Hartford Foundation President to Deliver MCC Commencement Address

MANCHESTER, CT — Hartford Foundation for Public Giving President Jay Williams will deliver the 54th Commencement Address to Manchester Community College’s Class of 2018, the college announced Friday.

Graduation is slated for Thursday, May 24. The Commencement Ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. sharp at the Bicentennial Band Shell on the campus lawn.

Here is Williams' biography, courtesy of MCC:

A resident of West Hartford, Jay Williams has served as president of HFPG since 2017. During his tenure, he has been working to build stronger relationships between the Foundation and the local communities it serves. In 2018, Williams and HFPG embarked on the “Greater Together” listening tour series to connect with local residents who know what’s best for their communities and identify new ways that the foundation can help make those towns better places to live, work and raise a family.

Williams has served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, leading the federal economic development agenda for the United States. He also served as deputy director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House, where he was the principal liaison between the president and local elected officials. Previously, he served as the executive director of the federal Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers.

Prior to that he served as mayor of the city of Youngstown, Ohio, for over five years, leading regional economic development initiatives to improve the city’s global competitiveness. He also has led a community development agency in Youngstown. He began his career in banking and serving as an executive in community banking in Ohio, and he served as an examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

Williams holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration, majoring in finance, from Youngstown State University.

For more information on the 54th Commencement Exercises, visit www.manchestercc.edu/current-students/commencement.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of MCC

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