James E. “Jimmy” Williams, Jr., a native of East St. Louis, Illinois, is an entrepreneur in the St. Louis metropolitan region. A graduate of Dickinson College with a degree in political science, he is President and CEO of Estel Foods, Inc., operating McDonald’s franchises in Illinois and Missouri.
Following graduation from college, he served eight years as a U.S. Navy Pilot. During his U.S. Navy tenure, he clocked more than 2,000 flight hours in various countries around the world. He received the prestigious U.S. Navy Achievement Award.
After leaving the U.S. Navy, he launched his McDonald’s franchise business. He is an executive board member and president of the African-American consumer-market division for the St. Louis McDonald’s Co-op.
In addition to serving on the JAG-Missouri Board of Directors, he has served on many community boards, including the Ronald McDonald House, Lessie Bates Neighborhood House, One Hundred Black Men of St. Louis, Granite City Rotary Club, Granite City Chamber of Commerce, Emma L. King Wilson Foundation, Matthew Dickey Boys and Girls Club, St. Louis Downtown Partnership, U.S. Veterans, and the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club.
He has received numerous awards including the St. Louis American 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and the St. Louis Commerce Business Man of the Year Award.
He has launched the James E. Williams, Sr., Mentoring Program in which students learn essential workplace skills including punctuality, goal setting, and teamwork. This program is named in honor of his parents, James E. Williams, Sr., the former mayor of East St. Louis, and his mother, Lillian Williams, a retired educator.
Testimonials
Before I joined JAG, I was lost. JAG provided assistance in pinpointing a career and making steps in order to pursue it. My JAG Specialist motivated me to make connections and to continue my education in the emergency response industry. JAG has changed my life!
I felt hopeless because no matter what I did, I thought the future I wanted was too far out of reach. I wasn’t smart enough or rich enough to live the life I wanted. Because of this, at the age of 15, I exploded. Everything parents pray their child isn’t doing, I was, or I was trying to. In the midst of this self destruction, the greatest opportunity came up and shook my hand. I went from dropping out to picking up my cap and gown. JAG didn’t save my life, it taught me how to save my own.
JAG has been a life changer.
JAG pushes us out of our comfort zone. It has truly helped me find my voice. I have learned how to voice my opinions the right way – when to speak and when to listen. Without JAG I have no doubt I would still be living my old life. I wish I could have found my voice sooner, but the important thing now is: I have found it, and I will never let it go.
