Meet Angie Williamson – Leadership Coshocton County Class of 2023
Angie Williamson grew up in Columbus, Ohio. A graduate of Whitehall High School, she was focused on academics and family. Her first job while still in high school was working at a skating rink, which she remembers fondly. Following high school, she attended OU Lancaster and DeVry University, studying accounting. An illness in the family, however, brought her back home and she went to work for her aunt and uncle who owned the 7-Eleven on Lane Avenue across from the OSU Stadium/“The Shoe.” She then worked for 16 years for the Franklin County Office on Aging in the finance department until she relocated to Coshocton with her partner, Jeff Foster.
Jeff’s family had deep roots in Jackson Township, Coshocton County, and commuting to and from Coshocton and Columbus became difficult so the decision was made to move here to care for the family home. Williamson accepted a position with Ohio Heritage Bank and worked there until the transition to People’s Bank. She then worked part-time for Coshocton Trucking while her daughter was in school. This arrangement was a win-win as Williamson could still work but be a stay-at-home mom.
After four years, Williamson was ready to move into a new role that would take advantage of her many skillsets, and she accepted employment with the City of Coshocton as administrative assistant for public works, streets and cemeteries. In this position, Williamson interacts with the community; city hall and local elected officials; funeral directors and the co-workers who diligently care for the city’s four cemeteries which include 19,000 burials. In her busy, one-woman office, Williamson handles all aspects of burials within the City of Coshocton cemeteries, accepting payments; scheduling of funerals/burials; working with local funeral homes and the public to schedule burials and obtain all necessary and pertinent information. She schedules “footers,” the concrete slabs poured for head stones and coordinates with monument companies and families for delivery and placement. She is passionate about her work serving the community in this capacity, and knows that more often than not, she is the first point of contact for a grieving family member. Williamson states she “wants people to feel welcome;” that she “cares about their needs and to walk out feeling like they’ve been taken care of.”
On the street department side of her work, Williamson enters work orders regarding street repairs such as potholes; missing or incorrect street signs or street lights that are malfunctioning. She takes calls not only from the general public but also from city administration. She is also responsible for accepting orders from the City Safety Service Director Max Crown as it relates to street closures for events and relaying that information to the public via public service announcements in local media. She makes public utilities calls prior to digging, and enjoys the opportunity to “go out on job sites” and observe what the street crew is doing.
Finally, in addition to handling the day-day operations of business related to streets and cemeteries, Williamson is responsible for payables for all bills related to streets and cemeteries as well as payroll and reconciling monthly reports.
While conducting the interview, Williamson handled a funeral procession; accepted burial payments and paperwork; took multiple reports of a malfunctioning street light and accepted the return of borrowed street signs used for the county fair. It’s no wonder Williamson was recognized as the Rotary “2022 Employee of the Year” at the Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce dinner.
When she is not handling the city’s business related to streets and cemeteries, Williamson is a second-year member of the United Way Board, and volunteers for the Chamber of Commerce “as often as she can.” She enjoys being “sports-mom” to her athletic daughter, who plays soccer, basketball and softball.
While employed for Coshocton Trucking, Tim Vance had recommended Williamson for Leadership Coshocton. At the time she wasn’t in the position to attend and also didn’t know what it was. In 2022 during a United Way Board Retreat, fellow board member and LCC alumna Leondra Davis talked to her about the program and recommended her for participation. After learning more, Williamson was interested and upon receiving the full support of the city and the recommendation to apply, she decided now was the time. Through her participation in the program, Williamson hopes to have a greater impact on the community. In the short-term, she sees the class project and networking opportunities as having an impact; in the long-term, she stresses growing the “right relationships,” stating, “Know more people, know more.”
Williamson views the community as “very good;” that it “comes together when needed;” citing examples such as the United Way of Coshocton, the Upper Room Assembly Food Pantry and first responders. She did state, however, that upon moving to Coshocton, it didn’t have that “small-town” feel as expected. This she states, is in part to a lack of communication surrounding community events; no central location to share information about events or local businesses. As a new member of the community, she would have appreciated community information related to events and businesses.
The key to making Coshocton County Stronger, states Williamson is “combating poverty and continuing to grow with seasoned and new businesses.” She also emphasized a central location to share community events as a means of strengthening the ties within the county.
Williamson would recommend Leadership Coshocton for others, stating, “As a community, it is important to grow relationships; to make an impact and continue to make an impact. Leadership brings that together in one common goal.”
Category: People & Places
