Board & Councils

Krystal D. Williams is the founder of Providentia Group PLLC where she provides accessible and strategic legal counsel to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and growing organizations. Her practice is focused on strengthening Maine’s business ecosystem and helping mission-driven organizations build sustainable, resilient institutions.

Before entering the legal profession, Krystal spent more than a decade leading strategy, innovation, and growth initiatives for a Fortune 100 company. After graduating from the University of Maine School of Law in 2017, she began her legal career focusing on energy and environmental law. In 2020, she launched Providentia Group to expand access to sophisticated legal counsel for organizations often underserved by traditional legal models.

Also in 2020, Krystal founded the Alpha Legal Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to diversifying Maine’s legal profession and expanding access to justice. Under her leadership, the organization launched the AmeriCorps Legal Access Navigators Program, an innovative community-based initiative that expands access to justice while creating pathways into the legal profession for individuals from historically underrepresented communities. In 2023, she co-designed the University of Maine School of Law’s Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate Program, helping establish a formal pathway for students pursuing careers in public service and social impact.

Krystal brings extensive nonprofit governance experience to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Her board service includes the ACLU of Maine, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund, Maine Boys to Men, and the Rural Youth Institute. She also served as a trustee of the University of New England, was the inaugural chairwoman of KinoTek, and currently serves as an incorporator for Mascoma Bank. Her experience spans organizational governance, strategic planning, entrepreneurship, community development, and institutional stewardship.

Krystal holds a J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Psychology from Williams College. She has been recognized as a MaineBiz 2021 Woman to Watch and a 2022 Mainer of the Year.

In 2011, Krystal (“Bumblebee”) completed a NOBO thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. The experience profoundly shaped her understanding of resilience, stewardship, community, and the transformative power of wild places. She brings to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy a unique combination of governance experience, an environmental law background, community development expertise, and a commitment to protecting the Trail and the communities and landscapes it connects.