Juliet C. Dorris-Williams

Juliet C. Dorris-Williams is the Program Director for the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. As Program Director she provides oversight for all health related programming of the Commission, which was established for two purposes: health promotion and disease prevention among members of minority groups. The Commission focuses its efforts on the amelioration of diseases and conditions responsible for excess deaths in minority communities. The diseases and conditions of primary focus are cardiovascular disease, particularly hypertension; cancers; diabetes; infant mortality; substance abuse and violence, particularly homicide. The Commissions efforts also extend to HIV/AIDS, asthma and childrens health.

Prior to her work at the Commission, Juliet worked in the HIV/AIDS/STD prevention and control field for over 10 years in the states of Ohio and Indiana. She was the Chief of the HIV/STD Prevention Program at the Ohio Department of Health, where she provided oversight and managed the staff for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded programs for HIV Prevention and STD Prevention and Control. While in this position Juliet was elected to serve on the executive committee of the National Association for State and Territorial AIDS Directors, where she was honored as a Nicholas Rango Leadership Award recipient. During this same time period Juliet was also elected to the executive committee of the National Coalition of STD Directors. At the Indiana State Department of Health Juliet served as the HIV Prevention Program Manager in the Division of HIV/STD.

Juliet has more than twenty years of experience working in various social work and administrative capacities, including the coordination of Alcohol and other Drug Abuse Prevention programs for the Indiana Division of Mental Health, and counselor related duties in the Social Services, Vocational Rehabilitation and Family Assistance programs of the Tennessee Department of Human Services. She spent several years serving in a volunteer capacity as a group facilitator for Breaking Free, an Indianapolis based organization that provides services for men, women and children impacted by domestic violence. Juliet later served as a Board Member for this organization and was privileged to add her community voice of experience to the (Indianapolis) Mayors Action Committee for Domestic Violence.

Juliet has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Indiana State University; earned a Master of Social Work from the Indiana University School of Social Work at Indianapolis; and has completed course work toward a Master of Theological Studies at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. Juliet is licensed to practice Social Work in the state of Ohio and is a Certified Lay Speaker for the Newark District of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. Juliet is married, has four children and 7 grandchildren.