The event is scheduled for March 29, starting at 6 p.m. in St. Florian Hall in Wintersville.

Williams, in his second term as Youngstown's 47th mayor, is the city's first African-American mayor. When first elected, he was 33 years old, making him Youngstown's youngest mayor.

"We are delighted that Mayor Williams has accepted our invitation," said Ed Looman, executive director of Progress Alliance. "Under his leadership, Youngstown has made some amazing strides forward and I'm positive his message will inspire us all to keep working hard to turn Jefferson County around."

Looman said the annual Best of Jefferson County event is an opportunity to celebrate the positive and the efforts of those who make the county a great place to live, work and play.

"It will give us a chance to define dedication, accomplishment and recognition," Looman said. "The evening will be all about celebrating the positives of our great county and hearing the details of Youngstown's turnaround."

Youngstown has worked for decades to find a new direction following the collapse of the steel industry in the Mahoning Valley in the late 1970s.

Youngstown has moved progressively under Williams' leadership. The city's Youngstown 2010 Vision/Planning "right-sizing" initiative has been recognized and rewarded by a number of notable organizations including, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, the American Planning Association, and Governing Magazine to name a few. In its August 2009 issue, Entrepreneur Magazine listed Youngstown among the 10 best cities in the U.S. to start a business.

Williams has traveled nationally and internationally to discuss and promote Youngstown's innovative and progressive recovery efforts. There is a growing international interest in examining how many of the city's strategies might be of benefit to other global communities undergoing redevelopment challenges similar to Youngstown.

Williams is leading efforts to improve quality of life for residents, which is a major component of the Jefferson County Community Investment Plan locally.

Under his leadership, neighborhoods are being revitalized and aggressive policies are targeting crime.

The city has increased investment in broad-based economic development initiatives. Williams is also a vocal proponent of an ambitious regional economic agenda intended to help the Youngstown area become more competitive in the changing global economic landscape.

Prior to being elected, Williams served as the director of community development for the city. Prior to that, he was in banking. A native of Youngstown, Williams is a graduate of Youngstown State University with a bachelor's degree in finance.

He and his wife, Sonja, reside in Youngstown. His wife is an educational administrator.

The centerpiece of the evening will be the presentation of Best of the County awards. Recipients, according to Looman, will personify "the best effort, the best determination, the best achievements and the best of Jefferson County."

Nomination forms for the awards are available on the Progress Alliance Web site, www.theburb.org. They also are available at the Progress Alliance office, located inside the Jefferson County Center for Economic Development, 630 Market St. The deadline for submitting nominations is March 1.

Tickets for the event are priced at $65. A table of eight can be reserved for $520. For information on reservations or to RSVP, contact the Progress Alliance office at (740) 283-2476.