By Ray Perales, Perconix
Jayson T. Williams, CEO
Mayson-Dixon Companies “MBE/LGBT Company of the Year“
BIO
Jayson T. Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of Mayson-Dixon Companies, a family of companies that was originally founded in 2015 as MD Strategic Consulting, a public affairs firm that utilizes campaign-style tactics to tell clients’ stories to achieve their missions. As the company grew, Jayson’s love of community organizing transformed into a passion for equitable community development. He has since started complimentary businesses such as, Mayson-Dixon Properties & Development, Modern Builders, and Modern Suppliers, that combined with MD Strategic Consulting created the first turnkey community development firm that engages in neighborhoods, builds residential and commercial projects, solves complex supply chain issues, manages properties of all sizes, and thoughtfully brings investment partners into underserved communities.
Prior to becoming a small business owner, Jayson had a distinguished career in public service working for the late Maryland State Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller, former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, and former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, to name a few. Jayson was inspired to become an entrepreneur after his appointment by then-County Executive Baker to serve as the Vice President for Strategic Alliances for the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation. There, he was a part of the leadership team spearheading transformative community investment, small & minority business growth, the rebranding campaign of Prince George’s County, and playing a key role in enabling the development of the $1.2 billion MGM National Harbor.
Since its inception, Mayson-Dixon Companies has become one of Bloomberg/Goldman-Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumni, has twice won the “Bridging the Gap” Achievement Award from the Greater Baltimore Committee for the firm’s work in diversity and inclusion, and was voted as one of Baltimore Business Journal’s Healthiest Employers for their investment in holistic employee health.
An alum of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Jayson has been named one of the Daily Record’s Very Important Professionals (VIP) Successful By 40 award recipients, 40 under 40 by the Baltimore Business Journal, LGBTQ 40 under 40 by Business Enterprise Magazine and was awarded the Chairman’s Award, a unique honor, by the Asian-American Economic Development Corporation for his work in the Asian American business community.
He currently serves as the first African American chair of the board of directors of the Pride of Baltimore II, Maryland’s Tall Ship, and on the board of directors of the Maryland Family Network, Maryland Humanities, and the American Red Cross of Central Maryland. In 2021, he was appointed by Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. to the Affordable Housing Workgroup focused on ensuring safe, accessible, and quality housing is available to everyone in the County.
Before starting his businesses, for over a decade, Jayson was an adjunct professor in the “Semester in Washington” program at the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, from which he also graduated in 2002. Many of his former students have gone on to distinguished careers in public service.
