Heidi Lieb-Williams
Heidi Lieb-Williams was awarded the HerStory Award at the National HerStory Award launch of the Global Women's Peace Network on February 26, 2022, for her exemplary commitment to being an advocate and voice for those with disabilities, encouraging others to use their unique talents to achieve their dreams.
Heidi Lieb-Williams is currently the Chair of Alaska’s Governor’s Council for Disabilities and Special Education and GCDSE Executive committee. She serves as a member of the Intellectual/Developmental Disability & Mental Health (IDD-MH) Advisory Council, and the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP). She sits on the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) Leadership Circle and is the 2020 NACDD Betty Williams Champion of Equality Award recipient. She helped craft the 2019 Autism Proclamation for Alaska and the 2020 Anchorage Autism Proclamation. She has been a lifelong advocate for individuals with disabilities, especially working to empower other self-advocates with autism. Heidi was a strong advocate in the passage of the Supported Decision-Making Agreement Act in Alaska, spoke on Alaska’s capitol steps with the Key Campaign, advocated as an Autism Speaks Advocacy Ambassador on capitol hill day to our U.S. Senators and House of Representatives, and is currently involved in helping change laws in Alaska concerning people with disabilities, bringing her important lived experience as both an individual with disabilities and a parent of children with disabilities.
Ms. Lieb-Williams is a mom of a son and a daughter and a Grammie to grandsons almost 6 and 4 years old and a 6-month-old granddaughter. Heidi owns her own business, Puzzled with Purpose--Autistically Inspired Creations, which helps other Autistic individuals work on crafting, sewing, job, entrepreneurial, communication, social, and advocacy skills and her creations are in 19 different countries that she is aware of. She is a national autistic speaker/advocate who has presented at Ocalicon Autism Conference, Alaska State Special Education Conference, the Stone Soup Parent Conference, Full Lives Conference for DSP’s, Alaska Autism Society Conference, Disability Pride celebrations, and numerous other events including radio and television appearances. She has developed special needs and drama ministries within churches as well as spoken at church retreats and is currently working on an Autism children’s book, a disability devotional book, and creating autism films and disability documentaries. She is an artist who paints, draws, quilts, sews, and knits who founded Shining Abilities Craft Fair featuring artists with disabilities.
She was honored to be voted the 2018 Miss Amazing People’s Choice Award, crowned 2019 Alaska State Fair Duchess, 2020/2021 National Heart of America Elite Miss Alaska, and is currently the 2022 Elite Ms. National Heart of America. She successfully advocated the creation of ‘Possibility Day’ for the Alaska State Fair special needs community. Heidi is also the recipient of the 2018 Arc of Anchorage Community Award, 2019 Alaska State Fair Community Service Medal, and now the recipient of the 2022 HerStory Award through the Women’s Federation for World Peace.
Ms. Leib-Williams continually champions opportunities to help others including building up new leaders and advocates to make a difference on their journey, being exactly who they are and growing to who they can become offering their gifts and talents to share with others.
