Executive Director, Logan County Chamber of Commerce and Hatfield McCoy Convention & Visitors Bureau
Facebook: Debrina Mahon Williams
LinkedIn: Debrina Williams
Facebook: Logan County Chamber of Commerce
Facebook: Hatfield McCoy CVB
Facebook: Mountain Brook & Company
Instagram: hatfield_mccoy_cvb
By Dawn Nolan
Growing up in Logan and Mingo counties, Debrina Williams would often spend weekends scrunched between her three siblings in the family Jeep as they cruised down mountain roads. While she’s now more likely to be found on the back of a motorcycle, Williams’ sense of adventure and love of travel remains.
“My parents loved to travel, so my siblings and I grew up with the opportunity to visit multiple places across the country,” she says. “I’ve zipped, repelled, whitewater rafted and walked under the New River Gorge Bridge.”
As executive director of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce and Hatfield McCoy Convention & Visitors Bureau, Williams is able to share her travel experiences with other adventure seekers. Her passion for West Virginia fuels her mission to encourage others to get out and explore, which is an easy sell in the Mountain State. “I love to travel, but there is nothing as welcoming as the mountains of West Virginia,” says Williams. “It’s the people who make the difference. West Virginians extend genuine hospitality. They are always willing to share a smile, lend a hand or stop to tell you a great story.”
Early on, Williams learned the importance of customer service, continuing education and always finishing a task. As a result, she jumps in to help when she sees a need, and she is known for her ability to pull people together and get things done.
While Williams has proven to be a successful entrepreneur as co-owner of Mountain Brook & Company, LLC and Cattails and Me Baskets by Design, LLC, she says one of her greatest achievements came when she participated in Leadership West Virginia. As a result, she led her chamber in establishing Leadership Logan. “It is refreshing to see business professionals connect to their community through Leadership Logan,” says Williams. “It allows for the opportunity to focus on fresh ideas and concepts and engage others in ways to improve the region.”
Her inclination for community service can be summed up in one admission: “I love a good challenge!” At an early age, her parents taught her the importance of service and generosity. “My father, who was a pastor, and my mother were both extremely welcoming,” she says. “It wasn’t unusual to come home and find missionaries or ministers from other countries visiting our home.”
In addition to her involvement in tourism and economic development associations, Williams also volunteers with nonprofits, driven by her passion for children and families. “Volunteering my time to serve various nonprofit organizations allows me the opportunity to reflect on what is important in life,” she says. “It’s a good feeling to know you made a difference, whether that means sharing a meal with the elderly or driving someone to a cancer treatment session.”
Williams is a board member of the National Coal Heritage Area Authority, and she is active in her church, Regional Church of God, and Regional Christian School/Ambassador Christian Academy, which her mother helped found. She is a proud sponsor of Metro World Child, a global, faith-based humanitarian organization that serves inner-city children around the world. Williams has also served in various capacities with the Kiwanis Club of Logan, Appalachian Children’s Chorus, Logan County Family Resource Network, Healthy Logan County Coalition, West Virginia University County Extension Service Committee and WSAZ Children’s Charities, and she was the founding program coordinator and current advisory board member for Logan’s WE CAN Program for Children’s Home Society of West Virginia.
In some cases, Williams says choosing a cause to support is simply a matter of the heart. As a lifelong West Virginian, though, one of the most important causes she supports is the daily promotion of the Mountain State. “I encourage people to get out and explore what is in their own backyard so they can share it with others,” she says. “With every season, the great state of West Virginia is breathtakingly beautiful. I’m proud to call West Virginia home.”
1977 – Graduated Burch High School
1977-1981 – Employed by WV Department of Health & Human Resources
1978-1980 – Earned an associate’s degree at Southern WV Community & Technical College
1981 – Married Michael Williams
1982-1987 – Self-employed
1985-Present – Serves as a choir member, Sunday School teacher and children’s church volunteer and as a youth ministry host for MetroWorld Child
1987-2007 – Served as the program coordinator of the Children’s Home Society of WV’s WE CAN Program
1992-2007 – Served as coordinator of the WE CAN Program’s kids’ camp
1998-2000 – Contributed to public relations and fundraising efforts to build the June Montgomery Harless Children’s Home
2000-Present – Serves as executive director of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce
2007-Present – Serves as the executive director of the Hatfield McCoy CVB
2008 – Established Mountain Brook & Company Lodging, LLC and Cattails & Me Baskets By Design, LLC
