Gloria Williams, Ed.D. ’77, has been appointed to the Westfield State University Board of Trustees.
Dr. Williams is an educational consultant and leadership mentor. She served as an elementary school educator for nearly 37 years, and has taught as an adjunct professor for the University of Massachusetts.
“We are pleased to welcome such an esteemed educator and leader to the Board,” said Kevin Queenin ’70, chair of the Westfield State Board of Trustees. “We are eager to work with Dr. Williams to draw upon her experience and expertise to better serve our students.”
Prior to her retirement in 2014, she was a master principal for the Springfield Public Schools, leading them to high academic achievement status for more than two decades. These roles eventually led to her election as a representative on the Principal’s Advisory Council. She was also elected to the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee.
In addition to these roles, Dr. Williams has lent her expertise to multiple causes and associations. She was the founding member and chairperson for of the Coalition of Experienced Black Educators, and a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the National Alliance of Black School Educators, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Dr. Williams’ model leadership and success have been broadly recognized. She has been the recipient of the Fruits of Labor Award and the Stone Soul Festival Community Service Award, both received in 2012; and the 2019 Educational Legacy Achievement Award, presented by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
A 1977 graduate of Westfield State, she earned a B.S. in education. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, a M.Ed., and an Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.