Anthropic is planting a deeper flag in Florida with a new hire focused on the Southern U.S.
The AI research and development company behind Claude has tapped Marlene Williams as its first Regional State and Local Government Affairs Lead for the South, with Tallahassee as her home base.
Williams brings more than a decade of government relations experience, most recently leading General Motors’ efforts in the region. She previously worked as Legislative Affairs Director in the Florida Department of Management Services.
In the new role, Williams will help expand Anthropic’s engagement with lawmakers across the region, with a focus on AI model transparency, user safety and other emerging policy issues as states weigh how to regulate the rapidly advancing technology.
The hire comes as the company builds out its state and local policy footprint nationwide. She joins fellow Florida native Cesar Fernandez, who came aboard earlier this year to lead State and Local Government Relations.
“AI is moving fast, and state and local policymakers across the South are asking important questions about how to get this right,” Williams said. “Throughout my career — from state government to the auto industry — I’ve seen that transformative technologies succeed when safety is a first principle, not an afterthought. That’s exactly what drew me to Anthropic, and I’m excited to get started.”
