Sept. 19, 2006 – The University of the Virgin Islands welcomes new board of trustees member Wesley Samuel Williams Jr., J.D., LL.M. LL.D. Williams fills a vacancy on the UVI Board, which is the policy-making body of the institution. He was appointed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull and confirmed by the 26th Legislature.
Williams, an attorney, is the president and chief operating officer of the Lockhart Companies Inc., a 28-company conglomerate of real estate, insurance, finance and related businesses. He also serves as co-chairman and co-CEO of the Lockhart's board of directors. His extensive resume includes leadership positions at national and international banking, brokerage and asset management firms.
As a trustee, he will also serve on the Board's Development Committee and the Committee on Trustees. The 17-member UVI board meets formally three times a year, but much of the on-going work of the board is done in its six committees. The committees meet throughout the academic year to hear presentations by UVI administration, review detailed reports and prepare reports for the board.
A graduate of Harvard Law School and Columbia University Law School, Williams maintains membership in several bar associations. He is also a lifetime member of the Urban League. Williams received the title of Knight from Queen Elizabeth II. He is well traveled and speaks or reads more than seven languages, including French, German, Spanish, Biblical Greek and Hebrew.
Williams lives on St. Thomas and maintains residency in Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.
He is married to Karen Hastie Williams. They have three children and three grandchildren.