De Ann M. Williams
De Ann, a Massillon native, enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1986. Completing boot camp at Fort McClelland, Alabama as Platoon Honor Graduate, she was assigned to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, for Advanced Individual Training. She attained the Military Occupational Specialty of Personnel Actions Specialist. Her history of stations include: 573rd Personnel Support Division, Fort Clayton, Panama from 1987-1989; Fort Detrick, Maryland from 1989-1990; Airborne School, Fort Benning, Georgia April 1990, where she earned her parachutist qualification; XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina from 1990-1993; 82nd Airborne Division, Saudi Arabia from 1990-1991; and 8th Personnel Support Command, Camp Coiner, Korea 1993-1994. She completed her active duty service obligation in March 1994.
In March 2000, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and proudly served with the Judge Advocates Generals Corps, with independent duty assignment with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion TWENTY-SIX (NMCB 26). She was deployed 2006-2007 and, again, 2012-2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After three deployments and 23 years of honorable service, she retired July 1, 2015, as a Legalman Senior Chief Petty Officer.
In 2003, De Ann started her career as a County Veterans Service Officer at the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission. In 2008, she was offered an amazing opportunity to join the Ottawa County Veterans Service Commission as the Executive Director. In 2014, she was selected by the Ohio Department of Veterans Services as the Deputy Director for the Liaison Office at the Veterans Affairs Regional Office Cleveland, where she was a liaison for Ohio’s 88 county Veterans Service Commissions with the Department of Veterans Affairs and various National Service Organizations. In June 2016, she joined the Stark County Veterans Service Commission team as Assistant Director. In January 2017, she was honored to be designated as Executive Director.
De Ann is accredited with National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, Ohio Department of Veterans Services, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League, Military Order of Purple Heart, The Retired Enlisted Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Vietnam Veterans.