FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 13, 2017
DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY TAMIKA WILLIAMS HONORED AS WARRIOR AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT 13TH ANNUAL FULLERTON WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP FORUM FOR PREVENTING YOUTH FROM JOINING GANGS
SANTA ANA, Calif. – Deputy District Attorney Tamika Williams of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) was the keynote speaker at the 13th annual Fullerton Women’s Leadership Forum and recipient of the “WARRIOR” award for her extensive work with Orange County Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP). The award was presented at the Fullerton Community Center Grand Hall at 5:00 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2017, in Fullerton.
Each year, the Fullerton Women’s Leadership Forum honors leaders within the community who inspire more women to lead and to lean in to life despite obstacles they face. At the ceremony last week, Williams delivered her keynote address titled, “Faith, Service and Love: Life Lessons from a 10 year old.” She stated in part, “Upon release from the hospital after a long, hard-fought battle with Leukemia, the first thing my son asked to do was to feed the homeless. He taught me that no matter what you are going through, have faith that there is purpose in our lives, show love and serve others. Through unwavering faith, service, and love, you will have the strength to endure.”
Williams received the WARRIOR award for her dedicated efforts to empower at-risk youth in Orange County to stay in school and out of gangs.
About DDA Tamika Williams
Williams was hired as a deputy district attorney at the OCDA in May 2007. After serving on Felony Panel, she joined the GRIP/Gang Unit in 2013, where she currently leads the Santa Ana and Fullerton GRIP programs. Santa Ana and Fullerton GRIP programs are part of OC GRIP, a collaborative gang prevention effort between the OCDA, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Orange County Probation Department, and 13 police departments throughout the county. Williams currently leads OC GRIP in four schools in the Fullerton and Placentia School Districts, and works with over 400 community partners in Orange County to help inspire and empower youth to choose education and success over gang activity.
Under Williams’ leadership, the Fullerton GRIP committee was created and meets weekly with at-risk students and their parents. The committee currently includes the a probation officer, a District Attorney Investigator, the Fullerton Police Department Gang Unit, and a Community Service Programs case manager. Over the past several years, Williams has helped the program thrive and make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of children. Parents and students reported increased resiliency, more support services, and a stronger connection to law enforcement and the community. Fullerton GRIP schools under Williams’ direction also reported a 58% increase in school attendance.
About OC GRIP
OC GRIP is the largest gang prevention program in the United States. The program involves over 200 law enforcement partners, 12 School Districts, faith-based groups, private businesses, non-profit organizations, 300 community partners, and over 4,000 volunteers to prevent kids from participating in gang activity.
District Attorney Rackauckas shared, “I am very proud of Tamika. She is someone who does everything with a positive spirit and a smile, no matter what she’s facing in her life. I admire her strength and total dedication our GRIP kids and making our community better. Tamika is one of the many reasons why GRIP is so successful and why the OCDA is such a great office.”
To see OC GRIP’s partners and participants in action, please visit www.youtube.com/OrangeCountyDA or type in “OC GRIP” in the search function at www.orangecountyda.org.