Pastor Willie is a chaplain and non-profit leader, including re. substance use disorder recovery. He explains that he was raised in Brooklyn, NY with an abusive, alcoholic father, and that he left home at age eleven, spending his teens struggling with drug use. While he married his wife Nancy at age 18, he notes that he continued with drug use until becoming a Christian on Palm Sunday of 1981 at age 27.  He then served in various church ministries before transitioning to full-time inner-city ministry in 1996, becoming an Assistant Pastor at New Hope Community Church (Staten Island) where he developed a youth sports ministry. After five years, he and Nancy joined Cru's Athletes in Action.

Pastor Willie served as Chaplain for the Staten Island Yankees and the Hispanic players of the New York Yankees for 29 years, and for the Brooklyn Nets for 22 years. He worked with many prominent team members who continue to be involved in ministry while in retirement. He also directed Urban Impact and now serves as Campus Pastor for Adult/Teen Challenge New Jersey, as part of this national organization equipping people in recovery from substance use disorder.