.

WEN is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2006 with a special Heart-to-Heart Luncheon on Friday, Apr. 21, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center and a 20th Anniversary Gala Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Downtown Marriott’s Muehlebach Tower. Call WEN at 816.822.8083, ext. 115, for more information.

During her tenure, Williams has seen changes in both the women and the reasons they come to WEN. In the early years, program participants were mainly women on welfare who needed to enter the workforce. “They had great hope, great energy and a desire for change”, she says.