Before coming to Appalachian in 1992, Joel Williams taught ten years at LaGrange College. Past service positions include Production Coordinator; various department and college committees; board member of North Carolina Theatre Conference; and State Chair of KC-ACTF. His primary production responsibility is directing – recent plays include Moon Over Buffalo, Good Woman of Setzuan, Master Harold and the boys, Scapino, Six Characters in Search of an Author, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and A Lesson Before Dying (Selected for KC-ACTF Regional Festival 2002).  He also continues to serve the department as an occasional scenic designer and is particularly pleased with recent designs for Proof and Blithe Spirit.

Joel is also active with The Blowing Rock Stage Company, a small non-profit professional theatre.  At BRSC he has performed roles in Lost in Yonkers and Beau Jest.  In the 2007 season he directed Golf, The Musical, that beyond the Equity cast, included two Appalachian students that were BRSC interns.  This past holiday season he directed the musical version of Bob Inman's The Christmas Bus that involved local community performers with the core Equity cast.

An advocate for the liberal arts approach to undergraduate theatre education, he is pleased to be known as a generalist and during his academic career has served as a scenic and lighting designer, technical director, stage manager, and actor.