Williams, Joe, 2010 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient
Item
Title
Williams, Joe, 2010 Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award recipient
Description
Talks about his surprise and gratitude at receiving the Leon S. Peters Distinguished Service Award, talks about growing up in Fresno, working as a farm laborer, joining the army and attending Fresno City College and Fresno State. He discusses running for City Council and winning and facing discrimination and overcoming it through hard work and perseverance. He talks about working as head of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission and how rewarding it was to help low income people in the community. He talks about meeting Leon S. Peters as a student and following in his footsteps by serving on boards at both Fresno State and Community Hospital. He also talks about his family and advice for young people just starting out on their own as well as challenges facing the Fresno community.
Creator
Williams, Joe
Mehas, Dr. Peter G.
Relation
Leon S. Peters Legacy Collection
Coverage
Fresno, California
Date
2/5/2010
Format
Microsoft Word 2003 document, 8 pages
Identifier
SCMS_lspl_00024
extracted text
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Okay, Joe Williams, 2010 Leon S. Peters recipient. The
most prestigious, the most recognized award that is given to a citizen in the
Central Valley for accomplishments that reflect the life of Leon S. Peters;
philanthropy, community service, love of community, helping ones fellow man.
Joe, what did it mean to you as a 1956 graduate of Edison High School, former
great athlete, good successful businessman as Leon S. Peters was, what did it
mean to you to be named the recipient, to join the ranks of the Smittcamps and
the Eatons and I can go through the Duncans, Fred Ruiz, the Helen Smades, all
past Leon S. Peters -- pillars of our community. What did it mean to you and
your family?
>>Joe Williams: Well after we got over the shock of it, Pete, it was, I had no
idea that my name was being submitted. And once it hit me it was just as you
said, this is the highest in my opinion and probably many others, the highest
award anybody in this community could receive. And it also means that you give
back, you show that you care for the community and that we're not takers, we're
givers. And being here all my life and looking at where our community has come
from and knowing Peters, you know, we all know Leon Peters and although he's a
small man, he had a big step. And the community reflects that and I've had an
opportunity to follow behind some of that and I certainly am honored to even be
in the breath of some of the other people that has won the award because it
isn't anything, one thing you do, it's a variety of things that you have to do
and I, and I've done those things lovingly. I, and God has blessed me to be in a
position where I can give back to the community, I do respect my community and I
have some history about my community. So to me that's always very important. I
know from whence we come. And I also believe to whom God has given a great deal
to, much is expected from him. So this is my way of saying to this community,
thank you very much and I'm deeply honored by it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You absolutely hit the nail on the head when you said to
give back because that was the whole essence of Leon S. Peters as he instructed
his friends and family, he said you need to give back to your community. And
clearly your life reflects that. Let's chat a little bit about growing up. Tell
me what it was like growing up in Fresno and you and some of your other
colleagues have become very successful, well we’ll talk about Aldredge and I’ll
go through the whole crew of those guys, have made a mark on the City of Fresno.
You served on the Fresno City Council, you had one of the largest federal and
state programs in terms of the EOC which was no easy task over the years.
>>Joe Williams: Right, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So give us a little bit about you, about growing up, about
going to Edison High School and the value of your athletic experience.
>>Joe Williams: We knew when growing up in Fresno, Pete, you had to work hard.
The work ethics thing was very important to all of us because for us we had, we
knew that if we worked that we could achieve some things. But we started out
working in the fields and you, you know, you just knew that was the way of life.
I never knew that we were poor until I got to college and somebody said if you
were making this amount of money you were poor. And then we said, well everybody
on the block was poor because it wasn't just us. But it was an opportunity for
us to gain a lot of ways to stick to things. You don't quit, you just keep
pushing it. And we all knew that there was something coming that we could be
able to move forward to, had no idea what that was. The only thing our parents
would tell us, and my mother and father had a fourth grade education, they would
preach you've got to get an education, you got to work hard. And, you know, you
just got to treat people the way you want to be treated. And that was like the
mentoring concerns that we all, all of us in West Fresno at that time was
hearing from our parents. You know, going to Edison I met lifelong friends, Jim
Hendricks, Aldredge, Cal Johnson, and all those guys. We went into the army
together for three years so we, we're fortunate enough where we all kind of went
our separate ways but we've been able to do some things to make ourselves feel
proud about being here in Fresno and the opportunities that Fresno gave us. At
City College, Fresno State, we all felt like we're glad we didn't leave and go
someplace else because it does give me a sense of, I've seen the community, I
know what I can do to help the community and we all kind of said these are the
things we need to try to do. You may be aware of the project that we're building
in West Fresno. It was, it started out a [inaudible] and, you know, what can we
do to help? I ran for the City Council because somebody said well an African
American can never win or be elected to the City Council in Fresno or elected
position. We took the attitude it depends on how you run the campaign. If you
run the campaign that appeals to the general community you can win. And we won.
So we've, that whole attitude about in Fresno you can live wherever you want to
live. You can affiliate and participate with people wherever you want in this
community. There's never been a feeling of boundaries for us. We felt that we
can do it if we work hard. Everything reverts around how much you want to put in
and how hard you want to work. And then, you know, again getting back to the old
philosophy of making sure that you do the best you can for people and that you
don't take advantage of it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And a lot of young people will not recognize that you did
grow up in an era where there was nationwide blatant discrimination.
>>Joe Williams: Oh yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And, and, and yet you didn't, you weren't bitter, you
focused on achieving and success and where it could have been very, very easy to
be like a lot of folks going around angry who had a right, who had a right to be
->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But as I think of the gentlemen who you mentioned you
could have, you could have made excuses but I never, in all the years that I've
known you, you've never whined or complained or make excuses, you just put your
nose to the grindstone and you grinded it out.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, you always, you always look for opportunities, Pete. It's
easy to say this is what's happening and therefore I'm stuck now. You look for
opportunities. When I took over EOC, I loved every day I worked there, every day
for 24 years, I loved every day. The day I left it was like I was leaving a
member of my family or something because I knew the time was for me to move on
to something much more challenging for me at that time but I also loved
everything that I was doing, we were doing at EOC because we knew who the
customer was, we knew who the clients were, we knew what we had to do to help
them. And by doing it, you didn't wonder about am I doing or making the right
decision. No, it was clear. We're here to help low income and poor people in
this community. The minute you forget that then you don't need to be in the job.
I left at a time where I wanted to say, you know, could I handle being a
businessman? I've been under some very tough scrutiny as handling federal
dollars as you know. Could I take this opportunity and become a businessman and
be successful? So once again, I had an opportunity to work with some friends,
which I thought, generally you say, working with friends don't work that well
because you, you know each other too well. Well I was absolutely wrong about
that. I had a chance to partner with a friend of mine, Richard Heath, who we
spent a lot of years together as friends and we were able to build a company
that created a lot of other opportunities for people in this community. And by
the way we, we worked for various utilities and we weatherize or supervise the
weatherizing of thousands of homes that are low income or senior homes. And this
year on the PG&E’s program we've weatherized last year 81,000 units. And that's
from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. So we're doing something that makes a
difference in peoples lives. And that's why I look at this community and I say,
I'm truly blessed to stay home, I didn't want to go anywhere and I wanted to
prove that my community and I still believe it is the best community for me
right now. It always has.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Certainly we have been the beneficiary of you staying
home. Let's talk a little bit about Leon S. Peters. You mentioned the fact that
he was small in size but gigantic in stature. Did you have the opportunity to
personally meet Leon and how would you describe him if you were talking to some
young folks today and said, gee who is this guy Leon S. Peters?
>>Joe Williams: My recollection of Mr. Peters was he's a very quiet man. And,
and there was nothing flamboyant about it, it was a, if you will a common kind
of thing about him. And I was a student at the time I think out at Fresno State
and, and I, you were impressed but you don't know why, you just, because I never
knew financially where he stood and all that. It was just one of those kind of
people that you meet in the community and you shake their hand and you, you know
that you're dealing with somebody with some very strong character here. And you
ran into that. I had the same experience when I first met Duncan, it was like
here's a guy who's doing so much for people and, and if you not pay attention
you wouldn't even know he was there half the time. And I, so that was, that was
my experience with it. But I also knew and I served on the hospital Board of
Directors at Community Hospital, there was a strong commitment that we had to do
things right there. And when you looked at, you know, various people who had
been on that Board and who had nurtured the hospital to the point to where it
was when I got on, it clearly told you that, you know, people have a very
valuable opinion of him. And they appreciated his, not only his work as a Board
member but his, his philanthropy around the hospital. And so I, I am, I was
always in awe with people who, who didn't have to talk a lot, you know, because
sometimes you don't want to talk a lot. And you see people who can move things
and they never raise their voice and they never stand on a platform to say, here
this is why this needs to be done. So when I look at this award I am, I hope in
some ways I've reflected that kind of attitude, the same as Mr. Peters, as well
as some of the other people that have received the award. And again Pete, I'm
honored to be even considered that. And by the way, I know you know this but, to
be the first African American to receive this award is, makes it twice as good.
It, it's, once again it reflects this community and the character that we have
in this community.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you hit upon two things of loves of Leon Peters, he
had many, but the occasions that you met him, Community Hospital was one of his
big, big ->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you well know and California State University, Fresno.
He was a Bulldog. Now he had many other things, the Philharmonic, the zoos and
all that but clearly Community Hospital for you to have that opportunity to work
not only as a Board member but also out of, out at Fresno State. And on the
other area clearly in terms of it does reflect and I think there could be no one
more deserving in the sense and I know you do, your demeanor reflects a very
much that of Mr. Peters. You're quiet, you don't, I've never heard you stand on
a pedestal and, and pontificate. But you quietly go about getting things done.
And I think the role model and I know you feel uncomfortable me saying this but
you're role model I think not only as a community leader but to be the first
African American to receive this award sets an example for other people whether
they're Afro American, Greek, Armenian or whatever ->>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But you, it clearly is I think is an honor not only to you
but to the community as well. Tell us a little bit about your family in terms of
I know you've always ->>Joe Williams: Well, yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: --in terms of family's been important to you.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, I have two sons, one of my son's in business here, other
lives in San Francisco and my, and a daughter. I have three, four grandkids.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Four?
>>Joe Williams: Four grandkids. I have one that's eleven, a young boy who's very
athletic and very bright. And I have a young daughter who is eight who I think
will like all grandparents, I think the world of and I know she's going to great
things too. The other two are in college and trying to figure out which way
they're going in life. The only thing I sometimes wonder about, Pete, is that
kids don't have the opportunity that we had. There's no way to serve unless you
want to serve in the military. We've got to allow kids an opportunity to say, I
can volunteer for the Peace Corps, I can volunteer to work in a community for a
summer. We have to see things sometimes beyond us. Haiti right now to me is an
excellent opportunity for our country to say to young people, how would you like
to spend a year in the Peace Corps or whatever corps working to serve and save
this community. I think sometimes we have to come out of our own roots and go
into other things that forces us to look at things differently and help educate
us that what we think is bad, what we think is really beyond us or holding us
back, when you go into another situation you recognize that, you know what, this
is nothing compared to what these people are going through. And I, like you, I
said I look at Haiti I said, there should be a way for us to muster young people
that want to do something that will commit a year of their life out of college
or whatever to go in and help rebuild a community that's in really serious bad
shape. I looked at New Orleans the same way and, and how we were able to get
various groups of people going into New Orleans and doing work. One of my
partners in our company spends about two weeks in New Orleans with about forty
students building houses. And we help sponsor all that, the goods to help get
that done. So I really think, you know, when I look at all this stuff and I'm
saying, you know, there's got to be another way for us to give our kids the
opportunities that they need. If jobs are tight and we can't give them
employment can we figure out a way where they could do community services,
social services, where they can then gain some experience? And learn this thing
about I can, I can do it, I want to do it and I'm going to do it, I'm going to
get it done. Sometimes I think by not allowing them those opportunities we don't
have neighborhood youth corps, we don't have all the things that you and I had
when we were coming along, so we've got to think outside the box and outside the
box for our youth has got to be what kind of services can you do for your
country? And if it's not military, what other services can we entice our young
people to participate in? And I really believe that that's critical for the
future that we, going forward as long as the employment situation is what it is.
If we don't create opportunities for them, they'll find opportunities elsewhere
which usually end up being trouble. So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well the, I think your example of how we learned a sense
of community and how we found out that it's more then just us, that you find out
and it's almost biblical when you cast your bread upon the water, it comes back
in full.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And those early experiences that we were fortunate to have
gave us that sense of community and gave us that sense of I think generally
caring for our fellow man and it's not just simply about us. And your background
with the military, I think we've lost, ‘cause the military was a great way to
not only teach people, to get young men at that age a sense of direction, a
compass.
>>Joe Williams: That's right, that's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As they, as they went though. A couple last things that
you hit upon it, you know, talking to your grandkids, talking to young people,
again without preaching to them but giving them some advice about going out into
the world. Because a lot of them want to make their first couple million right
now, want to be President of the Board and, and as you know you did it, you did
it the hard way. What advice would you give young people today growing up and
you alluded to some of it but what advice would you tell them?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I think right now Pete, we try to make sure that
people understand that opportunities will come. And to use an athletic phrase,
you always have to be prepared so when the opportunity does come, you're not,
you're already in shape, you don't have to worry about trying to get in shape.
You already have worked hard to put yourself in the position where you can take
advantage of it. And if you're waiting for the opportunity, you'll miss it. So
you just have to make sure that people understand our, our youth understand that
while you're in school, work hard, do the best you can and develop that ethics
about I'm ready, I am ready. So that when somebody looking for a special person
you'll shine, you just will shine. But you always got to say if you sit here and
you feel sorry for yourself and poor me, opportunities will go right by you.
Because I'm looking for somebody who's ready to play right now, who's ready to
go to work right now. That if you're working for me you can go into the
community orientated business and not be embarrassed by that, and I know that
you're ready to do the job that you have been hired to do. It is, it is, it's
hard out there and it's hard to keep the spirit up and keep kids motivated to be
ready to do things. But I have to look at athletes again, because that's the
primary example, I'm on the taxi squad so I stay in shape and one day I may get
the call. And if I get the call I can't say I'm not in shape and I'm not ready
to play. The same with life, I see it the same way. That you, you have to make
sure that you continue to move forward even though you may be disappointed by
some things and some things are not coming your way but you've to be there and
you've got to say, here's why I can achieve. And if you believe that you can
achieve, you will achieve. It, it's just, it's not a miracle, it's hey, I, I
know I can do it, I need an opportunity to do it and then somebody's going to
give you the opportunity. And you can't drop the ball then. You've got to be
ready to play.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've been in this community all of your life and the
Leon S. Peters is a reflection of someone who's given to the community, a
successful businessman, and I've mentioned earlier a genuine care for others.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our community? You know, high
unemployment rates, there's all kinds of [inaudible] with water, the state isn't
tough. But in your opinion and I know there's multiple factors but what would
you say probably is our biggest challenge as a community?
>>Joe Williams: Wow Pete. I, right now the things that stand out in my mind is
that when I was growing up this is the, this is the breadbasket of the world.
And for us to have an issue over water and this is the breadbasket of the world.
We feed our entire community off agribusiness and agriculture. And for somebody
to tell me that we've got land, lots of land in this community that's not being
used and we can export food all over the world, it just seems to me that,
politics or whatever, that issue has to be resolved. Because it's like a ripple
effect and the ripple effect is, sure maybe in Mendota and Firebaugh, but it
hits all the way through this valley. When it hits through the valley it ends up
hitting Sacramento and if we can't balance a budget and can't figure out a way
to take care of our government and our needs in our state, then the ripple
effect is businesses like mine will say I can just move to Nevada and I don't
have to pay any taxes. I can get out of here and I can, you know, I can have a
little larger net profit. So we have to figure out a way to make doing business
in California is attractive and special but first we've got to take care of
what's happening to the small and farmers at one time we were worried about
people not wanting to farm. We've got the grandkids would sell all the property
off and leave. Now we have people who want to farm. And we have a cadre of
people who are unemployed because they can't work on the farms. It all kinds, it
all is like the four rings, it's all tied together. And if, if and when we
figure out some of those things, California will be prosperous again.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: The great Californian, Fresnan, writer and playwright
William Saroyan, once said, I always knew that people died but somehow I thought
I was the exception. You and I are getting to the age that we found out that
we're not the exception.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I remember the words of Knute Rockne, when Knute
Rockne said, when the great scorekeeper writes up the score it matters not
whether you win or lost but how you played the game. How do you want the great
scorekeeper write in his scorebook about the life of Joe Williams? What do you
want the great scorekeeper to say?
>>Joe Williams: I just want him say that you left things better then you, then
it was when you got here. That you improved conditions and that you were fair
and you were dedicated and you believed. And I, you know, that's the summary of
it. I just want to be able to say that when I came here it was this way, when I
left it was this way, it was better. And I, you know, I look at all my kids and
I try to get them to understand the same thing and you mentioned before about
family, my wife shares my philosophy about things and she's a major part, a
major player in my life for the last 35 years. So everything that comes to me
Pete really comes to her because she's the rock and she's the balance. And as
you know our wives are the balance for us. I mean we can walk and think we're
walking out there by ourselves but when we know when we stumble, you know, the
first person we run back to is our spouses and say listen, tell me about this, I
did this; did I do the right thing or the wrong thing? So the moral compass that
I have is what I believe in internally that's been taught to me by my parents.
But I have a partner that share that belief and we share the truth. You know, so
I don't know if I answered your question but that's, that's...
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well very, very well there Joe. In fact I used to ask my
wife to critique my presentations until I asked her one time did I miss anything
and she told me several opportunities to sit down and it was best advice I'd
ever, I'd ever gotten. Joe, being the teacher that I am, you know, any good test
you always say did I miss anything that I should have asked you? So this is just
an open-ended question, is there anything that I, I should have hit upon, I'm
sure there's lots of things that anything you'd just like to express?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I don't know, Pete, I don't know of anything right
now. But there is one thing that I think you and I share and we, we've been
involved in this community a lot of years is that we all have to keep figuring
out ways to come together on things. There's no one way to do anything and
sometimes we as politicians kind of feel like we always know that one way to do
it. We have to as a political community, we have to keep in mind that there are
a lot of other opinions out there and that we all have to kind of figure out a
way to how do we solicit those opinions? And I just want to make sure that as
our community moves forward that we look around to make sure that we're not
leaving a segment of the community behind because we don’t hear from them, they
don't yell at us and they don't get our attention. And we just keep moving. And
I'm referring to West Fresno and the importance of Southeast Fresno and that we
continue to make sure that our approach to solving problems continues to be
balanced and that we don't overlook any segment in the community because the
geographic communities that we're, I'm referring to, they've changed. West
Fresno now is not a total one, this community, Southeast Fresno is not total,
you know, one ethnic community. So I'm just hoping that in the future that we
continue to make sure that we involve the various community as we try to wrestle
with a lot of political and difficult decisions that we're faced with. I'm not
saying anybody's doing that but I just know that there's a pattern there that
we've started and we have to make sure that if we lose somebody we're going to
miss some opportunities. That's all.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, in particular
Bob Carter who has been one of your champions.
>>Joe Williams: And that's my mentor too.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And your mentor and he certainly I think was extremely
wise in his nomination of you. So on behalf of the Chamber, I just want to
congratulate you.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For a lifetime of community service, a lifetime of caring
and I know you'll continue to do so because that's who you are. And I really
believe knowing Leon S. Peters and the characteristics you described about him;
you in so many ways have followed in the footsteps that he would like our
community leaders to follow. So Joe sincerely, congratulations ->>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: -- to you and your family. And I know that sometimes you
feel uncomfortable about these accolades but enjoy this now because it's well,
well deserved and well, well earned. And may God continue to bless you and your
family which you've done for our community.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you Pete. I appreciate that.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Okay?
>>Joe Williams: Okay.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
most prestigious, the most recognized award that is given to a citizen in the
Central Valley for accomplishments that reflect the life of Leon S. Peters;
philanthropy, community service, love of community, helping ones fellow man.
Joe, what did it mean to you as a 1956 graduate of Edison High School, former
great athlete, good successful businessman as Leon S. Peters was, what did it
mean to you to be named the recipient, to join the ranks of the Smittcamps and
the Eatons and I can go through the Duncans, Fred Ruiz, the Helen Smades, all
past Leon S. Peters -- pillars of our community. What did it mean to you and
your family?
>>Joe Williams: Well after we got over the shock of it, Pete, it was, I had no
idea that my name was being submitted. And once it hit me it was just as you
said, this is the highest in my opinion and probably many others, the highest
award anybody in this community could receive. And it also means that you give
back, you show that you care for the community and that we're not takers, we're
givers. And being here all my life and looking at where our community has come
from and knowing Peters, you know, we all know Leon Peters and although he's a
small man, he had a big step. And the community reflects that and I've had an
opportunity to follow behind some of that and I certainly am honored to even be
in the breath of some of the other people that has won the award because it
isn't anything, one thing you do, it's a variety of things that you have to do
and I, and I've done those things lovingly. I, and God has blessed me to be in a
position where I can give back to the community, I do respect my community and I
have some history about my community. So to me that's always very important. I
know from whence we come. And I also believe to whom God has given a great deal
to, much is expected from him. So this is my way of saying to this community,
thank you very much and I'm deeply honored by it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You absolutely hit the nail on the head when you said to
give back because that was the whole essence of Leon S. Peters as he instructed
his friends and family, he said you need to give back to your community. And
clearly your life reflects that. Let's chat a little bit about growing up. Tell
me what it was like growing up in Fresno and you and some of your other
colleagues have become very successful, well we’ll talk about Aldredge and I’ll
go through the whole crew of those guys, have made a mark on the City of Fresno.
You served on the Fresno City Council, you had one of the largest federal and
state programs in terms of the EOC which was no easy task over the years.
>>Joe Williams: Right, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So give us a little bit about you, about growing up, about
going to Edison High School and the value of your athletic experience.
>>Joe Williams: We knew when growing up in Fresno, Pete, you had to work hard.
The work ethics thing was very important to all of us because for us we had, we
knew that if we worked that we could achieve some things. But we started out
working in the fields and you, you know, you just knew that was the way of life.
I never knew that we were poor until I got to college and somebody said if you
were making this amount of money you were poor. And then we said, well everybody
on the block was poor because it wasn't just us. But it was an opportunity for
us to gain a lot of ways to stick to things. You don't quit, you just keep
pushing it. And we all knew that there was something coming that we could be
able to move forward to, had no idea what that was. The only thing our parents
would tell us, and my mother and father had a fourth grade education, they would
preach you've got to get an education, you got to work hard. And, you know, you
just got to treat people the way you want to be treated. And that was like the
mentoring concerns that we all, all of us in West Fresno at that time was
hearing from our parents. You know, going to Edison I met lifelong friends, Jim
Hendricks, Aldredge, Cal Johnson, and all those guys. We went into the army
together for three years so we, we're fortunate enough where we all kind of went
our separate ways but we've been able to do some things to make ourselves feel
proud about being here in Fresno and the opportunities that Fresno gave us. At
City College, Fresno State, we all felt like we're glad we didn't leave and go
someplace else because it does give me a sense of, I've seen the community, I
know what I can do to help the community and we all kind of said these are the
things we need to try to do. You may be aware of the project that we're building
in West Fresno. It was, it started out a [inaudible] and, you know, what can we
do to help? I ran for the City Council because somebody said well an African
American can never win or be elected to the City Council in Fresno or elected
position. We took the attitude it depends on how you run the campaign. If you
run the campaign that appeals to the general community you can win. And we won.
So we've, that whole attitude about in Fresno you can live wherever you want to
live. You can affiliate and participate with people wherever you want in this
community. There's never been a feeling of boundaries for us. We felt that we
can do it if we work hard. Everything reverts around how much you want to put in
and how hard you want to work. And then, you know, again getting back to the old
philosophy of making sure that you do the best you can for people and that you
don't take advantage of it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And a lot of young people will not recognize that you did
grow up in an era where there was nationwide blatant discrimination.
>>Joe Williams: Oh yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And, and, and yet you didn't, you weren't bitter, you
focused on achieving and success and where it could have been very, very easy to
be like a lot of folks going around angry who had a right, who had a right to be
->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But as I think of the gentlemen who you mentioned you
could have, you could have made excuses but I never, in all the years that I've
known you, you've never whined or complained or make excuses, you just put your
nose to the grindstone and you grinded it out.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, you always, you always look for opportunities, Pete. It's
easy to say this is what's happening and therefore I'm stuck now. You look for
opportunities. When I took over EOC, I loved every day I worked there, every day
for 24 years, I loved every day. The day I left it was like I was leaving a
member of my family or something because I knew the time was for me to move on
to something much more challenging for me at that time but I also loved
everything that I was doing, we were doing at EOC because we knew who the
customer was, we knew who the clients were, we knew what we had to do to help
them. And by doing it, you didn't wonder about am I doing or making the right
decision. No, it was clear. We're here to help low income and poor people in
this community. The minute you forget that then you don't need to be in the job.
I left at a time where I wanted to say, you know, could I handle being a
businessman? I've been under some very tough scrutiny as handling federal
dollars as you know. Could I take this opportunity and become a businessman and
be successful? So once again, I had an opportunity to work with some friends,
which I thought, generally you say, working with friends don't work that well
because you, you know each other too well. Well I was absolutely wrong about
that. I had a chance to partner with a friend of mine, Richard Heath, who we
spent a lot of years together as friends and we were able to build a company
that created a lot of other opportunities for people in this community. And by
the way we, we worked for various utilities and we weatherize or supervise the
weatherizing of thousands of homes that are low income or senior homes. And this
year on the PG&E’s program we've weatherized last year 81,000 units. And that's
from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. So we're doing something that makes a
difference in peoples lives. And that's why I look at this community and I say,
I'm truly blessed to stay home, I didn't want to go anywhere and I wanted to
prove that my community and I still believe it is the best community for me
right now. It always has.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Certainly we have been the beneficiary of you staying
home. Let's talk a little bit about Leon S. Peters. You mentioned the fact that
he was small in size but gigantic in stature. Did you have the opportunity to
personally meet Leon and how would you describe him if you were talking to some
young folks today and said, gee who is this guy Leon S. Peters?
>>Joe Williams: My recollection of Mr. Peters was he's a very quiet man. And,
and there was nothing flamboyant about it, it was a, if you will a common kind
of thing about him. And I was a student at the time I think out at Fresno State
and, and I, you were impressed but you don't know why, you just, because I never
knew financially where he stood and all that. It was just one of those kind of
people that you meet in the community and you shake their hand and you, you know
that you're dealing with somebody with some very strong character here. And you
ran into that. I had the same experience when I first met Duncan, it was like
here's a guy who's doing so much for people and, and if you not pay attention
you wouldn't even know he was there half the time. And I, so that was, that was
my experience with it. But I also knew and I served on the hospital Board of
Directors at Community Hospital, there was a strong commitment that we had to do
things right there. And when you looked at, you know, various people who had
been on that Board and who had nurtured the hospital to the point to where it
was when I got on, it clearly told you that, you know, people have a very
valuable opinion of him. And they appreciated his, not only his work as a Board
member but his, his philanthropy around the hospital. And so I, I am, I was
always in awe with people who, who didn't have to talk a lot, you know, because
sometimes you don't want to talk a lot. And you see people who can move things
and they never raise their voice and they never stand on a platform to say, here
this is why this needs to be done. So when I look at this award I am, I hope in
some ways I've reflected that kind of attitude, the same as Mr. Peters, as well
as some of the other people that have received the award. And again Pete, I'm
honored to be even considered that. And by the way, I know you know this but, to
be the first African American to receive this award is, makes it twice as good.
It, it's, once again it reflects this community and the character that we have
in this community.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you hit upon two things of loves of Leon Peters, he
had many, but the occasions that you met him, Community Hospital was one of his
big, big ->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you well know and California State University, Fresno.
He was a Bulldog. Now he had many other things, the Philharmonic, the zoos and
all that but clearly Community Hospital for you to have that opportunity to work
not only as a Board member but also out of, out at Fresno State. And on the
other area clearly in terms of it does reflect and I think there could be no one
more deserving in the sense and I know you do, your demeanor reflects a very
much that of Mr. Peters. You're quiet, you don't, I've never heard you stand on
a pedestal and, and pontificate. But you quietly go about getting things done.
And I think the role model and I know you feel uncomfortable me saying this but
you're role model I think not only as a community leader but to be the first
African American to receive this award sets an example for other people whether
they're Afro American, Greek, Armenian or whatever ->>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But you, it clearly is I think is an honor not only to you
but to the community as well. Tell us a little bit about your family in terms of
I know you've always ->>Joe Williams: Well, yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: --in terms of family's been important to you.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, I have two sons, one of my son's in business here, other
lives in San Francisco and my, and a daughter. I have three, four grandkids.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Four?
>>Joe Williams: Four grandkids. I have one that's eleven, a young boy who's very
athletic and very bright. And I have a young daughter who is eight who I think
will like all grandparents, I think the world of and I know she's going to great
things too. The other two are in college and trying to figure out which way
they're going in life. The only thing I sometimes wonder about, Pete, is that
kids don't have the opportunity that we had. There's no way to serve unless you
want to serve in the military. We've got to allow kids an opportunity to say, I
can volunteer for the Peace Corps, I can volunteer to work in a community for a
summer. We have to see things sometimes beyond us. Haiti right now to me is an
excellent opportunity for our country to say to young people, how would you like
to spend a year in the Peace Corps or whatever corps working to serve and save
this community. I think sometimes we have to come out of our own roots and go
into other things that forces us to look at things differently and help educate
us that what we think is bad, what we think is really beyond us or holding us
back, when you go into another situation you recognize that, you know what, this
is nothing compared to what these people are going through. And I, like you, I
said I look at Haiti I said, there should be a way for us to muster young people
that want to do something that will commit a year of their life out of college
or whatever to go in and help rebuild a community that's in really serious bad
shape. I looked at New Orleans the same way and, and how we were able to get
various groups of people going into New Orleans and doing work. One of my
partners in our company spends about two weeks in New Orleans with about forty
students building houses. And we help sponsor all that, the goods to help get
that done. So I really think, you know, when I look at all this stuff and I'm
saying, you know, there's got to be another way for us to give our kids the
opportunities that they need. If jobs are tight and we can't give them
employment can we figure out a way where they could do community services,
social services, where they can then gain some experience? And learn this thing
about I can, I can do it, I want to do it and I'm going to do it, I'm going to
get it done. Sometimes I think by not allowing them those opportunities we don't
have neighborhood youth corps, we don't have all the things that you and I had
when we were coming along, so we've got to think outside the box and outside the
box for our youth has got to be what kind of services can you do for your
country? And if it's not military, what other services can we entice our young
people to participate in? And I really believe that that's critical for the
future that we, going forward as long as the employment situation is what it is.
If we don't create opportunities for them, they'll find opportunities elsewhere
which usually end up being trouble. So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well the, I think your example of how we learned a sense
of community and how we found out that it's more then just us, that you find out
and it's almost biblical when you cast your bread upon the water, it comes back
in full.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And those early experiences that we were fortunate to have
gave us that sense of community and gave us that sense of I think generally
caring for our fellow man and it's not just simply about us. And your background
with the military, I think we've lost, ‘cause the military was a great way to
not only teach people, to get young men at that age a sense of direction, a
compass.
>>Joe Williams: That's right, that's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As they, as they went though. A couple last things that
you hit upon it, you know, talking to your grandkids, talking to young people,
again without preaching to them but giving them some advice about going out into
the world. Because a lot of them want to make their first couple million right
now, want to be President of the Board and, and as you know you did it, you did
it the hard way. What advice would you give young people today growing up and
you alluded to some of it but what advice would you tell them?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I think right now Pete, we try to make sure that
people understand that opportunities will come. And to use an athletic phrase,
you always have to be prepared so when the opportunity does come, you're not,
you're already in shape, you don't have to worry about trying to get in shape.
You already have worked hard to put yourself in the position where you can take
advantage of it. And if you're waiting for the opportunity, you'll miss it. So
you just have to make sure that people understand our, our youth understand that
while you're in school, work hard, do the best you can and develop that ethics
about I'm ready, I am ready. So that when somebody looking for a special person
you'll shine, you just will shine. But you always got to say if you sit here and
you feel sorry for yourself and poor me, opportunities will go right by you.
Because I'm looking for somebody who's ready to play right now, who's ready to
go to work right now. That if you're working for me you can go into the
community orientated business and not be embarrassed by that, and I know that
you're ready to do the job that you have been hired to do. It is, it is, it's
hard out there and it's hard to keep the spirit up and keep kids motivated to be
ready to do things. But I have to look at athletes again, because that's the
primary example, I'm on the taxi squad so I stay in shape and one day I may get
the call. And if I get the call I can't say I'm not in shape and I'm not ready
to play. The same with life, I see it the same way. That you, you have to make
sure that you continue to move forward even though you may be disappointed by
some things and some things are not coming your way but you've to be there and
you've got to say, here's why I can achieve. And if you believe that you can
achieve, you will achieve. It, it's just, it's not a miracle, it's hey, I, I
know I can do it, I need an opportunity to do it and then somebody's going to
give you the opportunity. And you can't drop the ball then. You've got to be
ready to play.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've been in this community all of your life and the
Leon S. Peters is a reflection of someone who's given to the community, a
successful businessman, and I've mentioned earlier a genuine care for others.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our community? You know, high
unemployment rates, there's all kinds of [inaudible] with water, the state isn't
tough. But in your opinion and I know there's multiple factors but what would
you say probably is our biggest challenge as a community?
>>Joe Williams: Wow Pete. I, right now the things that stand out in my mind is
that when I was growing up this is the, this is the breadbasket of the world.
And for us to have an issue over water and this is the breadbasket of the world.
We feed our entire community off agribusiness and agriculture. And for somebody
to tell me that we've got land, lots of land in this community that's not being
used and we can export food all over the world, it just seems to me that,
politics or whatever, that issue has to be resolved. Because it's like a ripple
effect and the ripple effect is, sure maybe in Mendota and Firebaugh, but it
hits all the way through this valley. When it hits through the valley it ends up
hitting Sacramento and if we can't balance a budget and can't figure out a way
to take care of our government and our needs in our state, then the ripple
effect is businesses like mine will say I can just move to Nevada and I don't
have to pay any taxes. I can get out of here and I can, you know, I can have a
little larger net profit. So we have to figure out a way to make doing business
in California is attractive and special but first we've got to take care of
what's happening to the small and farmers at one time we were worried about
people not wanting to farm. We've got the grandkids would sell all the property
off and leave. Now we have people who want to farm. And we have a cadre of
people who are unemployed because they can't work on the farms. It all kinds, it
all is like the four rings, it's all tied together. And if, if and when we
figure out some of those things, California will be prosperous again.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: The great Californian, Fresnan, writer and playwright
William Saroyan, once said, I always knew that people died but somehow I thought
I was the exception. You and I are getting to the age that we found out that
we're not the exception.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I remember the words of Knute Rockne, when Knute
Rockne said, when the great scorekeeper writes up the score it matters not
whether you win or lost but how you played the game. How do you want the great
scorekeeper write in his scorebook about the life of Joe Williams? What do you
want the great scorekeeper to say?
>>Joe Williams: I just want him say that you left things better then you, then
it was when you got here. That you improved conditions and that you were fair
and you were dedicated and you believed. And I, you know, that's the summary of
it. I just want to be able to say that when I came here it was this way, when I
left it was this way, it was better. And I, you know, I look at all my kids and
I try to get them to understand the same thing and you mentioned before about
family, my wife shares my philosophy about things and she's a major part, a
major player in my life for the last 35 years. So everything that comes to me
Pete really comes to her because she's the rock and she's the balance. And as
you know our wives are the balance for us. I mean we can walk and think we're
walking out there by ourselves but when we know when we stumble, you know, the
first person we run back to is our spouses and say listen, tell me about this, I
did this; did I do the right thing or the wrong thing? So the moral compass that
I have is what I believe in internally that's been taught to me by my parents.
But I have a partner that share that belief and we share the truth. You know, so
I don't know if I answered your question but that's, that's...
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well very, very well there Joe. In fact I used to ask my
wife to critique my presentations until I asked her one time did I miss anything
and she told me several opportunities to sit down and it was best advice I'd
ever, I'd ever gotten. Joe, being the teacher that I am, you know, any good test
you always say did I miss anything that I should have asked you? So this is just
an open-ended question, is there anything that I, I should have hit upon, I'm
sure there's lots of things that anything you'd just like to express?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I don't know, Pete, I don't know of anything right
now. But there is one thing that I think you and I share and we, we've been
involved in this community a lot of years is that we all have to keep figuring
out ways to come together on things. There's no one way to do anything and
sometimes we as politicians kind of feel like we always know that one way to do
it. We have to as a political community, we have to keep in mind that there are
a lot of other opinions out there and that we all have to kind of figure out a
way to how do we solicit those opinions? And I just want to make sure that as
our community moves forward that we look around to make sure that we're not
leaving a segment of the community behind because we don’t hear from them, they
don't yell at us and they don't get our attention. And we just keep moving. And
I'm referring to West Fresno and the importance of Southeast Fresno and that we
continue to make sure that our approach to solving problems continues to be
balanced and that we don't overlook any segment in the community because the
geographic communities that we're, I'm referring to, they've changed. West
Fresno now is not a total one, this community, Southeast Fresno is not total,
you know, one ethnic community. So I'm just hoping that in the future that we
continue to make sure that we involve the various community as we try to wrestle
with a lot of political and difficult decisions that we're faced with. I'm not
saying anybody's doing that but I just know that there's a pattern there that
we've started and we have to make sure that if we lose somebody we're going to
miss some opportunities. That's all.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, in particular
Bob Carter who has been one of your champions.
>>Joe Williams: And that's my mentor too.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And your mentor and he certainly I think was extremely
wise in his nomination of you. So on behalf of the Chamber, I just want to
congratulate you.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For a lifetime of community service, a lifetime of caring
and I know you'll continue to do so because that's who you are. And I really
believe knowing Leon S. Peters and the characteristics you described about him;
you in so many ways have followed in the footsteps that he would like our
community leaders to follow. So Joe sincerely, congratulations ->>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: -- to you and your family. And I know that sometimes you
feel uncomfortable about these accolades but enjoy this now because it's well,
well deserved and well, well earned. And may God continue to bless you and your
family which you've done for our community.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you Pete. I appreciate that.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Okay?
>>Joe Williams: Okay.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Okay, Joe Williams, 2010 Leon S. Peters recipient. The
most prestigious, the most recognized award that is given to a citizen in the
Central Valley for accomplishments that reflect the life of Leon S. Peters;
philanthropy, community service, love of community, helping ones fellow man.
Joe, what did it mean to you as a 1956 graduate of Edison High School, former
great athlete, good successful businessman as Leon S. Peters was, what did it
mean to you to be named the recipient, to join the ranks of the Smittcamps and
the Eatons and I can go through the Duncans, Fred Ruiz, the Helen Smades, all
past Leon S. Peters -- pillars of our community. What did it mean to you and
your family?
>>Joe Williams: Well after we got over the shock of it, Pete, it was, I had no
idea that my name was being submitted. And once it hit me it was just as you
said, this is the highest in my opinion and probably many others, the highest
award anybody in this community could receive. And it also means that you give
back, you show that you care for the community and that we're not takers, we're
givers. And being here all my life and looking at where our community has come
from and knowing Peters, you know, we all know Leon Peters and although he's a
small man, he had a big step. And the community reflects that and I've had an
opportunity to follow behind some of that and I certainly am honored to even be
in the breath of some of the other people that has won the award because it
isn't anything, one thing you do, it's a variety of things that you have to do
and I, and I've done those things lovingly. I, and God has blessed me to be in a
position where I can give back to the community, I do respect my community and I
have some history about my community. So to me that's always very important. I
know from whence we come. And I also believe to whom God has given a great deal
to, much is expected from him. So this is my way of saying to this community,
thank you very much and I'm deeply honored by it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You absolutely hit the nail on the head when you said to
give back because that was the whole essence of Leon S. Peters as he instructed
his friends and family, he said you need to give back to your community. And
clearly your life reflects that. Let's chat a little bit about growing up. Tell
me what it was like growing up in Fresno and you and some of your other
colleagues have become very successful, well we’ll talk about Aldredge and I’ll
go through the whole crew of those guys, have made a mark on the City of Fresno.
You served on the Fresno City Council, you had one of the largest federal and
state programs in terms of the EOC which was no easy task over the years.
>>Joe Williams: Right, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So give us a little bit about you, about growing up, about
going to Edison High School and the value of your athletic experience.
>>Joe Williams: We knew when growing up in Fresno, Pete, you had to work hard.
The work ethics thing was very important to all of us because for us we had, we
knew that if we worked that we could achieve some things. But we started out
working in the fields and you, you know, you just knew that was the way of life.
I never knew that we were poor until I got to college and somebody said if you
were making this amount of money you were poor. And then we said, well everybody
on the block was poor because it wasn't just us. But it was an opportunity for
us to gain a lot of ways to stick to things. You don't quit, you just keep
pushing it. And we all knew that there was something coming that we could be
able to move forward to, had no idea what that was. The only thing our parents
would tell us, and my mother and father had a fourth grade education, they would
preach you've got to get an education, you got to work hard. And, you know, you
just got to treat people the way you want to be treated. And that was like the
mentoring concerns that we all, all of us in West Fresno at that time was
hearing from our parents. You know, going to Edison I met lifelong friends, Jim
Hendricks, Aldredge, Cal Johnson, and all those guys. We went into the army
together for three years so we, we're fortunate enough where we all kind of went
our separate ways but we've been able to do some things to make ourselves feel
proud about being here in Fresno and the opportunities that Fresno gave us. At
City College, Fresno State, we all felt like we're glad we didn't leave and go
someplace else because it does give me a sense of, I've seen the community, I
know what I can do to help the community and we all kind of said these are the
things we need to try to do. You may be aware of the project that we're building
in West Fresno. It was, it started out a [inaudible] and, you know, what can we
do to help? I ran for the City Council because somebody said well an African
American can never win or be elected to the City Council in Fresno or elected
position. We took the attitude it depends on how you run the campaign. If you
run the campaign that appeals to the general community you can win. And we won.
So we've, that whole attitude about in Fresno you can live wherever you want to
live. You can affiliate and participate with people wherever you want in this
community. There's never been a feeling of boundaries for us. We felt that we
can do it if we work hard. Everything reverts around how much you want to put in
and how hard you want to work. And then, you know, again getting back to the old
philosophy of making sure that you do the best you can for people and that you
don't take advantage of it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And a lot of young people will not recognize that you did
grow up in an era where there was nationwide blatant discrimination.
>>Joe Williams: Oh yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And, and, and yet you didn't, you weren't bitter, you
focused on achieving and success and where it could have been very, very easy to
be like a lot of folks going around angry who had a right, who had a right to be
->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But as I think of the gentlemen who you mentioned you
could have, you could have made excuses but I never, in all the years that I've
known you, you've never whined or complained or make excuses, you just put your
nose to the grindstone and you grinded it out.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, you always, you always look for opportunities, Pete. It's
easy to say this is what's happening and therefore I'm stuck now. You look for
opportunities. When I took over EOC, I loved every day I worked there, every day
for 24 years, I loved every day. The day I left it was like I was leaving a
member of my family or something because I knew the time was for me to move on
to something much more challenging for me at that time but I also loved
everything that I was doing, we were doing at EOC because we knew who the
customer was, we knew who the clients were, we knew what we had to do to help
them. And by doing it, you didn't wonder about am I doing or making the right
decision. No, it was clear. We're here to help low income and poor people in
this community. The minute you forget that then you don't need to be in the job.
I left at a time where I wanted to say, you know, could I handle being a
businessman? I've been under some very tough scrutiny as handling federal
dollars as you know. Could I take this opportunity and become a businessman and
be successful? So once again, I had an opportunity to work with some friends,
which I thought, generally you say, working with friends don't work that well
because you, you know each other too well. Well I was absolutely wrong about
that. I had a chance to partner with a friend of mine, Richard Heath, who we
spent a lot of years together as friends and we were able to build a company
that created a lot of other opportunities for people in this community. And by
the way we, we worked for various utilities and we weatherize or supervise the
weatherizing of thousands of homes that are low income or senior homes. And this
year on the PG&E’s program we've weatherized last year 81,000 units. And that's
from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. So we're doing something that makes a
difference in peoples lives. And that's why I look at this community and I say,
I'm truly blessed to stay home, I didn't want to go anywhere and I wanted to
prove that my community and I still believe it is the best community for me
right now. It always has.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Certainly we have been the beneficiary of you staying
home. Let's talk a little bit about Leon S. Peters. You mentioned the fact that
he was small in size but gigantic in stature. Did you have the opportunity to
personally meet Leon and how would you describe him if you were talking to some
young folks today and said, gee who is this guy Leon S. Peters?
>>Joe Williams: My recollection of Mr. Peters was he's a very quiet man. And,
and there was nothing flamboyant about it, it was a, if you will a common kind
of thing about him. And I was a student at the time I think out at Fresno State
and, and I, you were impressed but you don't know why, you just, because I never
knew financially where he stood and all that. It was just one of those kind of
people that you meet in the community and you shake their hand and you, you know
that you're dealing with somebody with some very strong character here. And you
ran into that. I had the same experience when I first met Duncan, it was like
here's a guy who's doing so much for people and, and if you not pay attention
you wouldn't even know he was there half the time. And I, so that was, that was
my experience with it. But I also knew and I served on the hospital Board of
Directors at Community Hospital, there was a strong commitment that we had to do
things right there. And when you looked at, you know, various people who had
been on that Board and who had nurtured the hospital to the point to where it
was when I got on, it clearly told you that, you know, people have a very
valuable opinion of him. And they appreciated his, not only his work as a Board
member but his, his philanthropy around the hospital. And so I, I am, I was
always in awe with people who, who didn't have to talk a lot, you know, because
sometimes you don't want to talk a lot. And you see people who can move things
and they never raise their voice and they never stand on a platform to say, here
this is why this needs to be done. So when I look at this award I am, I hope in
some ways I've reflected that kind of attitude, the same as Mr. Peters, as well
as some of the other people that have received the award. And again Pete, I'm
honored to be even considered that. And by the way, I know you know this but, to
be the first African American to receive this award is, makes it twice as good.
It, it's, once again it reflects this community and the character that we have
in this community.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you hit upon two things of loves of Leon Peters, he
had many, but the occasions that you met him, Community Hospital was one of his
big, big ->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you well know and California State University, Fresno.
He was a Bulldog. Now he had many other things, the Philharmonic, the zoos and
all that but clearly Community Hospital for you to have that opportunity to work
not only as a Board member but also out of, out at Fresno State. And on the
other area clearly in terms of it does reflect and I think there could be no one
more deserving in the sense and I know you do, your demeanor reflects a very
much that of Mr. Peters. You're quiet, you don't, I've never heard you stand on
a pedestal and, and pontificate. But you quietly go about getting things done.
And I think the role model and I know you feel uncomfortable me saying this but
you're role model I think not only as a community leader but to be the first
African American to receive this award sets an example for other people whether
they're Afro American, Greek, Armenian or whatever ->>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But you, it clearly is I think is an honor not only to you
but to the community as well. Tell us a little bit about your family in terms of
I know you've always ->>Joe Williams: Well, yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: --in terms of family's been important to you.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, I have two sons, one of my son's in business here, other
lives in San Francisco and my, and a daughter. I have three, four grandkids.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Four?
>>Joe Williams: Four grandkids. I have one that's eleven, a young boy who's very
athletic and very bright. And I have a young daughter who is eight who I think
will like all grandparents, I think the world of and I know she's going to great
things too. The other two are in college and trying to figure out which way
they're going in life. The only thing I sometimes wonder about, Pete, is that
kids don't have the opportunity that we had. There's no way to serve unless you
want to serve in the military. We've got to allow kids an opportunity to say, I
can volunteer for the Peace Corps, I can volunteer to work in a community for a
summer. We have to see things sometimes beyond us. Haiti right now to me is an
excellent opportunity for our country to say to young people, how would you like
to spend a year in the Peace Corps or whatever corps working to serve and save
this community. I think sometimes we have to come out of our own roots and go
into other things that forces us to look at things differently and help educate
us that what we think is bad, what we think is really beyond us or holding us
back, when you go into another situation you recognize that, you know what, this
is nothing compared to what these people are going through. And I, like you, I
said I look at Haiti I said, there should be a way for us to muster young people
that want to do something that will commit a year of their life out of college
or whatever to go in and help rebuild a community that's in really serious bad
shape. I looked at New Orleans the same way and, and how we were able to get
various groups of people going into New Orleans and doing work. One of my
partners in our company spends about two weeks in New Orleans with about forty
students building houses. And we help sponsor all that, the goods to help get
that done. So I really think, you know, when I look at all this stuff and I'm
saying, you know, there's got to be another way for us to give our kids the
opportunities that they need. If jobs are tight and we can't give them
employment can we figure out a way where they could do community services,
social services, where they can then gain some experience? And learn this thing
about I can, I can do it, I want to do it and I'm going to do it, I'm going to
get it done. Sometimes I think by not allowing them those opportunities we don't
have neighborhood youth corps, we don't have all the things that you and I had
when we were coming along, so we've got to think outside the box and outside the
box for our youth has got to be what kind of services can you do for your
country? And if it's not military, what other services can we entice our young
people to participate in? And I really believe that that's critical for the
future that we, going forward as long as the employment situation is what it is.
If we don't create opportunities for them, they'll find opportunities elsewhere
which usually end up being trouble. So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well the, I think your example of how we learned a sense
of community and how we found out that it's more then just us, that you find out
and it's almost biblical when you cast your bread upon the water, it comes back
in full.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And those early experiences that we were fortunate to have
gave us that sense of community and gave us that sense of I think generally
caring for our fellow man and it's not just simply about us. And your background
with the military, I think we've lost, ‘cause the military was a great way to
not only teach people, to get young men at that age a sense of direction, a
compass.
>>Joe Williams: That's right, that's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As they, as they went though. A couple last things that
you hit upon it, you know, talking to your grandkids, talking to young people,
again without preaching to them but giving them some advice about going out into
the world. Because a lot of them want to make their first couple million right
now, want to be President of the Board and, and as you know you did it, you did
it the hard way. What advice would you give young people today growing up and
you alluded to some of it but what advice would you tell them?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I think right now Pete, we try to make sure that
people understand that opportunities will come. And to use an athletic phrase,
you always have to be prepared so when the opportunity does come, you're not,
you're already in shape, you don't have to worry about trying to get in shape.
You already have worked hard to put yourself in the position where you can take
advantage of it. And if you're waiting for the opportunity, you'll miss it. So
you just have to make sure that people understand our, our youth understand that
while you're in school, work hard, do the best you can and develop that ethics
about I'm ready, I am ready. So that when somebody looking for a special person
you'll shine, you just will shine. But you always got to say if you sit here and
you feel sorry for yourself and poor me, opportunities will go right by you.
Because I'm looking for somebody who's ready to play right now, who's ready to
go to work right now. That if you're working for me you can go into the
community orientated business and not be embarrassed by that, and I know that
you're ready to do the job that you have been hired to do. It is, it is, it's
hard out there and it's hard to keep the spirit up and keep kids motivated to be
ready to do things. But I have to look at athletes again, because that's the
primary example, I'm on the taxi squad so I stay in shape and one day I may get
the call. And if I get the call I can't say I'm not in shape and I'm not ready
to play. The same with life, I see it the same way. That you, you have to make
sure that you continue to move forward even though you may be disappointed by
some things and some things are not coming your way but you've to be there and
you've got to say, here's why I can achieve. And if you believe that you can
achieve, you will achieve. It, it's just, it's not a miracle, it's hey, I, I
know I can do it, I need an opportunity to do it and then somebody's going to
give you the opportunity. And you can't drop the ball then. You've got to be
ready to play.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've been in this community all of your life and the
Leon S. Peters is a reflection of someone who's given to the community, a
successful businessman, and I've mentioned earlier a genuine care for others.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our community? You know, high
unemployment rates, there's all kinds of [inaudible] with water, the state isn't
tough. But in your opinion and I know there's multiple factors but what would
you say probably is our biggest challenge as a community?
>>Joe Williams: Wow Pete. I, right now the things that stand out in my mind is
that when I was growing up this is the, this is the breadbasket of the world.
And for us to have an issue over water and this is the breadbasket of the world.
We feed our entire community off agribusiness and agriculture. And for somebody
to tell me that we've got land, lots of land in this community that's not being
used and we can export food all over the world, it just seems to me that,
politics or whatever, that issue has to be resolved. Because it's like a ripple
effect and the ripple effect is, sure maybe in Mendota and Firebaugh, but it
hits all the way through this valley. When it hits through the valley it ends up
hitting Sacramento and if we can't balance a budget and can't figure out a way
to take care of our government and our needs in our state, then the ripple
effect is businesses like mine will say I can just move to Nevada and I don't
have to pay any taxes. I can get out of here and I can, you know, I can have a
little larger net profit. So we have to figure out a way to make doing business
in California is attractive and special but first we've got to take care of
what's happening to the small and farmers at one time we were worried about
people not wanting to farm. We've got the grandkids would sell all the property
off and leave. Now we have people who want to farm. And we have a cadre of
people who are unemployed because they can't work on the farms. It all kinds, it
all is like the four rings, it's all tied together. And if, if and when we
figure out some of those things, California will be prosperous again.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: The great Californian, Fresnan, writer and playwright
William Saroyan, once said, I always knew that people died but somehow I thought
I was the exception. You and I are getting to the age that we found out that
we're not the exception.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I remember the words of Knute Rockne, when Knute
Rockne said, when the great scorekeeper writes up the score it matters not
whether you win or lost but how you played the game. How do you want the great
scorekeeper write in his scorebook about the life of Joe Williams? What do you
want the great scorekeeper to say?
>>Joe Williams: I just want him say that you left things better then you, then
it was when you got here. That you improved conditions and that you were fair
and you were dedicated and you believed. And I, you know, that's the summary of
it. I just want to be able to say that when I came here it was this way, when I
left it was this way, it was better. And I, you know, I look at all my kids and
I try to get them to understand the same thing and you mentioned before about
family, my wife shares my philosophy about things and she's a major part, a
major player in my life for the last 35 years. So everything that comes to me
Pete really comes to her because she's the rock and she's the balance. And as
you know our wives are the balance for us. I mean we can walk and think we're
walking out there by ourselves but when we know when we stumble, you know, the
first person we run back to is our spouses and say listen, tell me about this, I
did this; did I do the right thing or the wrong thing? So the moral compass that
I have is what I believe in internally that's been taught to me by my parents.
But I have a partner that share that belief and we share the truth. You know, so
I don't know if I answered your question but that's, that's...
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well very, very well there Joe. In fact I used to ask my
wife to critique my presentations until I asked her one time did I miss anything
and she told me several opportunities to sit down and it was best advice I'd
ever, I'd ever gotten. Joe, being the teacher that I am, you know, any good test
you always say did I miss anything that I should have asked you? So this is just
an open-ended question, is there anything that I, I should have hit upon, I'm
sure there's lots of things that anything you'd just like to express?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I don't know, Pete, I don't know of anything right
now. But there is one thing that I think you and I share and we, we've been
involved in this community a lot of years is that we all have to keep figuring
out ways to come together on things. There's no one way to do anything and
sometimes we as politicians kind of feel like we always know that one way to do
it. We have to as a political community, we have to keep in mind that there are
a lot of other opinions out there and that we all have to kind of figure out a
way to how do we solicit those opinions? And I just want to make sure that as
our community moves forward that we look around to make sure that we're not
leaving a segment of the community behind because we don’t hear from them, they
don't yell at us and they don't get our attention. And we just keep moving. And
I'm referring to West Fresno and the importance of Southeast Fresno and that we
continue to make sure that our approach to solving problems continues to be
balanced and that we don't overlook any segment in the community because the
geographic communities that we're, I'm referring to, they've changed. West
Fresno now is not a total one, this community, Southeast Fresno is not total,
you know, one ethnic community. So I'm just hoping that in the future that we
continue to make sure that we involve the various community as we try to wrestle
with a lot of political and difficult decisions that we're faced with. I'm not
saying anybody's doing that but I just know that there's a pattern there that
we've started and we have to make sure that if we lose somebody we're going to
miss some opportunities. That's all.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, in particular
Bob Carter who has been one of your champions.
>>Joe Williams: And that's my mentor too.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And your mentor and he certainly I think was extremely
wise in his nomination of you. So on behalf of the Chamber, I just want to
congratulate you.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For a lifetime of community service, a lifetime of caring
and I know you'll continue to do so because that's who you are. And I really
believe knowing Leon S. Peters and the characteristics you described about him;
you in so many ways have followed in the footsteps that he would like our
community leaders to follow. So Joe sincerely, congratulations ->>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: -- to you and your family. And I know that sometimes you
feel uncomfortable about these accolades but enjoy this now because it's well,
well deserved and well, well earned. And may God continue to bless you and your
family which you've done for our community.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you Pete. I appreciate that.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Okay?
>>Joe Williams: Okay.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====
most prestigious, the most recognized award that is given to a citizen in the
Central Valley for accomplishments that reflect the life of Leon S. Peters;
philanthropy, community service, love of community, helping ones fellow man.
Joe, what did it mean to you as a 1956 graduate of Edison High School, former
great athlete, good successful businessman as Leon S. Peters was, what did it
mean to you to be named the recipient, to join the ranks of the Smittcamps and
the Eatons and I can go through the Duncans, Fred Ruiz, the Helen Smades, all
past Leon S. Peters -- pillars of our community. What did it mean to you and
your family?
>>Joe Williams: Well after we got over the shock of it, Pete, it was, I had no
idea that my name was being submitted. And once it hit me it was just as you
said, this is the highest in my opinion and probably many others, the highest
award anybody in this community could receive. And it also means that you give
back, you show that you care for the community and that we're not takers, we're
givers. And being here all my life and looking at where our community has come
from and knowing Peters, you know, we all know Leon Peters and although he's a
small man, he had a big step. And the community reflects that and I've had an
opportunity to follow behind some of that and I certainly am honored to even be
in the breath of some of the other people that has won the award because it
isn't anything, one thing you do, it's a variety of things that you have to do
and I, and I've done those things lovingly. I, and God has blessed me to be in a
position where I can give back to the community, I do respect my community and I
have some history about my community. So to me that's always very important. I
know from whence we come. And I also believe to whom God has given a great deal
to, much is expected from him. So this is my way of saying to this community,
thank you very much and I'm deeply honored by it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You absolutely hit the nail on the head when you said to
give back because that was the whole essence of Leon S. Peters as he instructed
his friends and family, he said you need to give back to your community. And
clearly your life reflects that. Let's chat a little bit about growing up. Tell
me what it was like growing up in Fresno and you and some of your other
colleagues have become very successful, well we’ll talk about Aldredge and I’ll
go through the whole crew of those guys, have made a mark on the City of Fresno.
You served on the Fresno City Council, you had one of the largest federal and
state programs in terms of the EOC which was no easy task over the years.
>>Joe Williams: Right, right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: So give us a little bit about you, about growing up, about
going to Edison High School and the value of your athletic experience.
>>Joe Williams: We knew when growing up in Fresno, Pete, you had to work hard.
The work ethics thing was very important to all of us because for us we had, we
knew that if we worked that we could achieve some things. But we started out
working in the fields and you, you know, you just knew that was the way of life.
I never knew that we were poor until I got to college and somebody said if you
were making this amount of money you were poor. And then we said, well everybody
on the block was poor because it wasn't just us. But it was an opportunity for
us to gain a lot of ways to stick to things. You don't quit, you just keep
pushing it. And we all knew that there was something coming that we could be
able to move forward to, had no idea what that was. The only thing our parents
would tell us, and my mother and father had a fourth grade education, they would
preach you've got to get an education, you got to work hard. And, you know, you
just got to treat people the way you want to be treated. And that was like the
mentoring concerns that we all, all of us in West Fresno at that time was
hearing from our parents. You know, going to Edison I met lifelong friends, Jim
Hendricks, Aldredge, Cal Johnson, and all those guys. We went into the army
together for three years so we, we're fortunate enough where we all kind of went
our separate ways but we've been able to do some things to make ourselves feel
proud about being here in Fresno and the opportunities that Fresno gave us. At
City College, Fresno State, we all felt like we're glad we didn't leave and go
someplace else because it does give me a sense of, I've seen the community, I
know what I can do to help the community and we all kind of said these are the
things we need to try to do. You may be aware of the project that we're building
in West Fresno. It was, it started out a [inaudible] and, you know, what can we
do to help? I ran for the City Council because somebody said well an African
American can never win or be elected to the City Council in Fresno or elected
position. We took the attitude it depends on how you run the campaign. If you
run the campaign that appeals to the general community you can win. And we won.
So we've, that whole attitude about in Fresno you can live wherever you want to
live. You can affiliate and participate with people wherever you want in this
community. There's never been a feeling of boundaries for us. We felt that we
can do it if we work hard. Everything reverts around how much you want to put in
and how hard you want to work. And then, you know, again getting back to the old
philosophy of making sure that you do the best you can for people and that you
don't take advantage of it.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And a lot of young people will not recognize that you did
grow up in an era where there was nationwide blatant discrimination.
>>Joe Williams: Oh yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And, and, and yet you didn't, you weren't bitter, you
focused on achieving and success and where it could have been very, very easy to
be like a lot of folks going around angry who had a right, who had a right to be
->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But as I think of the gentlemen who you mentioned you
could have, you could have made excuses but I never, in all the years that I've
known you, you've never whined or complained or make excuses, you just put your
nose to the grindstone and you grinded it out.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, you always, you always look for opportunities, Pete. It's
easy to say this is what's happening and therefore I'm stuck now. You look for
opportunities. When I took over EOC, I loved every day I worked there, every day
for 24 years, I loved every day. The day I left it was like I was leaving a
member of my family or something because I knew the time was for me to move on
to something much more challenging for me at that time but I also loved
everything that I was doing, we were doing at EOC because we knew who the
customer was, we knew who the clients were, we knew what we had to do to help
them. And by doing it, you didn't wonder about am I doing or making the right
decision. No, it was clear. We're here to help low income and poor people in
this community. The minute you forget that then you don't need to be in the job.
I left at a time where I wanted to say, you know, could I handle being a
businessman? I've been under some very tough scrutiny as handling federal
dollars as you know. Could I take this opportunity and become a businessman and
be successful? So once again, I had an opportunity to work with some friends,
which I thought, generally you say, working with friends don't work that well
because you, you know each other too well. Well I was absolutely wrong about
that. I had a chance to partner with a friend of mine, Richard Heath, who we
spent a lot of years together as friends and we were able to build a company
that created a lot of other opportunities for people in this community. And by
the way we, we worked for various utilities and we weatherize or supervise the
weatherizing of thousands of homes that are low income or senior homes. And this
year on the PG&E’s program we've weatherized last year 81,000 units. And that's
from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. So we're doing something that makes a
difference in peoples lives. And that's why I look at this community and I say,
I'm truly blessed to stay home, I didn't want to go anywhere and I wanted to
prove that my community and I still believe it is the best community for me
right now. It always has.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Certainly we have been the beneficiary of you staying
home. Let's talk a little bit about Leon S. Peters. You mentioned the fact that
he was small in size but gigantic in stature. Did you have the opportunity to
personally meet Leon and how would you describe him if you were talking to some
young folks today and said, gee who is this guy Leon S. Peters?
>>Joe Williams: My recollection of Mr. Peters was he's a very quiet man. And,
and there was nothing flamboyant about it, it was a, if you will a common kind
of thing about him. And I was a student at the time I think out at Fresno State
and, and I, you were impressed but you don't know why, you just, because I never
knew financially where he stood and all that. It was just one of those kind of
people that you meet in the community and you shake their hand and you, you know
that you're dealing with somebody with some very strong character here. And you
ran into that. I had the same experience when I first met Duncan, it was like
here's a guy who's doing so much for people and, and if you not pay attention
you wouldn't even know he was there half the time. And I, so that was, that was
my experience with it. But I also knew and I served on the hospital Board of
Directors at Community Hospital, there was a strong commitment that we had to do
things right there. And when you looked at, you know, various people who had
been on that Board and who had nurtured the hospital to the point to where it
was when I got on, it clearly told you that, you know, people have a very
valuable opinion of him. And they appreciated his, not only his work as a Board
member but his, his philanthropy around the hospital. And so I, I am, I was
always in awe with people who, who didn't have to talk a lot, you know, because
sometimes you don't want to talk a lot. And you see people who can move things
and they never raise their voice and they never stand on a platform to say, here
this is why this needs to be done. So when I look at this award I am, I hope in
some ways I've reflected that kind of attitude, the same as Mr. Peters, as well
as some of the other people that have received the award. And again Pete, I'm
honored to be even considered that. And by the way, I know you know this but, to
be the first African American to receive this award is, makes it twice as good.
It, it's, once again it reflects this community and the character that we have
in this community.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well you hit upon two things of loves of Leon Peters, he
had many, but the occasions that you met him, Community Hospital was one of his
big, big ->>Joe Williams: Yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As you well know and California State University, Fresno.
He was a Bulldog. Now he had many other things, the Philharmonic, the zoos and
all that but clearly Community Hospital for you to have that opportunity to work
not only as a Board member but also out of, out at Fresno State. And on the
other area clearly in terms of it does reflect and I think there could be no one
more deserving in the sense and I know you do, your demeanor reflects a very
much that of Mr. Peters. You're quiet, you don't, I've never heard you stand on
a pedestal and, and pontificate. But you quietly go about getting things done.
And I think the role model and I know you feel uncomfortable me saying this but
you're role model I think not only as a community leader but to be the first
African American to receive this award sets an example for other people whether
they're Afro American, Greek, Armenian or whatever ->>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: But you, it clearly is I think is an honor not only to you
but to the community as well. Tell us a little bit about your family in terms of
I know you've always ->>Joe Williams: Well, yeah.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: --in terms of family's been important to you.
>>Joe Williams: Yeah, I have two sons, one of my son's in business here, other
lives in San Francisco and my, and a daughter. I have three, four grandkids.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Four?
>>Joe Williams: Four grandkids. I have one that's eleven, a young boy who's very
athletic and very bright. And I have a young daughter who is eight who I think
will like all grandparents, I think the world of and I know she's going to great
things too. The other two are in college and trying to figure out which way
they're going in life. The only thing I sometimes wonder about, Pete, is that
kids don't have the opportunity that we had. There's no way to serve unless you
want to serve in the military. We've got to allow kids an opportunity to say, I
can volunteer for the Peace Corps, I can volunteer to work in a community for a
summer. We have to see things sometimes beyond us. Haiti right now to me is an
excellent opportunity for our country to say to young people, how would you like
to spend a year in the Peace Corps or whatever corps working to serve and save
this community. I think sometimes we have to come out of our own roots and go
into other things that forces us to look at things differently and help educate
us that what we think is bad, what we think is really beyond us or holding us
back, when you go into another situation you recognize that, you know what, this
is nothing compared to what these people are going through. And I, like you, I
said I look at Haiti I said, there should be a way for us to muster young people
that want to do something that will commit a year of their life out of college
or whatever to go in and help rebuild a community that's in really serious bad
shape. I looked at New Orleans the same way and, and how we were able to get
various groups of people going into New Orleans and doing work. One of my
partners in our company spends about two weeks in New Orleans with about forty
students building houses. And we help sponsor all that, the goods to help get
that done. So I really think, you know, when I look at all this stuff and I'm
saying, you know, there's got to be another way for us to give our kids the
opportunities that they need. If jobs are tight and we can't give them
employment can we figure out a way where they could do community services,
social services, where they can then gain some experience? And learn this thing
about I can, I can do it, I want to do it and I'm going to do it, I'm going to
get it done. Sometimes I think by not allowing them those opportunities we don't
have neighborhood youth corps, we don't have all the things that you and I had
when we were coming along, so we've got to think outside the box and outside the
box for our youth has got to be what kind of services can you do for your
country? And if it's not military, what other services can we entice our young
people to participate in? And I really believe that that's critical for the
future that we, going forward as long as the employment situation is what it is.
If we don't create opportunities for them, they'll find opportunities elsewhere
which usually end up being trouble. So ->>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well the, I think your example of how we learned a sense
of community and how we found out that it's more then just us, that you find out
and it's almost biblical when you cast your bread upon the water, it comes back
in full.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And those early experiences that we were fortunate to have
gave us that sense of community and gave us that sense of I think generally
caring for our fellow man and it's not just simply about us. And your background
with the military, I think we've lost, ‘cause the military was a great way to
not only teach people, to get young men at that age a sense of direction, a
compass.
>>Joe Williams: That's right, that's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: As they, as they went though. A couple last things that
you hit upon it, you know, talking to your grandkids, talking to young people,
again without preaching to them but giving them some advice about going out into
the world. Because a lot of them want to make their first couple million right
now, want to be President of the Board and, and as you know you did it, you did
it the hard way. What advice would you give young people today growing up and
you alluded to some of it but what advice would you tell them?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I think right now Pete, we try to make sure that
people understand that opportunities will come. And to use an athletic phrase,
you always have to be prepared so when the opportunity does come, you're not,
you're already in shape, you don't have to worry about trying to get in shape.
You already have worked hard to put yourself in the position where you can take
advantage of it. And if you're waiting for the opportunity, you'll miss it. So
you just have to make sure that people understand our, our youth understand that
while you're in school, work hard, do the best you can and develop that ethics
about I'm ready, I am ready. So that when somebody looking for a special person
you'll shine, you just will shine. But you always got to say if you sit here and
you feel sorry for yourself and poor me, opportunities will go right by you.
Because I'm looking for somebody who's ready to play right now, who's ready to
go to work right now. That if you're working for me you can go into the
community orientated business and not be embarrassed by that, and I know that
you're ready to do the job that you have been hired to do. It is, it is, it's
hard out there and it's hard to keep the spirit up and keep kids motivated to be
ready to do things. But I have to look at athletes again, because that's the
primary example, I'm on the taxi squad so I stay in shape and one day I may get
the call. And if I get the call I can't say I'm not in shape and I'm not ready
to play. The same with life, I see it the same way. That you, you have to make
sure that you continue to move forward even though you may be disappointed by
some things and some things are not coming your way but you've to be there and
you've got to say, here's why I can achieve. And if you believe that you can
achieve, you will achieve. It, it's just, it's not a miracle, it's hey, I, I
know I can do it, I need an opportunity to do it and then somebody's going to
give you the opportunity. And you can't drop the ball then. You've got to be
ready to play.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: You've been in this community all of your life and the
Leon S. Peters is a reflection of someone who's given to the community, a
successful businessman, and I've mentioned earlier a genuine care for others.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our community? You know, high
unemployment rates, there's all kinds of [inaudible] with water, the state isn't
tough. But in your opinion and I know there's multiple factors but what would
you say probably is our biggest challenge as a community?
>>Joe Williams: Wow Pete. I, right now the things that stand out in my mind is
that when I was growing up this is the, this is the breadbasket of the world.
And for us to have an issue over water and this is the breadbasket of the world.
We feed our entire community off agribusiness and agriculture. And for somebody
to tell me that we've got land, lots of land in this community that's not being
used and we can export food all over the world, it just seems to me that,
politics or whatever, that issue has to be resolved. Because it's like a ripple
effect and the ripple effect is, sure maybe in Mendota and Firebaugh, but it
hits all the way through this valley. When it hits through the valley it ends up
hitting Sacramento and if we can't balance a budget and can't figure out a way
to take care of our government and our needs in our state, then the ripple
effect is businesses like mine will say I can just move to Nevada and I don't
have to pay any taxes. I can get out of here and I can, you know, I can have a
little larger net profit. So we have to figure out a way to make doing business
in California is attractive and special but first we've got to take care of
what's happening to the small and farmers at one time we were worried about
people not wanting to farm. We've got the grandkids would sell all the property
off and leave. Now we have people who want to farm. And we have a cadre of
people who are unemployed because they can't work on the farms. It all kinds, it
all is like the four rings, it's all tied together. And if, if and when we
figure out some of those things, California will be prosperous again.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: The great Californian, Fresnan, writer and playwright
William Saroyan, once said, I always knew that people died but somehow I thought
I was the exception. You and I are getting to the age that we found out that
we're not the exception.
>>Joe Williams: That's right.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And I remember the words of Knute Rockne, when Knute
Rockne said, when the great scorekeeper writes up the score it matters not
whether you win or lost but how you played the game. How do you want the great
scorekeeper write in his scorebook about the life of Joe Williams? What do you
want the great scorekeeper to say?
>>Joe Williams: I just want him say that you left things better then you, then
it was when you got here. That you improved conditions and that you were fair
and you were dedicated and you believed. And I, you know, that's the summary of
it. I just want to be able to say that when I came here it was this way, when I
left it was this way, it was better. And I, you know, I look at all my kids and
I try to get them to understand the same thing and you mentioned before about
family, my wife shares my philosophy about things and she's a major part, a
major player in my life for the last 35 years. So everything that comes to me
Pete really comes to her because she's the rock and she's the balance. And as
you know our wives are the balance for us. I mean we can walk and think we're
walking out there by ourselves but when we know when we stumble, you know, the
first person we run back to is our spouses and say listen, tell me about this, I
did this; did I do the right thing or the wrong thing? So the moral compass that
I have is what I believe in internally that's been taught to me by my parents.
But I have a partner that share that belief and we share the truth. You know, so
I don't know if I answered your question but that's, that's...
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Well very, very well there Joe. In fact I used to ask my
wife to critique my presentations until I asked her one time did I miss anything
and she told me several opportunities to sit down and it was best advice I'd
ever, I'd ever gotten. Joe, being the teacher that I am, you know, any good test
you always say did I miss anything that I should have asked you? So this is just
an open-ended question, is there anything that I, I should have hit upon, I'm
sure there's lots of things that anything you'd just like to express?
>>Joe Williams: You know, I don't know, Pete, I don't know of anything right
now. But there is one thing that I think you and I share and we, we've been
involved in this community a lot of years is that we all have to keep figuring
out ways to come together on things. There's no one way to do anything and
sometimes we as politicians kind of feel like we always know that one way to do
it. We have to as a political community, we have to keep in mind that there are
a lot of other opinions out there and that we all have to kind of figure out a
way to how do we solicit those opinions? And I just want to make sure that as
our community moves forward that we look around to make sure that we're not
leaving a segment of the community behind because we don’t hear from them, they
don't yell at us and they don't get our attention. And we just keep moving. And
I'm referring to West Fresno and the importance of Southeast Fresno and that we
continue to make sure that our approach to solving problems continues to be
balanced and that we don't overlook any segment in the community because the
geographic communities that we're, I'm referring to, they've changed. West
Fresno now is not a total one, this community, Southeast Fresno is not total,
you know, one ethnic community. So I'm just hoping that in the future that we
continue to make sure that we involve the various community as we try to wrestle
with a lot of political and difficult decisions that we're faced with. I'm not
saying anybody's doing that but I just know that there's a pattern there that
we've started and we have to make sure that if we lose somebody we're going to
miss some opportunities. That's all.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Good. On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, in particular
Bob Carter who has been one of your champions.
>>Joe Williams: And that's my mentor too.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: And your mentor and he certainly I think was extremely
wise in his nomination of you. So on behalf of the Chamber, I just want to
congratulate you.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: For a lifetime of community service, a lifetime of caring
and I know you'll continue to do so because that's who you are. And I really
believe knowing Leon S. Peters and the characteristics you described about him;
you in so many ways have followed in the footsteps that he would like our
community leaders to follow. So Joe sincerely, congratulations ->>Joe Williams: Thank you.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: -- to you and your family. And I know that sometimes you
feel uncomfortable about these accolades but enjoy this now because it's well,
well deserved and well, well earned. And may God continue to bless you and your
family which you've done for our community.
>>Joe Williams: Thank you Pete. I appreciate that.
>>Dr. Peter G. Mehas: Okay?
>>Joe Williams: Okay.
==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====