Name: Jamie Williams
Age: 34
Occupation: Integrated Marketing Communications
Business/workplace: Marion Senior Services
Grand goal in life: Advocating for arts and culture to help others be inspired by their beauty, while always being a “knowledge sponge” and learning as much as possible about the things that inspire me.
When not working, I . . . am a total “culture vulture.” I pursue my passions in arts and culture through prolifically reading, playing piano, watching documentaries and classic films, architectural photography, and traveling all over to art museums and galleries to see the latest exhibitions.
What I like about Ocala: Its central location in Florida renders it an ideal jumping-off point for road trips to a variety of cultured areas of the Southeast. It takes just as long to get to Charleston, S.C. and Atlanta, Ga. as it does to get to Miami Beach.
Pet peeve: People who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom.
Philosophy of life word: Create.
Personal superpower: Always seeing the potential in everything to be more beautiful – to see the before and imagine the after; to see the function and find the form. You can never have too much beauty in the world; it’s both calming and inspiring.
Superhuman power I’d like: Ability to fly.
Favorite cause: Historic preservation. It’s important everywhere, but especially in Florida, as greedy developers continuously destroy architectural gems and places of historical importance to build ugly condos, strip malls, subdivisions where all the houses look the same, car dealerships, and worst of all, Wal-Marts. History and architecture should be experienced, not just read about or viewed via archived photographs and video.
Guilty pleasure: Bubblegum pop music.
Historical dinner date: Grace Kelly – she’s elegance epitomized and comfortably confident; plus, I’d love to hear her stories of Hollywood’s Golden Age and life in Monaco.
People who know me say I am . . . colorful.
Biggest professional achievement: I was part of a pro bono awareness and grant writing campaign that helped raise more than $500K to erect a D-Day memorial in Normandy, France for U.S. Navy sailors, the results of which were featured on NBC’s TODAY Show.
Favorite part of my profession: Public relations routinely makes lists of the most stressful jobs one can have, and I’d have to agree with that assessment. However, the moments I enjoy most are the occasions to utilize my artistic/creative mind and break the status quo. Having these opportunities helps balance out the more stressful aspects.
I indulge too much in. . . purchasing coffee table books on art and architecture.
