Frank J. Williams was born in 1965 to “Mother Carrie” Williams, a force of nature who moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin from the still-segregated south to give her son the opportunity for a better future. As the “man” of a single-parent household living on welfare in the projects, Frank felt it was his duty to contribute to the family’s struggle against poverty, and began working in a local grocery store at age eight. It was from his boss, Mr. George, that Frank first learned the value of transparency, credibility, and integrity in leadership.

After earning his high school diploma, Frank found himself at the fork in the road between discipline and death. He chose the harder of those paths and joined the U.S. Army. After serving and training for three years in Georgia, California, and Alaska, Frank returned to Mother Carrie and his two sisters, an ambitious grown man ready to start the next chapter of his life.

Frank accepted a sales position at a car dealership — an industry he believed offered unlimited potential for success. Again, Frank was blessed with a supervisor who guided him with a firm, yet gentle, hand; under Mr. Scafitti’s leadership, Frank grew and excelled. After three years of outstanding sales volume, he was given his first management position.

Years passed, and Frank’s list of accomplishments grew right along with his family. He was blessed with two children, Anastasia and Frank II, who have since grown into successful adults and of whom he is exceptionally proud. Frank’s path to success was by no means without its bumps and potholes, but it also led him to people who would have a profound impact on his future, including his pastor and friend, Mr. Emile Banks, and his future employers, Steve Landers, Franklin McLarty, and America’s first African-American billionaire, Robert L. Johnson.

Johnson, Landers, and McLarty offered Frank the job of part-owner and operator of the Landers McLarty auto dealership in Huntsville, Alabama, and in 2008, Frank and his family moved to a South that seemed far removed from the one Mother Carrie had left so long ago. Here, Frank flourished, building a career and reputation of which his eight-year-old self could have only dreamed.

Currently, Frank is the Executive Manager and Managing Partner of Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Subaru, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo in Huntsville, Alabama, and Subaru of Gallatin, Tennessee and the former Executive Manager over Mercedes-Benz of Huntsville and Landers McLarty Nissan of Huntsville. With Frank at the helm, his dealerships have received numerous awards over the years. The Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and Landers McLarty Subaru Huntsville locations have both been named the #1 Dealership of the Year in Alabama multiple times since 2009. Currently, he heads up the #1 Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM dealer in Alabama, the #1 Subaru dealer in Alabama, and the # 1 Fiat dealer in Alabama, and while under his leadership, Nissan became the #1 dealer in Alabama.

All of the Frank Williams dealerships are ranked amongst the top dealerships in the country. Frank is proud of each and every one of his 250+ employees, many of whom have overcome their own racial, gender-based, and generational barriers to build their own incredible legacies.

Frank’s success has afforded him the ability to serve and give back to his community. Groups and individuals across North Alabama have benefitted from Frank’s generosity and mentorship. His goal is to impact even more by sharing his life story and the lessons he’s learned with the next generation.