Joanne Williams,
Accounting Manager
 hen Joanne
Williams was asked what she likes about accounting, she said, "I like it when things
balance."
This is true for Williams not only on the job but also in her personal life. She has a
deep appreciation for the "simple joys"—gardening, listening to music or
just taking a walk—and finding a good balance between her personal time and other
responsibilities.
   Williams
grew up in Oradell, New Jersey, and graduated with a degree in accounting from
Fairleigh-Dickinson University in Teaneck. She worked with a small CPA firm right after
college and soon after became an accounting manager with an international manufacturing
company.
In 1990, Williams and her husband, Godfrey, decided to move to California, where
Williams’ two older brothers had been living for many years. She landed a job as
accounting manager for Old Country Bakery, a division of Entemann’s, in North
Hollywood. She later took a similar job with Artisan Entertainment, a film and video
company.
"I love the nature of what we do, and I'm very interested in
what we accomplish with our grantmaking."
After having worked for several years with for-profit companies, Williams decided that
she wanted a change. "My corporate work experience was valuable, but I needed
something that would mean a little more to me," she said.
In September 1997, the accounting manager position became available at The California
Wellness Foundation, which was exactly the type of job Williams was looking for.
"I love the nature of what we do, and I’m very interested in what we
accomplish with our grantmaking," she said. "Being in accounting, I see the
paperwork come through, but it’s also nice to know how our grants are being used and
to know that we are helping so many people in need."
Health care and health promotion are especially dear to Williams, because she has been
interested in medicine since she was in college.
"I have always enjoyed reading articles about medicine. I think it’s
fascinating," she said. "But accounting was a more practical career for me, and
it’s been a good match."
Williams is not only interested in the academic side of medicine, but also the
personal, nurturing nature of health care. Recently, when her father became quite ill, she
visited him frequently in a nursing home. During those visits, she made an effort to spend
time with others in the home as well.
"It was very sad to see people there who didn’t have any visitors," she
said. "There was one woman in particular who would often pull up her wheelchair next
to us when my father and I were talking. I think she was just lonely."
In her spare time, Williams is an avid golfer and participates in social golf
tournaments. She also likes to travel. Every few years she and her husband visit England,
which is Godfrey’s homeland.
Williams said she is happy with the balance she has found in both her professional and
personal life. "After the previous positions I’ve had, I’m glad I found
this job now," she said. "This is the perfect place for me."
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