A team dedicated to transforming the lives of youth
Executive Director
Youth Enhancement Services, Inc. (YES) Executive Director, Kai N. Williamson, is one of the young pioneers working to improve educational achievement and community-based services in Metro Atlanta. Kai inherited this cause and passion from her mother, Lula M. Gilliam, who founded YES in 1990. When Lula stepped down as executive director on December 31, 2009, after 20 years of service, Kai took the reigns. " My biggest challenge is working to expand programs and services while maintaining the high level of efficacy and accessibility of an organization that has impacted over 2,000 youth and their families," she says.
Born in California and raised in Fairburn, Georgia, Williamson received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Public Policy from Georgia Institute of Technology. Throughout her secondary and post-secondary tenure, Ms. Williamson worked to improve education and services in the South Fulton community. She was an intern for the Georgia Senate Majority Leader, an analyst for the Democratic Party of Georgia, a STEP Fellow teacher at Westlake High School, and a seasoned tutor for YES. After finishing her graduate studies at Georgia Tech, Kai transitioned to Director of Community and Business Relations for YES. She is also the President of kaistyle., an image-consulting firm with operations in Atlanta and New York. She also partners with other service providers and conducts seminars aimed at promoting positive self-image and refined image presentation for clients. " We must all work to improve the quality of our community by utilizing our resources and skill sets to improve the lives of others. Significant changes in youth are a product of exposure to education, stability, cultural enrichment, and positive self-image – this saves lives," says Williamson.
Where does Williamson see the future of Youth Enhancement Services? Expanding programs and services to a state and national level. Kai says, "I want to see us involved with program design and implementation on a national level. YES has impacted so many youth and families on a local level, I want to expand our programs, services, and advocacy efforts to a national platform. We must not only change lives, but we must strive to have a voice in the public policy arena in order to ensure education, healthcare and social services are provided equitably and effectively."
