Qulishia Williams: Continuing the push to improve community wherever she can

“From my church family growing up to the Waterloo Community Schools, all the teachers I loved, they just kept pushing me,” she said. “When I left high school I felt like people poured into you and you were connected. Waterloo is a great community to be in and I want to see it grow.”

Williams’ efforts in helping that growth earned her a spot among the 2022 class of 20 Under 40 honorees.

“I can’t think of a more deserving individual for this recognition,” said her colleague, Sharina Sallis, one of several people who nominated Williams for the award.

Williams, 38, is human resources senior manager and consultant for CUNA Mutual Group in Waverly. The role requires a continuous eye for process improvement and a depth and breadth of workforce problem-solving skills.

“Qulishia is the quiet that calms everyone after the storm,” Sallis noted. “This is synonymous with her role as an employee relations manager where she confidentially and quietly works to resolve workforce issues on a daily basis. She is not quick to pass judgment or render a decision until she has all the facts. It’s this kind of discipline that allows her to deliver the best advice possible. If you are looking for a person to challenge the status quo and look for process improvements, Qulishia is it.”

Williams employs those same strategies in her volunteer service. She is a part of Club Les Dames, an organization that promotes personal growth, community relations and education among young Black women, and serves as treasurer for Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

She also conducts Skill Up training, a career development program under the nonprofit 24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium (24/7 Blac). Skill Up teaches resume writing, interviewing skills and negotiation tactics to help candidates secure jobs. That volunteer role combines her skill set with her love for her hometown.

“A few years ago Waterloo was named one of the worst cities for African Americans,” Williams explained. “One of the purposes of Skill Up for 24/7 Blac was to help people prepare for that next level of jobs. We do everything from webinars to one-on-one coaching to help people understand the nuances of interviews.”

Williams is a graduate of East High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. She has worked in human resources for nearly 15 years.

She is honored and surprised to be named a 20 Under 40 winner, and credits her grandparents, Richard and Ruthie Taylor, as inspiration for her drive to give back to the community. The couple held guardianship of Williams and her brother as children while their mother served overseas in the U.S. Navy.

“The love and care they instilled in us – they raised us like we were their children,” Williams said. “They made a way to make sure that we had what we needed. They put us in different spaces to be kids and grow and learn. I’m just grateful. They really inspired me, and I wish they could be here to see this.”

Williams said she’ll continue her push to improve her community wherever and whenever she can.

“I am Waterloo. I love Waterloo. This community has helped me grow and develop professionally and personally. Anything I can do to help grow my community, that’s what I will do.”

Williams’ blended family includes her husband, Astor, and their children, Essence, 23; Elijah, 20; Emmanual, 17; and Earvin, 6.