The board of trustees of St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, Florida, has chosen Tonjua Williams as the institution’s seventh president. When she takes office, she will be the first woman and the first African American to lead the college.
St. Petersburg College enrolls nearly 32,000 students. African Americans make up 13 percent of the student body.
Dr. Williams has been on the staff at the college for 30 years. Since 2013, she has served as senior vice president of student services.
Dr. Williams is a graduate of Clearwater Christian College, where she majored in business and the humanities. She holds a master’s degree in counselor education from University of South Florida and earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Barry University in Miami.