In the course of a career, we each have the opportunity to meet some extreme talents and professionals. People who stand out for their combination of intelligence, endurance, tenacity and grace. Kym Williams is one of these standout people. When thinking of Kym, a smile comes so easily. Kym has helped to make our CHNA 20 region and this CHNA we are so proud of, healthier, stronger, and more cohesive in all the ways that matter. I will always think fondly of Kym, and years later, I still miss time spent with her!
When we stem the tide of COVID-19, Kym will be one of the first people I would like to see and keep company—to thank her personally for the gifts she has brought this CHNA. Kym joining the CHNA was a watershed step and has and will continue to have lasting and measurable impacts! - Cynthia Sierra, CEO, Manet Community Health Center
2020 has been a year of great change for most of us, and the Blue Hills Community Health Alliance is no exception. Amid all the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and social inequities that impact our communities, we’re also facing internal change. Some of the changes for the CHNA are positive, such as our new home at Bay State Community Services. Others are harder to accept -- like the decision of our longtime Program Director, Kym Williams, to step aside into a less substantive role as we approached the end of the fiscal year.
Kym has always been a delight to work with. Always eager to help when and where she can, she was a talented connector as Program Director of CHNA 20. She pointed us to the best resources and individuals when we needed information, advice, funding, data or support. She truly wanted our work to be successful, and added her wisdom and encouragement as a key member of our coalition. We appreciate her years as a leader of CHNA 20, and her commitment to the public health of our region. - Laurie Stillman, Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (MSAPC) Director
Kym has been a steadfast leader and champion of the CHNA since her arrival in 2013. It’s because of her vision and unflagging efforts that CHNA 20 has grown into one of the few examples of its kind in the state of Massachusetts. While CHNAs across the state have developed tried-and-true program models over the past several decades, Kym arrived with the conviction that CHNA 20 could do more -- that we could become a true convening hub for our community, a great resource for the public health organizations we serve, and a leader in developing new ways of approaching systemic health challenges through collective impact. Her insistence on always pursuing the opportunities that would result in the greatest positive impact for those we serve has made the CHNA better, stronger and more innovative, and resulted in an organization that was better poised to respond to the trials of 2020.
Kym has always been so supportive of everyone’s needs within the community. A true leader and wonderful person. We wish her the very best of luck in her next chapter! - Katelyn Szafir, Medical Wellness Director and Associate Executive Director-Emilson branch, South Shore YMCA, and CHNA 20 Executive Committee member
While it would be impossible to sum up all of Kym’s many accomplishments in a single article, some of her most impactful achievements include:
Administering and Strengthening Funding Programs
Through her tenure with the CHNA, Kym worked tirelessly to improve and reimagine the funding opportunities provided by CHNA 20. She shored up numerous organizations with mini-grants to support Boards of Health Collaborations and Substance Misuse Prevention Start-Ups, and Community and Impact grants for projects with clear potential for sustainable change.
Kym was also instrumental in designing new models of financial support to the community. She created the 2015-2018 Multi-Year Grant program, which offered a 3-year support cycle to qualifying agencies with long-term projects focused on sustainable change through multi-sector collaboration. Kym also spearheaded the creation of the 2017-2018 Partnership Grant program, which matched agencies in our region to work collaboratively on social determinants of health. Her work with the Behavioral Health Initiative in 2017 resulted in a 2018 funding cycle to provide financial support to projects that would exemplify the behavioral health efforts envisioned by the working group. And most recently, Kym shepherded our efforts to collaborate with CHNA 7 MetroWest on a two-year funding period for behavioral health and/or chronic disease programs across the two catchment areas.
Thanks largely to Kym, since 2015, the CHNA has offered well over half a million dollars in financial support to worthwhile public health efforts in the Blue Hills region.
I met Kym during my very first community meeting and I was so impressed by her knowledge, ability to communicate and overall presence in front of the larger group. When I first joined the Steering Committee I had quite a learning curve to catch up with the other members of the group, but Kym always put me at ease with her patience, kindness and understanding. I was continually impressed by her ability to communicate with conviction, her knowledge and experience, while also showing a deep respect for some of the stronger opinions in the room.
Kym has absolutely had a significant impact on me both professionally and personally. She is a mentor and a role model and without even realizing it, she inspired me to find my own style and to be confident in it. I am very appreciative that we crossed paths and am excited that she will continue to be a strong presence for CHNA 20, albeit in a different role. - Karen Peterson, Community Benefits Coordinator, South Shore Health & CHNA 20 Chair
Imagining New and Innovative Collaborative Efforts
Kym is a master communicator who always puts the right people at the table. She gets things done because she is always on the right side. - Vinny Harte, President & CEO, Wellspring Multi-Service Center, and CHNA 20 Executive Committee member
I remember the first time I attended the CHNA 20 in 2015, Kym’s lovely smile caught my attention and she warmly welcomed me to the CHNA 20 family that really made me feel home. Her energy and enthusiasm for helping the community have energized me to work hard just like her. I am glad that she is still going to be at CHNA 20 even though she is working less hours. Best wishes to Kym for her new adventure in her spare time. - Sara Tan, President & Founder, Enhance Asian Community on Health (EACH)
In 2017, Kym’s vision led to the creation of a unique Behavioral Health Initiative. Rather than determine within the CHNA what our region’s Behavioral Health needs might be, Kym proposed reaching out to our member agencies and partners to begin a collaborative process that would shape the CHNA’s future efforts. Through her leadership, we created an initiative designed to focus our efforts on system, policy and environmental change for behavioral health. Kym was at the helm, convening a Behavioral Health Task Force comprised of members from across our sector, which then reviewed existing data and conducted local focus groups for information-sharing and idea gathering. The Task Force then made recommendations, compiled best practices and created a summary of the current state of mental and behavioral health within our area. Those efforts led directly to the creation of a funding opportunity to further the Task Force’s vision for improved behavioral health within the region.
In January 2019, responding to long-term feedback from the community and data collection, Kym established the Blue Hills Regional Coordinating Council -- the first RCC in the region. Faced with mounting evidence that lack of access to consistent and reliable transportation is a key structural challenge underlying health disparities in the greater Quincy metro area, Kym researched best practices and learned about the effectiveness of the RCC model. From there, she worked tirelessly to design and convene the BHRCC, capitalizing on the opportunity to collaborate across sectors to solve a significant public health barrier. As the BHRCC moves forward with implementing the action plans designed under Kym’s leadership, the impact of her work will continue to grow and shape public health in our region.
Kym has been a dedicated, passionate, and engaging professional who has brought the CHNA and the BHRCC to new heights. The region has been gifted with her time, talent and legacy. - Melissa Pond, Principle Planner, Quincy Dept. of Planning & Community Development
As Kym moves from her longtime role as Program Director into a less rigorous -- but no less valuable -- supportive consulting role with the CHNA, we know that her talents and insight will continue to benefit our work and our communities. The shift in Kym’s work is a positive one for her personally, and we have every hope that it will continue to be fulfilling to her professionally. The CHNA’s outstanding achievements over the past seven years are due in large part to Kym Williams, and we wish her nothing but the best in her new position. We’re saddened to see her step aside, but also grateful that the move is just to the sidelines of the CHNA, where she can continue to coach us and cheer us on.
When I first met Kym, we both agreed it was meant to be! She has always been incredibly friendly and supportive as a supervisor. Even after my time with the CHNA ended in 2016 after my internship, Kym continued to check in on me and we carried on a friendship throughout the years, as she has supported me in all of my new professional and personal endeavors. Kym is passionate, knowledgeable and truly cares about improving the community. I have learned so much from working with her and I know many others can say the same. - Ivy Watts-Calixte, CHNA 20 Community Engagement Specialist
Thank you, Kym, for your years of dedication and leadership. We are so grateful for you!
--The CHNA 20 Community