Meet Darrin Williams

Hard work. Respect. Service. These three principals have guided Darrin Williams throughout his life and career. From a young age he was taught that nothing worthwhile comes without hard work; a respect for authority is fundamental, be it for one’s elders or the law; and service is an honor and duty. He continues to teach these values to his own children, and has never forgotten where he learned them.

Born in Danville, Darrin was adopted at a young age by a loving couple, Warren and Catherine Williams. Warren, a Church of Christ minister for over 40 years was instrumental in establishing  many of the African American congregations of Church of Christ in the Greater Little Rock and North Little Rock areas. Catherine, an English teacher, first taught in the segregated schools of Conway County before teaching in North Little Rock after integration.

In addition to his ministerial work, Warren also ran a concrete finishing business where Darrin spent many hours working. It was tough, but Darrin’s father knew that it would teach his son the value of hard work and education, a lesson he carries to this day.

Darrin’s parents also worked hard to teach him the importance of respect. Spending summers in the quiet, country town of Menifee with his grandmother, Darrin listened intently to the stories of his family history and the challenges they faced. With each story came a lesson, and with each lesson he further understood the importance of learning from the past.

Those lessons, along with his understanding that good things come from hard work, made him study hard throughout his time at Little Rock’s Central High School, where he was elected student body president. He went on to attend Hendrix College in Conway and receive his bachelor’s degree before graduating from Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee and Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, where he received his master’s of law degree in Securities and Financial Regulation. After graduation, Darrin honed his grassroots political skills working in political outreach for the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC during several of the Clinton presidential years.  With a strong desire to return home to give back to the community and state that had done so much for him, Darrin accepted the position of Chief of Staff and Counsel to Attorney General Mark Pryor.  In this position, and later as Chief Deputy Attorney General, Darrin fought for hard-working Arkansans every day, specifically taking on individuals and business that targeted Arkansas’ seniors and children. 

Because of his work as a consumer advocate, Darrin was invited to testify before the Subcommittee on Social Security of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives. He also spent five years serving on the Little Rock Planning Commission before making the decision to run for the Arkansas General Assembly in 2008.

When he is not at the State Capitol or volunteering his time at numerous civic organizations, you can usually find him at his law firm, Carney Williams Bates Pulliam & Bowman, PLLC or spending time with his wife of 15 years, Nicole Sippial, and their two children, Darrin Jr. and Payton. The family attends Central Church of Christ where Darrin serves as a Sunday school teacher and deacon.