Robert M. Williams has been appointed to the Seattle Colleges District board of trustees by Gov. Jay Inslee.
Williams, director of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) loans and investment manager at Union Bank, is one of five members of the board of trustees appointed to five-year terms by the governor. Trustees are responsible for overall policy and leadership of the colleges and must be confirmed by the state Senate.
“I’m a Seattle native, and I’ve always had a passion to help the underserved,” says Williams. “In my role at Union Bank, I am constantly seeking opportunities to provide capital to communities that need it most. This capital often translates into family-wage jobs that require higher education. Serving as a trustee will enable me to provide insight and perspective to the board and help ensure Seattle Colleges is complementing and benefiting from these and other similar efforts.”
Williams cites his past experience as chair of the Northwest Advisory Board for the United Negro College Fund and chair of the Urban League for Metropolitan Seattle as other assets he brings to the board.
“It is an honor to have Robert on our board,” says Shouan Pan, chancellor for Seattle Colleges. “He is recognized as a CRA expert, understands the financial industry, has valuable insight on our local community, and is very articulate about the challenges we face today.”
Williams holds a B.A. in Business Administration – Finance from Washington State University (WSU) and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. He is a past president of the WSU Alumni Association and actively involved with the WSU Foundation and other business-related organizations.
Williams replaces Carmen Gayton, who completed her term as a trustee in September. His appointment became effective on Oct. 15, 2018.
