Franklin Williams is a lifelong resident of Duplin County and has served on the Four County EMC Board of Directors since 1985. He served as Board President from 2004 to 2025, leading the Cooperative through decades of growth and advancement. Franklin also earned his Director Gold Certification from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), demonstrating his strong commitment to cooperative governance and member service.
Franklin is a veteran of the North Carolina Army National Guard, where he served as a unit commander in both Wallace and Beulaville. After graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in horticultural science, he returned to Duplin County to farm and support the local agricultural community. He also worked for three years in the 1960s as Assistant Manager at the First National Bank of Eastern North Carolina in Wallace.
In addition to his service with Four County EMC, Franklin has served on the board of Duplin General Hospital and currently serves on the board of Duplin County Farm Bureau. He and his late wife, Paula, have one son, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. In his spare time, Franklin enjoys helping his son operate the family farm.