The National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Tampa Bay Chapter recognized SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams as the 2021 recipient of the Marks of Excellence Award for her dedication to community service. This award honors NFBPA members and community servant leaders who are making powerful moves in their careers in public service.
NFBPA is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1983 that is dedicated to the advancement of Black public leadership in local and state governments. The Pinellas County Economic Development hosted an intimate celebration on Nov. 18 for the honorees and special guests at the SPC EpiCenter.
While receiving her award, President Williams shared candid sentiments of her journey and how the impact of community leaders helped her to become the first Black, female president of SPC.
“Thank you for this opportunity. I am surprised, but I have never been more honored to be recognized by a group of leaders than the ones who are in this room,” Williams said. “Let us continue the legacy of our ancestors and carry others on our shoulders to help them walk through.”
Williams has served SPC for 34 years, rising through the ranks in a variety of academic and administrative roles, including Senior Vice President for Student Services and Provost of the Tarpon Springs Campus. SPC has flourished under her leadership, having just been named sixth-best among public and private colleges in Florida, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 study. That same report ranked the college at number 17 among the top 84 public schools in the southern region, which is comprised of 12 states.
Williams was recognized alongside St. Petersburg Mayor-Elect Ken Welch, SPC’s Institute for Strategic Policy and Solutions Director Kimberly Jackson and several esteemed leaders in the Tampa Bay region. The evening also honored the late Bill Horne, who passed earlier this year, for his public service as the City Manager for the City of Clearwater.
