(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is appointing Donald E. Williams, Jr. of Brooklyn, Connecticut, to serve as a member of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR), the governing body for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system.
Williams brings decades of experience in public service, leadership, and policymaking, with a particular focus on education and workforce development.
“Through his leadership position in the State Senate and his work with the Connecticut Education Association, Don has a significant amount of experience advocating on behalf of the state’s education system, and he is intimately familiar with the needs of our higher education institutions and opportunities that can make this system stronger and more effective on behalf of the students these schools serve,” Governor Lamont said. “I appreciate Don’s commitment to our higher education system and his willingness to serve in this position.”
Williams most recently served as executive director of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA), where he managed and helped lead policy development for Connecticut’s largest education union, representing more than 43,000 public school teachers. He retired from the position in 2023 after nine years in the role.
Prior to joining CEA, he was elected to serve the 29th district of the Connecticut State Senate from 1993 to 2015, including 10 years as senate president pro tempore. During his legislative career, he chaired the Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee, where he played a key role in overseeing policy and fiscal matters related to the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system and the University of Connecticut.
He also served two terms as first selectman of Thompson.
“I am honored to be appointed to the Board of Regents at such a pivotal time in public higher education in Connecticut and across the country,” Williams said. “Our public colleges and universities open doors to lifechanging opportunities for students, their families, and the communities they serve. I look forward to drawing on my experience as a leader, state lawmaker, and policymaker to help make higher education more accessible for students and to expand CSCU’s role as a workforce engine for the state.”
“Don has long been a champion for public education and workforce development in Connecticut,” Marty Guay, chair of the Board of Regents, said. “His leadership and deep understanding of state government, policy, and what our educators need to succeed makes him a valuable addition to the Board of Regents. He will be an incredible asset in helping us further build partnerships that invest in our students and align our programs with workforce needs. We are excited to work with him on the Board of Regents.”
Among his legislative achievements, Williams helped secure $320 million in capital improvements for the state’s community colleges, now unified as CT State Community College, and led efforts to invest $1 billion to transform the facilities and campuses of Connecticut’s four regional state universities. He also worked with leaders at Quinebaug Valley Community College, now CT State Quinebaug Valley, to secure the resources for a 30,000-square-foot addition to the college’s campus and fund its Advanced Manufacturing Center, further supporting workforce development in eastern Connecticut.
Williams was instrumental in the passage of the Jobs for the 21st Century initiative, which was designed to stimulate job growth, research and development, and economic investment.
Williams earned a Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.
He will fill a vacancy on the Board of Regents previously held by JoAnn Ryan. His appointment takes effect immediately.