Regent Chair Donna Williams to address summer 2014 commencement

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
July 31, 2014

Donna N. Williams, chair of the Texas State University Board of Regents, will be the keynote speaker at one of three commencement ceremonies to be held at Texas State University on Friday, Aug. 8, in the university’s Strahan Coliseum.

Williams will speak during the 6 p.m. ceremony, to be attended by degree candidates from the College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Engineering, University College and the Graduate College.

Degree candidates from the College of Applied Arts, the McCoy College of Business Administration and the Graduate College will attend the 10 a.m. commencement ceremony.

Degree candidates from the College of Education, College of Fine Arts and Communication, College of Health Professions and the Graduate College will attend the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Texas State President Denise Trauth will deliver remarks at the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies.

More than 1,600 students are candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees at Texas State this summer.

Williams, reappointed to the Board of Regents in 2011, is a vice president and program manager for Parsons Government Services, a subsidiary of the Parsons Corporation, a global engineering and construction leader in facilities, advanced technology, and management processes. She holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Prairie View A&M University and has 30-plus years of program and project management, business development and engineering design and construction experience in both government and private sectors.

She is responsible for managing the southwest region of a nationwide, multi-year contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worth potentially in excess of $1.3 billion. The contract covers a wide range of equipment and structures for the National Airspace System and involves upgrade of facilities, equipment and systems for air traffic control towers, runway landing and navigational systems.

Williams has received numerous state and national accolades for her work, including Parsons’ “Engineer of the Year” award (1993); Women’s Transportation Seminar for the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter’s “Woman of Inspiration” award (2002); U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology recognition as One of the 100 Most Important Blacks in Technology (2006); and service on significant initiatives of both Governor Rick Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. President George W. Bush appointed and the United States Senate confirmed her as a director of the Corporation for National and Community Service.