About me
Heidi Lieb-Williams is currently the Chair of Alaska’s Governor’s Council for Disabilities and Special Education and GCDSE Executive committee and is Alaska’s Executive Ethics Supervisor. Even being Autistic and Hard of Hearing, amongst other hidden and physical disabilities and struggles she also serves as a member of the GCDSE Self-Advocacy committee and the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP). She sits on the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) Leadership Circle and is the NACDD 2020 Betty Williams Champion of Equal Opportunity Award recipient. She is the 2022 Global Women’s Peace Network HerStory Award recipient from the Women’s Federation for World Peace USA and has participated as an Advocacy Ambassador in the Capitol Hill’s National Advocacy Forum. She is a national speaker/advocate who has presented at the Arc of U.S. Disability Policy Summit, NACDD National Disability Conference in WA D.C., the National Leadership Consortium, Ocalicon, and to other states Governor’s Councils on Developmental Disabilities. She presented the “People with Disabilities Have a Dream” speech on the nation’s Capital steps and spoken at the Alaska State Special Education Conference, the Stone Soup Statewide Parent Conference, Full Lives Conference for DSP’s, Alaska Autism Society Conference, Disability Pride celebrations, and many other venues. She has also served on the Stone Soup Parent Conference & Disability Pride planning committees, the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities & Mental Health Advisory Council (IDD-MH), and former Chair of the Autism Ad Hoc Committee. She helped craft the 2019 Alaska Autism Proclamation 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, Telecommunications Law, Minimum Wage Exemption Bill, and the Developmental Disability Vision Law in Alaska, bringing her important lived experience as both an individual with disabilities and a parent of children with disabilities. Heidi owns Puzzled with Purpose--Autistically Inspired Creations, which helps individuals with different capabilities work on crafting, sewing, entrepreneurial, communication, social, and advocacy skills. She has developed special needs and drama ministries within churches as well as spoken at church retreats, events, and services. She 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 only entrepreneurs and artists with disabilities and different capabilities. She is an author who also loves acting, directing, and script writing. Heidi is very passionate advocate who enjoys testifying for bills, meeting with legislators, and was crowned 2018 Miss Amazing Princess, 2019 Alaska State Fair Duchess, 2020/21 National Heart of America Elite Miss Alaska, and the 2022 Elite Ms. National Heart of America. She successfully advocated the creation of ‘Possibility Day’ and helped create ‘Embracing AK Disabilities Expo for the Alaska State Fair special needs community. She received the 2018 Miss Amazing People’s Choice Award, the 2018 Arc of Anchorage Community Award, 2019 Alaska State Fair Community Service Medal, and the 2021 Royal Court Fireweed Award and is now the 2023 Alaska State of State Address Honoree who has a goal of running for Governor in 2026. She is noted for saying “Impossible” is actually “I’m Possible” and take all the “I cant’s” and “You’ll Never’s” and add the word “yet” to it as an encouragement to others throughout our nation.
