Jaha P. Williams
Chief Development Officer for Student Success
Email: jwilli29@central.uh.edu
Williams has 20 years of fundraising experience in both higher education and the non-profit sector. Her career began in 2002 as a Campaign Manager for United Way in the Greater New Orleans area. Williams became the director of fund development at the Montgomery County United Way after relocating to Houston with her family in 2005. In that position, she led all aspects of fundraising development, marketing, corporate relations, managing the annual fund, and leadership giving. Williams transitioned into higher education fundraising in 2009 when she accepted a position at Texas Southern University to oversee annual giving and major gifts in the Office of Development. In 2011, she joined the University of Houston System at UH-Downtown to direct most of the fundraising, including major gifts, planned giving, the annual fund, and alumni relations. In 2016, she transferred to UH’s Central campus to support University Advancement and the College of Education as senior director of advancement.
Today, Williams is the Chief Development Officer for Student Success, overseeing fundraising and development over UH’s College of Education, Honors College, Division of Student Affairs, MD Anderson Library and President Khator’s $300 million “Students Matter” initiative to support scholarships. In her private life, she is a member of the Fallbrook Baptist Church in Houston, a volunteer executive for Track Houston Youth Track Club, and a certified level 1 coach in track and field. Williams has successfully trained several elite youths in the track and field sport who subsequently went on to qualify for USATF Junior Olympics. These talented young athletes with her coaching has gone on to compete both at the collegiate and professional levels. Williams is a proud graduate of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1996. She continued her education attending the University of New Orleans in 2000 where she received her master’s degree in Public Administration. Williams is married to Albert Williams and the mother to three children ages 24, 21, and 17, and resides in Spring, Texas.