Dean Williams led the Colorado Department of Corrections for approximately four years until he became a consultant in 2023. Prior to joining the Colorado DOC, he was the Commissioner of Corrections in Alaska where he oversaw the operation of community jails, halfway houses, pretrial and sentenced facilities, probation, parole and pre-trial efforts in the state. Dean served in several capacities during his time in Alaska, including Special Assistant to Governor Walker, Special Assistant in the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Researcher for the Alaska Legislature, Executive Director of the Downtown Soup Kitchen, Juvenile Justice Superintendent, Youth Counselor for the Dept. of Juvenile Justice, and Reserve Police Officer for the Anchorage Police Department. In the adult corrections field, Dean and community partners led major initiatives to include development of prisoner-led newspaper, podcast, radio station, theater, seminary education (to train up inmate chaplains), honor units, mentoring, and substance abuse training. All of these efforts were implemented as an opportunity for incarcerated people to lead and to positively impact prison culture. In recognition of these innovative accomplishments, in 2022, the International Corrections and Prisons Association presented Dean with the prestigious Head of Service Award for Excellence. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Ohio University.