Southern University System Chief of Staff Selected for National Higher Education Institute

Katara Williams, Southern University System chief of staff, has been selected from a national pool of applicants as a 2019 protégé for the Millennium Leadership Institute. Co-sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, the institute is a yearlong commitment which enhances the skillsets of leaders, affording them the opportunity to gain a philosophical overview of higher education leadership, while bridging the network to compete for, and attain, the position of a university president or chancellor.    

Through the MLI Institute, protégés will interact with presidents and chancellors from across this country in areas such as media relations, advancement and fundraising, executive contract negotiation, fiscal management, accreditation and the executive search process. Protégés experience both theoretical and practical experience through interactive sessions, media interviews, visits with representatives on Capitol Hill and monthly interactions with sitting presidents and chancellors, who will serve as yearlong mentors for the protégés. Williams will also be tasked with working with the Strata Group on a college value project which will address the value proposition of present day higher education.

Williams is a three-time graduate of Southern University Baton Rouge. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in mass communication, and a Ph.D. in public policy.