WHO RUNS THE WORLD, GIRLS: Shavonta Williams has been named the first female foreman in the city’s Solid Waste Division, breaking barriers for all women who come behind her.

THOMASVILLE – Shavonta Williams has already knocked down barriers in her short time working for the City of Thomasville. There is no reason to believe she won’t continue to succeed in her new position.

Williams was recently promoted to foreman in the Solid Waste division, becoming the first woman to achieve that status for the City of Thomasville.

“I try not to let being a female get in the way of my duties. I try to go just as hard as the guys,” Williams said. “I try to be a hard worker and put my all into whatever I do. When these guys gave me a chance, I wanted to prove to them that I can do it, that I can hang in there with them. That’s how I approach any job. I try to do my best to succeed and fit in where I fit in. I don’t want them to feel like they’ve got to carry me. I want to be able to hold my own with them.”

Williams worked as a CDL equipment operator in the city’s Solid Waste division for less than a year. It was enough time to make an impression on her superiors, who applaud Williams’ success in a male-dominated profession.

“Anything in solid waste is almost always a male job. We’ve got a couple of female drivers. Normally they don’t last very long,” said Katie Tillery, administrative assistant II for the City of Thomasville. “It’s extremely difficult, the job itself. They’re in trucks most of the day. They also have to deal with the garbage, clean up any messes, deal with truck maintenance. It’s just a horrible atmosphere for the most part. Most women don’t stay in it for very long.”

“I think for us it speaks volumes to her integrity. She’s really a tenacious person. When she came, she was really ready to learn something. She wanted to get out there and absorb everything that was around here,” Tillery said.

Williams will oversee a six-person team that picks up the residential trash, every address in the city, every day. She has already proven her worth in being promoted. She will continue to be motivated in this new role.

“She’s really good at her job. She cares about her customers, and obviously that’s been showcased to us in order to give her this position,” Tillery said.