Roby S. Williams - Bio

Roby S. Williams is a life long Memphian. He attended Prep School in Memphis at Booker T. Washington Leadership Institute, where the Motto is, “We’re Tops. We lead and others follow.”

Roby graduated High School at the age of 16. He is a graduate of LeMoyne-Owen College, the 5th oldest HBCU, where he received a Baccalaureate Degree in History. Upon graduation, Mr. Williams began his career in Banking at First Tennessee Bank. At First Tennessee, he worked in the Branch Division in Commercial and Retail Lending in the Marketing Department where served as the assistant to the advertising Director for the First Tennessee National Corporation and he was the first African American to work for the First Tennessee National Corporation.

After 5 years of banking, Mr. Williams began a career in Sales. He sold Yellow Pages Advertising for South Central Bell. He then went to work selling “Communications Related Solutions to Business Problems” for South Central Bell Business Marketing and later for AT&T in Memphis. In other words, he sold telephone systems and network services for the Phone Company. Following his six years in telecommunications sales, Mr. Williams sold mailing and Manifest Systems for Pitney Bowes.

Mr. Williams then began a career in Broadcast Advertising Sales. He sold Radio Advertising for WDIA and K-97 FM Radio Stations. From Radio, he moved to TV sales. He sold television advertising at WREG News Channel 3 and WLMT UPN30. After six years in the television sales business, Mr. Williams became a Mortgage Broker and financed new homes in Memphis.

Mr. Williams became the president of the Black Business Association in October of 2002. There he assists minority and women-owned business owners with achieving success in their business operations. When asked what he does for a living, Mr. Williams is fond of answering in this manner, “I am an opportunity facilitator.” He also indicates that this is the most notable of all jobs because he endeavors to “Create Taxpayers”.

In service to his community, Roby serves on the following Boards of Directors:

• Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce
• Better Business Bureau
• Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau (emeritus)
• Shelby Farms Parks Conservancy
• Emerge Memphis
• Lifeblood Mid-South Regional Blood Center
• Nexus
• The Leadership Academy (emeritus)