Mr. Billy J. Williams is the proud President of the award-winning Garland, Texas Branch and a native of Bossier City, Louisiana. He and his wife Dorothy have one adult daughter, Chonda. They are longtime members of Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church (Dallas), where he serves on the Board of Deacons and chairs the Personnel Committee. Mr. Williams is a graduate of Wiley College, Marshall, Texas (B.S.) and Amberton University (Masters Degree, Human Relations and Business). He is a career employee of the Social Security Administration, currently holding the position of Resources Manager. B. J. also has an extensive community profile. He served as past Chairperson and Member, Garland ISD Multi-Ethnic Committee, Commissioner, City of Garland Plan Commission (Chairman and Vice Chairman), former member of the City of Garland Housing Standards Board, along with a host of other appointments and positions.

Ricky currently serves as the Garland NAACP's 1st Vice President and Political Action Chair. Ricky also is responsible for AD sales for the annual Freedom Fund Event. In addition to those duties Ricky is active in the Garland Area Brotherhood and serves as Program Chair. He is a Deputy Registrar of Voters for Dallas County, and is a member of the PTA at Lister Elementary.

Ricky is a graduate of Jonesboro Hodge High School and Louisiana Tech University (Marketing Major). He is married and has three girls.

Annie married Frank Dickson 34 years ago; they have 2 daughters and 2 granddaughters. Annie has lived in Garland for 34 years and is a former employee of Varo Inc. where she worked from production line assembler to Production Supervisor managing 3 shifts in Research & Development Engineering Department. When that job ended after 23 years she began increasing her grassroots involvement in the community.

Graduated from Notre Dame Private Catholic School in Shreveport, Louisiana. After 2 years at Grambling State University, Annie redirected her involvement into the 60’s civil rights movement under the directions of Dr. Martin Luther King’s movement for justice, which was the end of segregation. After she and her husband moved to Garland, she completed three semesters attending Richland College while working at Varo Inc. Annie successfully completed the Leadership Garland Program sponsored by the Garland Chamber of Commerce in 1994. Her awards are many, a total of over 30 from the community, churches, local, state and national organizations. Annie was elected as Garland’s first African-American female to serve on the city council from 1995-1999. Her election, policies and presence proved Garland citizens were ready for a new style of leadership. She also made history being the first African-American to file and run for mayor of Garland in March of 2000. She ran against two opponents and came in 2nd place in the election.

Annie is a member of Kaiser St. B.C. for 34 years, taught Sunday school 15 years and served as mission president for 2 years. She served as Vice President for Habitat for Humanities of Greater Garland, Precinct and Election Judge Chair, served on the Community Development Block Grant Board, served as board member on the Garland Civic Theater and a graduate of the City of Garland’s Citizen Police and Fire Academies. While serving on the Garland City Council, Annie worked hard to direct policies and procedures towards improving neighborhoods citywide. She also improved procedures, which gave citizens a voice to create a more participatory democracy.

After serving four rewarding and successful years as Councilwoman, Annie continues to serve the community. An active member in her church, a member of the East Garland Implementation Committee, A Board member for the Achievement Center for disabled children, Chair of Positive Directions for youth and the I-30 Corridor study committee. She is active in the Garland Main St. program, serving on the Advisory Board and Membership Committee. Because she is a devoted Grandmother, Annie served on the Hillside Academy Campus Improvement Team, a Volunteer for field trips, volunteered at Watson Science & Technology Elementary teaching English to over 15 limited English speaking adults twice weekly and volunteered at Williams Elementary Library. Annie is also a member of the NAACP and pass member of the Garland Hispanic Affairs Association, executive board member of the Dallas Urban League and The Minority News Gazette Newspaper. Chaired the Freedom Fund Silent Auction youth scholarship fundraiser for the past 3 years. As a community leader, she has been given the privilege to speak to over 12 GISD schools on civic involvement. Annie also was elected as chairperson of the new Council appointed board, The Garland Community Multicultural Commission of 13 members representing 8 cultures.

During her political career, she and her supporters registered over a 1000 new voters which improved Garland’s voting record. In 1993, the Garland News endorsed her as the best candidate to politically represent Garland and to day is featured continually in the Dallas, Garland and Minority Newspapers.

While serving on city council, Annie Dickson fulfilled a long awaiting dream of the new Gale Fields Community Center, The Plaza, The Performance Arts Center expansion, increased attention to downtown Garland, gave significant input and campaigned to keep DART lite rail stations in Garland. When you look at the DART clock tower on Walnut St, Annie successfully lobbed for this monument. She also increased business and neighborhoods involvement in revitalization, encouraged citizens to empower themselves by forming neighborhood associations, improved public safety through new and improved traffic lights and streets, changed and improved city policies. Encouraged additional city entryway beautification in neglected parts of the city. Annie also traveled to 10 different cities nationwide to study their accomplishments and share the accomplishments of Garland. She says, “now that I am no longer on the city council, I now have the time to reap the benefits of my hard work because everywhere I go in Garland I see my accomplishments enhancing our city as a better place to live. There is still so much to accomplish.

As a Community Leader, Annie’s goals are to continue to keep the community educated and focused on issues that affect the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Annie believes that one person coming together with others to improve their community empowers them and other groups to do more thereby leaving an inheritance of teaching our children to continue the sprit of community and its process.

Rushetta D. Baker is a native of Hammond, Louisiana. She is one of seven siblings, five brothers and one sister. She is a graduate of St. Helena Central High School. She received her masters and bachelors degrees from Alcorn State University, where she majored in Biology and Biology Education and was a member of the basketball and track teams. Ms. Baker is currently in her seventh year of teaching, she has been teaching in the Garland Independent School District for five years. Rushetta is serving a second term as the secretary of NAACP Garland Branch and has been a member of the branch for almost five years. She works closely with membership chair and Freedom Fund/ Silent Auction committee.

Larry D. Daniels is a native of Longview, Texas. He served two terms as treasurer of the NAACP Garland branch and currently is a member of the 2003/2004 Executive Committee. He is devoted to the preparation and cleanup of the 2.2 mile route taken at the annual Martin Luther King parade and march in Garland.

Larry is married, a father of two daughters and a grandfather of three boys and two girls. He is a devoted member of Kaiser Street Baptist Church in Garland, where he serves on the Board of Deacons, President of the Brotherhood and Coordinator of the monthly church nursing home outings.

For 14 years, Larry was the sole owner and operator of Plumbing By Larry. He handled new construction, remodels and repairs for both business and residential customers in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. He has served 7 years on the City of Garland Plumbing and Mechanical Board, under the appointment of the Garland City Councilperson, District 2. Currently, Larry is completing his 6th year of employment with the City of Rockwall, Texas, where he is a team member of the Building Inspections department. Larry was educated in the Gregg County School District, in east Texas, I.M. Terrell High School in the Ft. Worth ISD and Texas Wesleyan University also in Ft. Worth.