New Chair of Dean’s Advisory Council

Respected Educator Freeman L. Williams is Named Chair of CEHD’s Dean’s Advisory Council

Freeman L. Williams, a respected educator, a member of University of Delaware’s Board of Trustees and a three-time UD alumnus, will serve as chair of the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) from January 1, 2024 through September 1, 2025. 

The DAC was established to provide the dean with counsel about innovations under consideration by the College, advice regarding the maintenance and enhancement of our programs and assistance in nurturing important relationships between the College and its wider community. Williams has served on this council for the past two years and will now move into this new leadership role.

“Freeman has provided invaluable counsel for the important innovations under consideration by the College and has served as a steadfast advocate for our work, across both UD and our local communities,” said Gary T. Henry, dean of CEHD. “I am particularly grateful for his leadership of the council’s Partnerships Subcommittee. His knowledge and skill in this area has helped foster critical collaboration among our Delaware schools and bolster relationships with key stakeholders within the state and region.”

Williams has more than 40 years of experience in education leadership at all levels. In 2016, he retired as superintendent of the Christina School District, where he held a variety of administrative positions. Earlier in his career, he held positions in the Appoquinimink School District and the Prince William County School District in Manassas, Virginia.

Active in the community, he serves as president of the board for Neighborhood House, which provides counseling, early childhood education and other family services. He is president of the Newark chapter of the NAACP and vice president of Delaware’s NAACP. He is also a board member of the Newark Partnership and serves on the State of Delaware Pandemic Resurgence Advisory Committee.

Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in education, a master’s degree in curriculum development and a doctorate in educational leadership, all from UD. While an undergraduate, he was a basketball player during the 1971-72 and 1972-73 seasons.