Honorable Councilwoman Helen Zenobia Willis was elected as one of the inaugural city council members representing District 3—which includes the Welcome All and Cliftondale communities—in Georgia’s newest municipality. Her dedication to public service long predates her career as an elected official.
Councilwoman Willis was raised by esteemed Chatham County educators, both as a granddaughter and daughter, and is a proud third-generation alumna of Savannah State University, Class of 1999, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting. She later obtained a master’s degree in accounting and financial management from Keller Graduate School of Management.
Helen began her professional career in government at the Georgia Department of Labor, advancing through various roles under former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. She continued her career in the private sector, spending eight years at Fortune 500 company ADP (Automated Data Processing), followed by a tenure at Koch Industries—the second largest privately held company in the United States. Despite earning an excellent income, she found herself deeply unfulfilled. Encouraged by her loving husband, she chose to pursue her passion for public service and run for office.
She was elected to the South Fulton City Council in 2017 and re-elected in 2019 and 2024. Her service to the community has been marked by action, passion, and promises fulfilled. She has championed improvements to parks and recreation facilities, public safety infrastructure, and crime reduction efforts. Her leadership has addressed dangerous intersections, delivered long-awaited infrastructure projects, tackled food insecurity during the pandemic and holidays, and supported local schools, youth employment, and mentoring programs.
Councilwoman Willis is married to Vincent Willis, Sr., a 34-year veteran and Deputy Chief of Fulton County. Together, they have a blended family of four children and six grandchildren.