City of Kansas City, MO Hires New Community Digital Navigator
At the heart of Kansas City’s push toward digital equity is Sherrill (Tonya) Williams, a long-time City employee who recently took on a new challenge: helping residents navigate a tech-driven world. Williams, who previously worked in customer service, 311, and at Kansas City International Airport, now serves as the digital navigator assistant in the City’s Digital Equity Office. The office is led by Jerry Buckman, who oversees the city’s efforts to expand digital access and literacy for underserved communities.
“I did not know there were a lot of people here in our city that don’t know how to use a computer,” Williams said. “And we live in a digital age, so that’s why I think this role is very important, because we need to help our fellow citizens and get them acclimated to using the computer.”
Shortly after entering the role, Williams received a stack of handwritten surveys collected from a local neighborhood. “I created a form, on Microsoft Forms, and entered it all and created an Excel sheet,” she said. “So now all those individuals are in our system, and we are now hungry for more.”
Initial survey data revealed that many residents identified as beginners or had never used a computer before. “Yes, I need classes on what a mouse is, what a monitor is, a keyboard and different things like that,” she said.
The city is planning further outreach through community centers and nonprofits, including new recruitment and survey efforts conducted directly in neighborhoods. Plans are underway to provide language access tools for surveyors working with non-English-speaking residents.
Williams emphasized the importance of paying attention to what residents have to say when engaging with the community. “I think my approach would be listening,” she said. “Listening to their concerns or if they have questions or if it’s something that they’re unsure about. I think listening is the key.”
She also highlighted specific challenges shared by partner organizations. “A lot of individuals who are working adults or maybe not working, or unhoused or maybe housed… they know what digital literacy is, but they’re not exposed to it, they don’t have it at home,” Williams said. “You may have individuals who are housed, but they don’t have a computer in the home with young children.”
These challenges tie directly to broader goals around class instruction and device access. “Once we find out what the need is, that’s when we can create classes and get instructors,” she said. “You’ll have a class of people who [are] a little bit better than a beginner, but probably need to be refreshed.”
Williams continues to focus on outreach and coordination. “I love being a voice or just that tree limb to help mend something that perhaps was broken or just empty,” she said.
Reflecting on her first few months in the role, Williams said: “What’s rewarding to me is to know now that there is a community of individuals out there that want to help our citizens and want to be a crusader to amplify all of this information.”
She added, “It also humbles you to be grateful, because you’re also helping yourself, really, spiritually, to me, along with individuals being helped out in our community.”