Talk with anyone that knows Clarence E. Willie, Ed.D, and they will tell you two things: he is well traveled and has experienced a great deal in his life and that he is determined to share what he has learned with those who desire to transform lives, inspire minds and cultivate potential.

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina and reared in a military family, Dr Willie experienced a side of life in the late 1950s and early 1960s that most African-American children did not.  He lived on a U.S. Air Force Base in Germany in a kind of state of cultural suspension, not undergoing the perils of segregation, yet being the only African-American student in his high school graduation class. As a result of his upbringing, time spent in the United States Marine Corps from which he retired as a lieutenant colonel and the culture shock of his re-entry into a segregated south in the early 1960s, he has gained a unique and global perspective on achieving success as an African American in America and throughout the world. That insight has inspired and motivated for adults and young people alike with whom he has had the opportunity teach and work. 

Dr. Willie has effectively transferred his military skills to his second career in education. Quickly rising from a teacher to school district superintendent, he has used his leadership experience from both careers to draw some interesting parallels between the profession of education and the military. He believes that the criteria for successful leadership are indeed transferable from one profession to another. Dr. Willie knows that adjusting to the professional or social setting where a particular leadership style is required, takes refinement. He now uses his transitional experiences to provide guidance for those who endeavor to become educators and administrators seeking to recruit teachers from other careers. 

As an educational consultant at the State Department of Education level, Dr. Willie established an office designed to recruit military members for service as educators and his passion for recruiting continues an educational administrator.

His passion for United States history and the contributions of African Americans to the development of our great nation began when he was an undergraduate student and it remains stronger than ever. He conceived the idea for the development of a documentary that chronicles the experiences of the first African Americans recruited and trained to be United States Marines.  The documentary, The Marines of Montford Point, Fighting for Freedom, has aired nationally on the Public Broadcasting Service.  He served as interviewer and chief consultant for the documentary. He is presently writing a book and the script for yet another video production that will document yet another little known fact about the service of African Americans during World War II.

With a proven track record of success, those who know Dr. Willie will also tell you that he is an excellent communicator and that his warmth, charisma and high energy make him intriguing with the ability to capture the attention of young and young-at-heart audiences. Get to know Dr. Clarence E. Willie!