Dr. Katara A. Williams currently serves as the Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and External Relations. She is formerly the Chief of Staff for the Southern University System- the nation’s only Historically Black College System. Williams was previously appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards as the Executive Director for the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Williams is a skilled professional with an impressive track record in the education, policy, and public affairs sectors. Having worked for more than 20 years in both K-12 and higher education, Dr. Williams has made her mark around the state and nation as an advocate for education. Prior to returning to Southern University as a top administrator, Williams served as the Associate Commissioner for Public Affairs and Advisor to the Council of Student Body Presidents at the Louisiana Board of Regents. Williams has also worked at the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), where she developed and executed stakeholder engagement strategies statewide for Louisiana’s teacher evaluation system.
Prior to her work in the state department, Williams served as the Director of Media Relations for the Southern University System and Assistant to the Chancellor and Public Relations Specialist at the Southern University Ag Center. Dr. Williams also has extensive experience in broadcast journalism having been an air personality and public affairs talk show host on Cumulus Radio Stations.
Williams remains actively engaged in the community and beyond by serving on the Learn for Life National Advisory Board, the Higher Education Leadership Foundation, the Louisiana Association of Diversity Officers and an evaluator for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Williams has also dedicated her time and talent as a past board member for Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), the North Baton Rouge Women’s Help Center, the Baton Rouge Ballet Theater, and the YWCA of Greater BR to name a few. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a lifetime member of the Southern University Alumni Federation and the 1880 Society.
Williams has been recognized nationally for her commitment to education and is a life-long learner. She is a 2012 Graduate of the 2012 Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Leadership Baton Rouge Class, a 2014 Graduate of the Council for a Better Louisiana’s Leadership Louisiana Class, and a 2015 Graduate of the Higher Education Foundation’s Leadership Institute, a 2015 member of the American Council of Education’s (ACE) Aspiring Leaders cohort, and a 2019-2020 American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Millennium Leadership Fellow. In 2020, Williams was recognized by HBCU Campaign as one of Ten HBCU Alumni to Watch.
Williams is a proud alumna of Southern University and A&M College where she holds a B.A. in mass communications, a M.A. in public relations, and a Ph.D. in public policy from the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy. She is also an adjunct professor in public policy where she teaches courses in political leadership, philosophy, and philanthropy, and the Owner/Broker for Compass Real Estate Group of Louisiana.