Dr. Avis Williams is superintendent of NOLA Public Schools in New Orleans. Previously, she served as superintendent of Selma City Schools in Selma, AL., where she brought the district out of state intervention and helped to increase academic achievement, boost the high school graduation rate, and improve school community culture.

Prior to Selma, Dr. Williams was assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in Tuscaloosa City Schools, also in Alabama. There, she developed the district’s instructional framework and oversaw efforts to improve teaching and learning. In addition, she served as the executive director of secondary curriculum and instruction for Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, NC. Throughout her more than 20 years of experience in education, Dr. Williams has held roles as a principal, assistant principal, classroom teacher, and coach. She was selected as the Alabama Alliance of Black School Educators Superintendent of the Year in 2020 and was a finalist for Alabama State Superintendent of the Year in 2019.

In addition to her work in education, Dr. Williams is an entrepreneur and a former sergeant in the United States Army. She is involved in a number of professional and community groups and is a member of the ASCD National Board of Directors and president of the School Superintendents of Alabama Board of Directors. She earned her doctorate and an education specialist degree from the University of Alabama, a master’s from Alabama A&M University, and a bachelor’s from Athens State College.