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12/09/2014

John I. William Jr. to Become President of ELCA’s Muhlenberg College

CHICAGO (ELCA) – John I. Williams Jr. will become the 12th president of Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa., effective July 1, 2015. Muhlenberg is one of 26 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Muhlenberg’s Board of Trustees, advised by a search committee, voted unanimously to appoint Williams at the conclusion of a national search that began in February 2014. Randy Helm will conclude his 12-year tenure as president of the college June 30, 2015.

Williams is the first African American ELCA college and university president, according to the Rev. Mark N. Wilhelm, director for schools, colleges and universities, ELCA Congregational and Synodical Mission. “I am delighted to welcome John Williams into our ELCA higher education community, and I look forward to working with him to continue and enhance the mission of Muhlenberg College,” he said.

In a statement to the search committee, Williams wrote: “I am drawn to the opportunity to lead Muhlenberg first by my deep passion for the liberal arts, the performing arts, pre-professional programs and the power of transformational learning more broadly.”

“Alumni of liberal arts colleges number disproportionately among the nation and the world’s leaders. The quality of mind nurtured at Muhlenberg and other fine, liberal arts colleges – promoting close collaboration between students and faculty in a residential setting – is more likely to confront future challenges in a nuanced and conceptually-integrated manner that will lead to wiser decisions. Our nation and our world have never needed graduates of liberal arts colleges more than now,” he wrote.

In 1975, Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. In 1979, he earned a law degree at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass., and master’s degree in business administration at Harvard Business School.

Williams joined Bain and Company in Boston, and he was the first person of color hired by the firm. Five years later, Williams left Bain to co-launch Softbridge Microsystems. He also served as vice president of strategic planning at American Express in New York, where he led the U.S. Platinum Card business and the U.S. Consumer Travel Network.

In 1996, Williams left American Express to become the chief executive officer of Biztravel.com, and since 2000, he has led a number of entrepreneurial ventures and has engaged in strategy consulting in nonprofit and higher education sectors. He led the consulting unit of Eduventures and served as a partner in the higher education practice at The Bridgespan Group. During this time, Williams worked with a number of colleges, universities and other educational institutions. He also served for the past four years as an expert-in-residence at Harvard's Innovation Lab.

Williams and his wife, Diane Pierce-Williams, have three adult children and one grandchild. Diane is a former member of the faculty of the Loyola University New Orleans' College of Law and a former trustee of Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., and Goucher College in Towson, Md.

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