Avis Williams

Dr. Avis Williams is Superintendent of the NOLA Public Schools in New Orleans, and the first woman appointed to this role. Williams is an award-winning educator with dreams of being a teacher from an early age. A product of poverty, she is a first-generation four-year college student after joining the Army after high school. Prior to her historic appointment to lead NOLA Public Schools, Williams served as superintendent of Historic Selma City Schools in Selma, Alabama for five years where she championed equity by prioritizing mental health and establishing a Social Justice Academy. 

Williams is a past board president of ASCD, an educational non-profit dedicated to empowering all educators, and has been recognized nationally for her innovative leadership. She earned an undergraduate degree from Athens State University followed by Master’s Degrees from Alabama A&M and Jacksonville State Universities, and a Doctorate from the University of Alabama.