Shary Williamson’s career as an educator spanned four decades in Florida, Virginia and Ohio. She graduated from Miami University in 1967 and later received a master’s degree in early childhood education. Though she taught children from pre-school through high school, her first love and focus for 25 years has been in early childhood education.
Shary has often been recognized for her exemplary work, most notably as District Educator of the Year, Ohio PTA Outstanding Educator of the Year, American Red Cross Clara Barton Award for Education and The Ohio Department of Education Leadership Award.
On two separate occasions, she was named one of Marion, Ohio’s Outstanding Citizens in recognition of her broad community involvement and volunteer work. She served on The Ohio State Board of Directors for The American Diabetes Association and was named its Ohio Volunteer of the Year. For over ten years, she directed the children’s choir at local churches and volunteered over 1,000 hours in the children’s wing of the local hospital. Her humorous articles were published in The Marion Star between 2006 – 2010.She is currently an active member of Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), one of Marion, Ohio’s parks commissioners and remains very involved in community service.
Her contagious enthusiasm and positive energy follow her wherever she goes. Her well-known “mission statement” hung in her classroom for 40 years, and it still hangs in her home today. It is the motivation for the creation of The Woodland Elves. Simply put, her mission statement is to “Pass the Joy of Life Around!”