Gloria Williamson.

Former state Sen. Gloria Chisolm Williamson, 69, has been a champion for Mississippi in her many roles.

A Philadelphia, Miss. native, Williamson grew up in the Chisolm College community on a dairy farm. She attended Neshoba Central and Philadelphia high schools, as well as East Central Community College.

Following a successful career with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Williamson served eight years in the Mississippi Senate. She was first elected in 1999 while serving as chair of the Mississippi Democratic Party. Since then, she has served as chair of the Forestry Committee, vice chair of Mississippi Game and Fish Committee, secretary of the county affairs Committee and a member of the Agriculture Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, Appropriations Committee, Economic Development and Tourism Committee, Labor Committee, Library Committee and National Rural Development Committee. In the regular session of 2008, Senate Resolution 11 was passed to recognize her achievements and civic involvement.

Williamson’s politics did not deter her community involvement. She has been involved with the Women’s Political Network, Futura Club, Philadelphia Arts Council, Mississippi Heritage Trust, Organization of Competitive Markets, Land, Timber, Water, and Resource Board, Board of Directors for the Mississippi Arts Fair for Handicapped, and chair of the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women.

She was recently appointed to the National Advisory Committee for the Institute of Women Policy Research in Washington, D.C. In this role, she will work with their “Status of Women in the States” reports, analyzing data and using it to bring to light issues surrounding women in the United States by creating task forces, acquiring funding and generally helping states better serve their women.

A press release states that the institute “conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promotes public dialog, and strengthens families, communities and societies. It is the leading think tank in the United States focusing primarily on domestic women’s issues.”

Williamson is married to Ed Williamson. She has two daughters, two step-daughters and 11 grandchildren. She and her husband are active members of the First United Methodist Church of Philadelphia.