Community activist Williams-Cox set to run for City Commission seat
Dianne Williams-Cox says she could be more effective for more people in a city commission seat.
Photo special to the Outlook
By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook staff writer
Dianne Williams-Cox’s reason for deciding to run for an elected office for the third time in as many years is pretty simple. She believes she could be more effective in bringing change for the people who she’s been advocating for.
Williams-Cox filed a week ago to run for City Commission Seat 5 that Gil Ziffer is leaving to run for mayor. Williams-Cox’s only opposition this early is public relations and communications executive Bob Lotane.
After her second unsuccessful run for the District 8 seat in the Florida Legislature, Williams-Cox said she took a reprieve from politics while continuing community work. Ziffer’s decision to leave his seat was the impetus for her reconsidering another stab at being elected, she said.
“I almost settled for (just doing community work) but then I realized there’s opportunities to be in a position to be a voice downtown for the activist or advocate who may not have that voice,” she said.
Williams-Cox is currently on the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission. She’s also former public relations chairwoman of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee.
As part of her community-driven activism, Williams-Cox is a force behind the newly formed Southside United Citizens Action Alliance.
A Gadsden County native, Williams-Cox is owner of DWC Management Consulting Services, Inc.
Williams-Cox also is known for her push for improving the living wage and her efforts to save Obamacare. Those issues obviously will be part of her platform.
She will officially kick off her campaign in January, she said.
“I can work in the community all I want and talk about what needs to be done or I could try to get into the room where the decision is made about what is being done,” she said. “It’s time to come in and try to help on both sides.”
