About Barbara Becnel, Executor of Stanley Tookie Williams's Estate

Barbara Becnel, 57, is Executive Director of the non-profit social services agency in Richmond, California, Neighborhood House of North Richmond.

For 13 years she worked with Stanley Tookie Williams, death row prisoner and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, to edit and publish his award-winning series of books for at-risk children. She was Stan's advocate and friend, and organized an international campaign for clemency until he was killed by the State of California on December 13, 2005. She witnessed his execution.

Barbara's background includes working as a public policy expert in Washington, D.C. and in Los Angeles. She has written more than 100 newspaper and magazine articles as well as several books about parenting and overcoming drug addiction.

She co-produced the award-winning TV film Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story, based on her partnership with Stanley Tookie Williams. Academy Award-winning Jamie Foxx starred as Mr. Williams; Emmy Award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield portrayed Barbara. The movie was honored at the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival in France.

In addition, Barbara has earned high honors for her public service, including:

  • *Women's History Celebration Award 2006 for Social Consciousness from Contra Costa College and the American Association of University Women

  • *California State Honoree 2005 Ella Hill Hutch Award for Outstanding Leadership and Community Service issued by Black Women Organized for Political Action

  • *Certificate of Appreciation for 2005 Ella Hill Hutch Award in Recognition of Outstanding Service from Barbara Boxer, United States Senator

  • *Woman of the Year 2001 issued by the California State Legislature

Barbara received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2 1/2 years, summa cum laude, in Economics from Adelphi University; attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a doctoral program in Quantitative and Labor Economics and did post-graduate work at the University of Chicago as a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow.