TONJUA WILLIAMS
PRESIDENT, ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE, ST. PETERSBURG
SPC is Florida’s first two-year college and the first to offer bachelor’s degrees. With over 2,400 employees, it enrolls about 40,000 students each year in 200-plus degree, certificate and transfer programs. A recent study showed that in Pinellas County, SPC annually adds $1.2 billion in total income, and alumni contribute more than $950 million in added income. Williams has been with SPC for 37 years and has been president since 2017. Under her leadership, the school created the Promise Scholarship, which pays the tuition for Pinellas County students in Title I high schools. “My contribution to higher education has been focused on removing barriers to learning and enrolling students in programs that promote economic mobility,” she says.
EDUCATION: Clearwater Christian College (BS), University of South Florida (MA), Barry University (Ph.D.)
MENTORS: I have had several mentors — my grandmother, mother, etc. Helen Callier is my first non-family mentor. She was the owner of George’s Pools. She and her husband, George, inspired me to go to college, contributed to my college expenses, and exposed me to employment in higher education.
READING: The 4 Disciplines of Execution, by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling, is a great read about strategy and achieving an organizational goal.
MOTIVATIONAL MANTRA: From Zig Ziglar, ‘It is not where you start but where you finish that counts.’ It is motivational and encourages determination and grit to move beyond circumstances to achieve your dream.
