Jaha P. Williams
Chief Development Officer for Student Success
Email: jwilli29@central.uh.edu
Jaha Williams serves as the University of Houston’s Chief Development Officer for Student Success. She brings nearly 25 years of fundraising experience across higher education and the nonprofit sector. She began her career in 2002 as a Campaign Manager with United Way in Greater New Orleans. After relocating to Houston in 2005, she served as Director of Fund Development for Montgomery County United Way, where she led comprehensive fundraising efforts, including marketing, corporate relations, the annual fund, and leadership giving.
In 2009, Williams transitioned into higher education advancement, joining Texas Southern University to oversee annual giving and major gifts within the Office of Development. She later joined the University of Houston System in 2011 at UH–Downtown, where she directed a broad fundraising portfolio encompassing major and planned gifts, annual giving, and alumni relations. In 2016, Williams transferred to the University of Houston’s central campus, serving as Senior Director of Advancement in support of University Advancement initiatives and the College of Education.
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.