Sherrye Willis
Sherrye Willis is the founder and president of Alliance for Greater Works, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming marginalized communities so that all people have opportunities to thrive. Foremost a servant leader, Sherrye values and embodies a biblical view of leadership that seeks the welfare of others, engages the gifts of all, heals divisions, and accomplishes shared goals.
Sherrye founded Alliance for Greater Works in 2001, answering a call to serve organizations working in under-resourced communities. Since then, she and Alliance have dedicated time, resources, and talent to equip community leaders with the skills, resources, and capacity to create systemic change and a more just society. Her first book, Launching Greater Works: Turning a God-Inspired Vision into a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit, details her founding journey and offers inspiration and practical advice to help leaders turn their vision into a reality.
She brings more than 30 years of expertise as an executive, author, speaker, coach and certified adult-learner trainer to her work in her immediate community, throughout Texas, and beyond. Passionate in particular about developing the next generation of women leaders, Sherrye is currently a doctoral candidate at Biola University. Her research involves understanding the perspectives of multigenerational women of color about current pedagogical global leadership development.
In 2012, Sherrye was one of 150 leaders from around the country, and one of only three from Texas, invited to the White House to discuss challenges facing marginalized communities, learn from pioneers who are driving change in challenging times, and explore new ways federal policymaking can support their endeavors.
Sherrye previously served as the executive director of a private family foundation with over $10 million in assets and as a chief development officer in higher education and art institutions. She also consulted for thousands of leaders and organizations domestically and internationally, including Dr. Tony Evans’ National Church Adopt-a-School Initiative, Center for Philanthropy Bermuda, Communities Foundation of Texas, Concord Church, Children’s Health Systems, Esping Family Foundation, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, and many more.
In her ever-limited spare time, Sherrye loves listening to jazz, traveling, reading, and spending time with her best friend and husband, Joe.
