The Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent's Award recognizes ACHE affiliates who are experienced in the field and have made significant contributions to the advancement of health care management excellence and the achievement of ACHE's goals.

Affiliates are evaluated on leadership ability; innovative and creative management; executive capability in developing their own organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community; contributions to the development of others in the health care profession; leadership in local, state or provincial hospital and health association activities; participation in civic/community activities and projects; participation in ACHE activities; and interest in assisting ACHE in achieving its objectives.

Williams is board certified in health care management as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, demonstrating a commitment to professional excellence. He has been with Norton Healthcare since 1977 and has served as president and CEO since 1993. Before that, he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer (1988-93); vice president, quality management (1986-88); vice president, managed hospitals (1984-1986); administrator, Caldwell County Hospital (1980-84); and assistant to the executive vice president (1977-79). A native of Lola, in Western Kentucky, Williams earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Murray State University and a master's in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.

Williams has the unique distinction of having served as CEO of Kentucky's smallest hospital at the time (Livingston County, 26 beds, 1972-77, at age 22) and now serving as CEO of Kentucky's largest health care system. He led Norton Healthcare's pioneering development of total quality management in the health care industry in the mid-1980s, which led to Norton Healthcare being recognized as the first in the nation to receive Healthcare Forum's Commitment to Quality Award in l988. He has authored several articles and spoken nationally on strategies in health care quality management. He also was recognized as one of four emerging leaders nationally in 1990. Norton Healthcare has been designated as one of the top 100 integrated health care organizations in the nation. Under Williams' leadership, this year, Norton Healthcare won the prestigious National Quality Forum National Quality Healthcare Award. The organization has been recognized consistently as one of the best places to work in Metro Louisville, the state of Kentucky and nationally. In addition, Norton Healthcare and Humana are one of only four national pilot sites, and the only one in Kentucky,to study the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) model through the prestigious Brookings – Dartmouth ACO Pilot Project. With more than 11,200 employees and some 2,300 total physicians on its medical staff, Norton Healthcare is Louisville's third largest private employer.

Williams is active in health care and civic organizations on the national, regional and local levels. He has served as a member of the board of trustees of the American Hospital Association and chaired its Regional Policy Board 3 (seven southeastern states and the District of Columbia). He has chaired the board of trustees of the Kentucky Hospital Association and has received its Award of Excellence. He has served as co-chair of Greater Louisville Inc. (the city's chamber of commerce and economic development organization); chair of Louisville's Metro United Way (raising more than $28 million for charity); chair of KentuckianaWorks (the region's workforce investment board); and has served on the boards of Leadership Louisville, Fund for the Arts, University Medical Center, University Health Care Corporation and many others. He also has been recognized by Murray State University with its Distinguished Alumni Award and received the first Jerome T. Bieter Award for Outstanding Leadership from the University of Minnesota.