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Biographical Details of Leadership
Contemporary Lens on Black Leadership
Historical Focus on Race
Anthony Williams
As chief financial officer and mayor of Washington D.C., Anthony A. "Tony" Williams earned his reputation as a savvy money manager, leading a financial recovery effort for the capital city and increasing economic opportunities and affordable housing.
Los Angeles native Anthony A. "Tony" Williams is credited with increasing economic stability and balancing budgets in the nation's capital even before he was elected as the fourth Mayor of the District of Columbia in 1998.
Appointed the Chief Financial Officer there in the mid-1990s, Williams' leadership produced a budget surplus in 1997 and a strong base of supporters for the mayoral election. Town hall meetings and citizen summits have helped him pursue his goals of improving education and public safety while broadly increasing opportunities for D.C. citizens.
Williams' political career began while he was still was a political science undergraduate at Yale University. After finishing his undergraduate work and serving on the New Haven Board of Aldermen, Williams went on to earn a law degree and a master's in public policy at Harvard University.
Williams' career in public service has taken him through a variety of sectors. Williams served with the 354th tactical fighter wing in the U.S. Air Force as well as in executive financial positions in St. Louis, Boston, Connecticut, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Additionally, Williams has been elected to leadership positions in the National League of Cities and Council of Governments.
Williams lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and daughter. He is a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church and is involved in multiple social service organizations, including 100 Black Men, Leadership Washington, and the Washington Urban League.
Williams served as mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1999-2007. After his second term ended, Williams decided not to seek reelection as mayor of Washington, D.C. Since then, Williams has been selected as the William H. Bloomberg Lecturer in Public Management at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. In 2009, Williams joined the law firm Arent Fox LLP, and since 2010 he has been Executive Director of the Government Practice at the Corporate Executive Board Company. Williams is also a Senior Strategic Advisor and Independent Consultant at McKenna, Long and Aldridge LLP. He was named CEO and Executive Director of the Federal City Council in 2012.