2024 Recipient
Few individuals embody leadership the way Dr. Ethel Hill Williams does. At the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) and in our community, Williams has had a lasting impact, earning her recognition as the 2024 UNO Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Gender Equity Legendary Leader.
Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Williams earned her Bachelor of Arts in history and psychology from Talladega College and went on to earn her first of two graduate degrees in 1972, a Master of Public Administration (MPA), from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Accepting employment with the City of Council Bluffs as the first Human Relations Director in 1974, Williams gained valuable community experience that would be formative to her future approach as an educator.
Williams first arrived on UNO’s campus in 1975, working in the Center for Applied Urban Research, and she taught her first classes as a part-time instructor in 1980. In 1989, Williams returned to graduate school at University of Nebraska Lincoln to earn her second graduate degree, a Ph.D. in Political Science, while teaching at UNO as a part-time professor in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS). Graduating with her doctorate in 1996, Williams joined the ranks of full-time faculty at UNO teaching courses in human resources, urban studies, race ethnic studies, social equity, and cultural competence.
With grace, Williams balanced vital administrative roles with classroom and community roles during her time at UNO. From 2003-2011, Williams served as the Director of UNO’s Master of Public Administration program, and from 2012-2018, Williams was appointed Director of the School of Public Administration. In the broader community, Williams was appointed by Mayor Michael Fahey to a 5-year appointment on the Omaha City Personnel Board and reappointed by Mayor Jean Stothert for an additional five years, plus five years as an alternate (15 years).
In 2011, Williams was elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and, from 2014-2014, also served as President of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. Her community involvement included service on the Board of Visitors for the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh; two terms of service on the National Council for The American Society for Public Administration; service on the State of Nebraska Environmental Quality Council and Judicial Nominating Commission; and service on editorial boards for Public Performance and Management Review and the Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs.
During her tenure at UNO, Williams was renowned for her commitment to service. Her efforts were recognized with the UNO Chancellor’s Medal for Outstanding Service in 2012; the Women’s Center for Advancement’s Tribute to Women Award in 2013; the Outstanding Alumna Award from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public & International Affairs; and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ASPA-Nebraska Conference and Public Service Awards Luncheon in 2018.
In retirement Williams served as chair of the Texas Southern University MPA Advisory Board. Her mentorship of students continued with service as a dissertation reader for the Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at Concordia University, Chicago and a mentor for the Master of Science, Energy Policy and Climate at Johns Hopkins University. Williams has also been a writer and reviewer for The Mission, a quarterly study guide of the Woman’s Auxiliary to the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
Williams retired from UNO as Professor Emeritus in 2018, leaving a legacy of advocacy, caring, and mentorship in CPACS and in our broader Omaha community.