A one-of-a-kind daughter

It’s no secret: Dads are proud of their daughters. So, hopefully it’s appropriate for me to toot the horn for our daughter Whitney Williams’ candidacy for governor.

For each of her 49 years Whitney has been a standout in our family. It was she who landed a paper route as her first job; she excelled on the staff of the Montana Legislature; was chosen by the White House to became a staff person and did it without Carol’s or my assistance or even knowledge. She wasn’t long in the White House before she was chosen as Trip Director for the First Lady. When Whitney left Washington, D.C., she was hired by the Casey Family Foundation that was began by Bill Casey, the founder of UPS.

People who know Whitney understand her friendliness, charm, smarts and relentless work ethic. She has always tackled the most challenging tasks and difficult problems; those demanding innovation and new approaches; Whitney has always been enthralled by the steepest mountains (seriously, she actually is a mountain climber.)

The company, WilliamsWorks, which she founded almost two decades ago, engages some of the world’s most influential philanthropists and corporations in local and international problems, such as disease, hunger and education.

With about 40 employees bringing the right people together, Whitney has shown again and again how innovation, hard work and the ability to see around corners solves even the intractable social, medical and economic problems.

Inexperience? It’s nowhere to be found in Whitney’s background. From her work with the Montana State Legislature in Helena, to the her positions in The White House in Washington, D.C., to Carol’s and my dinner tables in Missoula, Butte, and the nation’s Capitol, our daughter is steeped in Montana’s issues of the past forty years and she is prepared through those experiences, her personal vigor, and her DNA to truly help Montana succeed and prosper in the future.

I hope you will give my daughter and her new generation of Montana leadership your consideration.

Pat Williams is a former congressman from Montana from 1979 to 1997. His daughter, Whitney, is campaigning for Montana governor.