Although we often focus on staff or members of our Board of Directors for our monthly spotlights, it’s not often we get to shine a light on the Board of Directors for the NWW Foundation. As a 509(a)(3) supporting charity, the NWW Foundation exists to ensure that NW Works, Inc. Is successful not only in the short term but prepared to provide services in the long term. Its Board of Directors oversees the management of the foundation’s funds and we are thrilled to have Jason Williams on the team.
Jason joined the Foundation’s board in July of 2022, bringing with him a wealth of experience in financial services. Jason currently serves as a Financial Advisor at The Myrias Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, which he joined in 2021. Although, he tells us that he didn’t always want to work in the world of finance.
From foundation to Foundation
“I told my parents, ‘I want to be a bricklayer when I grow up,’” Jason said. “I think because I saw some contractors come to our house to build something or other and I thought, ‘that looks like fun’.”
Born in Garrett County, Maryland, Jason would later attend Frostburg State University, earning a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, and meeting his future wife. He and his wife, Krista, moved to the Winchester area in the 1990s, when she started teaching in the region. Jason, fresh out of college, actually did an internship with an investment practice that ultimately became a part of The Myrias Group, not knowing that all these years later, he would return to work with one of the partners who introduced him to a career in investments and financial planning.
“That was my first introduction to the investment world,” he said. However, rather than stay in investments, Jason shifted into commercial banking, eventually joining BB&T/Truist. His position at BB&T/Truist “evolved into a position on the financial services investment side of things”, where he became a top performer in the role. After 13 years and a major merger, Jason decided to return to his roots: The Myrias Group.
“The planning piece and helping people reach their financial goals has been the driver for me,” Jason said. When taking investing classes in college, “it was the human component of helping people with their personal financial situations” that stood out to him.
The human element is also what drove Jason to get involved in his community. Whether through his involvement in the Blue Ridge Kiwanis Club, serving on the board of Victory Church or even being involved in the road maintenance committee in his neighborhood, Jason has always wanted to give back.
After volunteering with former NW Works CEO Debera Taylor at a Kiwanis Club golf tournament, Jason saw an opportunity to support NW Works through his financial expertise.
“As I looked into it more and the different services that were provided.,” he said. “[I realized] the importance of what NW Works does. It is such a noble thing that they do and it’s a key element of what this community needs.”
Although he is excited to help build up the NWW Foundation, he hasn’t given up on building the other kind of foundation, either. A fan of DIY home projects, Jason got the chance to live out his childhood dream: laying bricks.
“It’s turned out okay!” he laughed. But he’s glad he didn’t pursue it professionally. “I don’t think my back would hold up to that.”
When he’s not helping people reach their financial goals or volunteering in his community, Jason enjoys camping, doing DIY projects and spending time with his wife and sons, Eli and Lucas. Jason has also held a private pilot license for seven years and loves being able to fly in and out of the Winchester Regional Airport.