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Tycely Williams, President of Junior League Washington, discusses her comfort level in connecting with people ~\n\n"Growing up in the deep south, we spent lots of times on a porch and there wasn't television or radio. You were encouraged to connect person to person and there was oral history and the elders who would recount stories in comical ways. Things were animated and it was just lovely and lively, like our exchange has been today. So I just grew up in a culture that created that type of environment and as a result, I just feel very comfortable connecting with people."\n\nTycely Williams, Development Consultant to Non-Profits and host Andy Ockershausen in studio interview\n\nAndy Ockershausen:\tThis is Andy Ockershausen. This is Our Town, and I am so excited to be here at this time in this place with this lovely lady. I'm gonna tell you about it, but this is so special to me and to Our Town. I met Tycely, and Tycely is a combination of Cicely and Tyson. And I love it. I was introduced\nto her by a story I saw in the Washington Business Journal. I give them credits, and I was so impressed with this young lady, with her face and her demeanor and the fact that she was working for an organization I've heard of all my life, had no idea what they were doing. But I knew about Georgetown 'cause that's where our offices are. \n\tSo I walked down the street and walked in this building, and said, "I'm here to see the new head of the Junior League of Washington, Tycely is the one." And Tycely Williams, welcome to Our Town.\nTycely Williams:\tAndy, thank you for having me, and thanks for the kind words. That really means a lot.\nAndy Ockershausen:\tWell, you know, seriously, that's how I discovered you and how important ... I had no idea what the Junior League was doing.\nTycely Williams:\tYes.\nAndy Ockershausen:\tI think I've talked to you about that. My image of Junior League goes back 50, 60 years, but I thought it was a very, very volatile group of lovely women that met at the Mayflower and had teas. And they had a lot of involvement in the city. I knew that, and I knew about the building in Georgetown.\nTycely Williams:\tYes.\nAndy Ockershausen:\tAnd to be in Georgetown, I think, is a coup.\nTycely Williams:\tYes, it's fantastic.\nAndy Ockershausen:\tAnd to find out the Junior League is down the street from our office is opened the door for me, and I found out a lot about you by doing that. I'm so delighted that you are Junior League.\nFirst African-American President of The Junior League of Washington\nTycely Williams:\tAww, Andy, thanks so much. It's been a great opportunity to lead the organization. I'm learning a lot, and I'm having the opportunity to connect with people within Our Town that are doing great works. So it's just a really exciting time to lead an organization that's focused on volunteerism and developing the potential of women because that's who we are, and that's what we do.\nAndy Ockershausen:\tIt's more important every day, Tycely, and what I discovered about you is that you were the first woman, or female, or girl of color to head this organization. And I am so delighted for them to have you because I know what you bring to it.\nTycely Williams:\tOh, Andy, thank you. That means-\nAndy Ockershausen:\tYou bring a difference, and differences are important. I really believe that.\nDiversity Exists Within The Junior League in Various Forms\nTycely Williams:\tAbsolutely. The organization is celebrating 106 years of service this year, and we are all collectively excited about the opportunity to have a woman of color leading the organization. Like you said, diversity exists in various forms. So also within the Junior League, we have women of all ages.\nAndy Ockershausen:\tI know that - that's amazing. \nTycely Williams:\tSo you referenced-\nAndy Ockershausen:\tThat's amazing.\nTycely Williams:\tYeah. So you referenced earlier that you've known of the Junior League of Washington for quite some time.\nAndy Ockershausen:\tForever.