When it comes to championing STEM education in Tulsa, Williams has been a trailblazer and steadfast supporter from the start. As a leading energy infrastructure provider, Williams played a pivotal role in shaping the Alliance. From day one, their leadership and vision helped lay the foundation for what has become a thriving collaboration to inspire and prepare Tulsa’s youth for STEM-enabled futures.
At the heart of this partnership is a shared mission: ensuring all students have access to meaningful STEM experiences. Cherie Humphries, former VP, Chief Procurement and Digital Transformation Officer at Williams, served as a founding TRSA board member, lending her expertise and leadership during the Alliance’s formative years. Mary Hausman, VP, Chief Accounting Officer, now serves on the Alliance’s board of directors, continuing Williams’ active engagement. Today, Williams continues to lead by example, not only as a key financial supporter but also through direct employee engagement in TRSA programs like Me & My Math Mentor, where 3rd graders at Sequoyah Elementary School discover a love of math with the help of Williams volunteers.
To spotlight Williams’ incredible contributions and their vision for STEM education, we sat down with Beth Stewart, Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist III at Williams:
JW: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and your role at Williams?
BS: My educational background is in Business and management. I’ve worked in the corporate and nonprofit sectors during my career. I’ve been with Williams for almost 11 years. At Williams, I manage the charitable giving related to Education, the Arts and Health & Human Services. With operations and employees in 24 states across the U.S., I enjoy finding ways to support our employees’ passions for their communities. And I have a heart for education, having served as a Reading Partner and Me & My Math Mentor at our partner school, Sequoyah Elementary.
JW: Williams has a deep history in Tulsa. How has the company’s commitment to community engagement shaped its initiatives, especially in STEM education?
BS: Williams is a 117-year-old company. Our headquarters has been in Tulsa since 1918. The Williams family that founded and led the company over the years, as well as the three CEOs that followed Joe Williams’ era, have always felt a deep responsibility to the Tulsa community. They wanted to make Tulsa a thriving city that attracted the best and brightest talent to our company. Our support of education is a big part of this commitment, whether it’s K-12, college/universities or technical school education. Supporting STEM education ensures we have a prepared workforce at Williams, now and in the future. As a premiere energy infrastructure company, we need a consistent pool of talented employees, including engineers, operations technicians, accountants, project managers and more.
JW: As a founding partner of TRSA, what motivated Williams to invest in this collaborative effort from the beginning?
BS: We saw TRSA’s mission as a STEM ecosystem as vital to Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma. As a hub for all things STEM, it just made sense to support TRSA so that organizations and schools didn’t have to start from scratch or reinvent the wheel when it came to STEM programming. TRSA leads the way in fostering collaboration. TRSA is highly regarded nationally as best-in-class for their STEM ecosystem. We like supporting organizations that collaborate, share best practices and empower other organizations to thrive. We liked the model of training and investing in educators who can then provide high-quality, hands-on STEM experiences for students of all ages.
JW: Over the years, how has Williams’ partnership with TRSA evolved, and what are some key milestones you’re most proud of?
BS: We’ve been a steady supporter of TRSA since the beginning. We’ve seen them go from being sponsored by Tulsa Community Foundation to being a stand-alone nonprofit, with a beautiful new facility at the YMCA. We have relied on TRSA to provide engaging STEM activities that we can share with organizations we support, like the Reed Community Foundation’s after school program. Additionally, TRSA advised RCF on setting up the Williams STEM Lab at the Ben Hill Community Center.
JW: The Me & My Math Mentor program has been a standout initiative. What has the feedback been like from Williams employees and the students they mentor?
BS: Employees enjoy participating in Me & My Math Mentor. It’s easy because they’re essentially just playing games with students, having fun. There are math components to all games, but it’s different from a math class. They also like that it’s just once a week for about 30 minutes.
JW: Beyond TRSA, what other initiatives does Williams support to promote STEM education in the Tulsa region?
BS: Williams supports Global Gardens as a Partner in STEM at our Partner School Sequoyah Elementary and the STEM Lab at Ben Hill Community Center. We also support Engage Learning Oklahoma; the AISES Chapters at OU and OSU (Advancing Indigenous People in STEM); OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology; OSU Institute of Technology; OSU Information Technology STEM Scholarship; OSU’s Williams Cyber, Analytics and Systems Lab; Tulsa Children’s Museum; OU’s Engineering Summer Bridge Program; OU’s Center for Management Information Systems Studies; OU’s Office of Development for the Engineering Workforce Wayfinding Program; OU’s Mewborne College of Earth and Energy Sustainable Energy Systems Certificate Program; and OU’s Engineering Catalyst Program.
JW: For businesses considering supporting STEM initiatives, what advice would you share based on Williams’ experiences?
BS: Look for organizations that collaborate, share best practices and are inclusive. Seek out organizations, like TRSA, that engage teachers to create opportunities to make STEM fun and hands-on. Find ways to share your employees’ talents and skills to inspire young people to go into STEM careers.
JW: From your perspective, why is investing in STEM education essential for building a stronger future for Tulsa and Oklahoma?
BS: We need problem-solvers for the complex world we live in. STEM education helps build critical thinking, which is needed in Tulsa and Oklahoma to provide a talented workforce.
JW: Looking ahead, what are Williams’ aspirations for continued collaboration with TRSA?
BS: We plan to continue supporting TRSA programming and the Flight Night annual event. We hope to get more employees involved in mentorship through the Me & My Math Mentor and possibly the See It, Be It Speakers Bureau, sharing their career journeys and “STEM Spark.”
JW:Lastly, what message would you like to share with the Tulsa community about the importance of STEM and how everyone can play a role in its success?
BS: Get involved in any way you can – mentoring, volunteering, funding, etc. Time is so powerful. You can inspire young people to do things they didn’t think they could do. Share yourself and your talents. And, you might just get more out of it than you give!
Want to get involved? Learn about how you can donate to TRSA or sponsor an upcoming event.
