Dr. Jay Williams Appointed as Minneapolis College's Chief Diversity Officer

Minneapolis Community and Technical College (Minneapolis College) has appointed Dr. Jay Williams as its Chief Diversity Officer. Minneapolis College President Sharon Pierce appointed Williams effective November 17 following an interim period.

"I can't imagine anyone more prepared to lead this important work for our College," said Pierce. "We would be hard-pressed to find anyone with Jay's passion for equity and inclusion or his strong commitment to Minneapolis College."

As interim in this role, Williams led a cross-functional group in developing and implementing Minneapolis College's Equity and Inclusion Plan to guide the College's efforts to embed equity consciousness into its practices, procedures, policies and planning.

Williams joined Minneapolis College in January 2014 teaching Anthropology. His work is transforming the College's approach to equity work and helping increase access to higher education for at-risk youth. Previously, Williams achieved similar successes for organizations such as Princeton University, the National School and Community Corps, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and Carole Robertson Center for Learning and on Chicago's West side.

In 1993, his community work earned him the New Jersey Governor's Award for Youth Outreach. When Williams initially joined Minneapolis College, he underwent a standard open search process. As consistent with other similar leadership roles, a separate search process for this appointment was deemed unnecessary.

For additional information about Williams' experience and education, visit Minneapolis College's Leadership webpage. Williams is planning a series of open forums to continue discussions with Minneapolis College stakeholders about the College and its future plans to become a leader in equity and inclusion.