Sally Williams

Sally Williams is the General Manager of the Ryman Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark. Under her tenure the venue has garnered multiple awards including Pollstar Magazine’s 2010 Venue of the Year; the Academy of Country Music’s 2008 & 2010 Venue of the Year; and the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s 2009 Venue of the Year. Williams recently was chosen by the Academy of Country Music as the Promoter of the Year and in 2010 was honored by the Nashville Business Journal as one of “Forty Under 40,” a group designated as the best young leaders making an impact on business in the Nashville area.

Williams began managing the Ryman in 2008 and is only the eighth person to hold the role in the venue's 119 year history. She began her career promoting concerts while a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She went on to work for promoters Contemporary Productions, Jam Productions and Pace Concerts as well booking agency the William Morris Agency. In 1999 she joined Gaylord Entertainment and managed concerts and other events for the Opry Entertainment Complex for more than seven years. After a brief stint at the Country Music Association, Williams returned to Gaylord as the Ryman's General Manager. Since then she has led the Ryman in promoting concerts ranging from Aretha Franklin to Zac Brown Band and from Paul Simon to Widespread Panic. She also oversees the Ryman’s theatrical productions, including Always…Patsy Cline, and is responsible for the daily operations of the Ryman Museum & Gift Shop.

Williams serves on the Boards of Directors for the International Entertainment Buyers Association, Leadership Music, the Nashville Downtown Partnership, the Opry Trust Fund and the Music City Music Council for which she also serves as Chair of the Live Music Committee. She is an alumnus of Leadership Music, a graduate of the International Association of Venue Managers’ Public Assembly Facility Management School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.