Fonda Williams To Head ECDI’s Government Relations Efforts

Canton Deputy Mayor leaves office to focus on supporting minority- and woman-owned small businesses

(COLUMBUS, OH) – ECDI has named Fonda P. Williams as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Economic Development. Williams currently serves as Deputy Mayor of Canton. He will remain in Canton and will grow ECDI’s presence in the market, while working on statewide efforts to serve small businesses.

Williams’ hire will help ECDI expand their relationships with cities and municipalities throughout the state to assure more Ohio entrepreneurs have access to capital and training. His connections and skillset will add a host of economic development tools to the organization’s business support resources.

“I welcome the opportunity to help small businesses in Canton, Stark County, and throughout Ohio,” said Williams. “ECDI’s emphasis on lifting up minority and women entrepreneurs is especially appealing and is a direction I am excited for my career to take.”

Williams will officially join ECDI’s team in February. He will build relationships to support the organization’s mission of creating lasting change for people and communities, and will work with staff to develop small businesses programs in regional and statewide markets.

“We are thrilled to welcome Fonda to the team,” said Inna Kinney, Founder and CEO of ECDI. “One of our organizational goals is to increase small business support throughout Ohio. Fonda will boost our outreach capabilities and enable us to more efficiently organize localized efforts to get training opportunities and funding in the hands of entrepreneurs.”

Throughout his 30-year career, Williams has focused on economic and community development and creating opportunities for minority and low-income individuals and communities.

“I look forward to making a difference for Ohio’s ‘Main Street’ businesses, and the families and communities they enrich,” said Williams.

MEDIA RELEASE

Media Contact: Amee BellWanzo

For Immediate Release: January 18, 2022

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ABOUT ECDI

ECDI is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to assuring underbanked entrepreneurs – regardless of where they came from, where they live, their gender or race – have access to funding and business services they need to succeed. Based in Columbus, with offices in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Akron, Canton and Toledo, we are the top SBA microloan intermediary and a U.S. Treasury-designated Community Development Financial Institution. We are proud to have disbursed over $135 million through more than 6,100 business loans, helping create or retain more than 13,200 jobs since 2004. More: ecdi.org