John Williams, Lakota, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, is a fundraising professional with over 35 years of experience ranging from public broadcasting and the arts to wellness, mental health and healthcare. John has spent a majority of his career in community development. While at PBS, John raised the funds for documentaries, children’s science series’, and the Suze Orman specials. While at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), John was pivotal in bringing the much needed community based services to communities across South Dakota. Currently the Vice-President of Development for the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) based in Minneapolis, John raises funds to continue the ongoing prosperity of the Urban Indian community. Since 2022, John has served as the Board Chairperson of the Mni Sota Fund, a Native CDFI and sits on other boards within the community. A passionate arts professional, John is a screenwriter and producer. His latest producing project is a feature entitled, Native Love Jams, a Native American romantic comedy. His first screenplay is a pilot for a limited series. John is an Executive Producer of This is Destiny, a film by Shelli Ainsworth. John’s interests include cooking, gardening, reading novels, writing screenplays, and watching classic movies.