Jay Williams
President and CEO, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
Since July 2017, Jay Williams has served as president of the Hartford Foundation. He is currently leading the Foundation’s commitment to dismantle structural racism, achieve equity and improve social and economic mobility in our region in partnership with nonprofit organizations
and community stakeholders. Williams serves on the boards of the MetroHartford Alliance, and AdvanceCT, and is a member of the Governor’s Workforce Council. At the national level, he is a member of the Community Foundation Opportunity Network, and serves on the boards of the Council on Foundations, and the Center for Community Progress.
Prior to coming to the Hartford Foundation, Williams served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development where he led the federal economic development agenda for the United States during the Obama administration. He also served as Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House, acting as the principal liaison between the President of the United States and local elected officials. Previously, Williams served as the executive director of the federal Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers. He arrived in Washington, DC, after serving as the Mayor of the City of Youngstown, Ohio, where he helped lead regional economic development initiatives to improve the city’s global competitiveness. Williams, who grew up in Youngstown, led the city’s Community Development Agency before becoming the city’s youngest mayor and first African American elected to that office.
We are proud to present our Citizen of the Year, Jay Williams
