Marie Williams

Marie Williams is a marketing communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Williams leads the University Communications team, which is responsible for external and internal communications, media relations, marketing, brand strategy, social media, and web communications.

Williams previously served as Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Saint Joseph’s University, where she led the university’s brand image, marketing and advertising initiatives, public relations and internal communications. There, she reorganized the marketing and communications office into an in-house creative and strategic consultancy to enhance the visibility and reputation of the university. During her tenure, Williams oversaw a major rebrand and website redesign, among other initiatives.

Additionally, Williams served as a Senior Vice President at Edelman, a communications and marketing firm headquartered in New York City. She led the education practice and worked with K–12 and higher education clients, including Yale, Columbia, New York University, and Bowdoin College. She also managed social purpose clients and campaigns ranging from the United Way to the Rockefeller Foundation.

Earlier in her career, Williams served as Senior Managing Director at RF|Binder, a communications firm. She provided counsel and strategic support to clients across the education spectrum, including nonprofits, startups, publishers, and other corporations. Specifically, Williams worked with McGraw-Hill Education to improve K–16 education in our nation’s schools; with the Harvard-MIT online learning initiative, edX, and its member institutions to provide free access to education around the world; with the International Reading Association to eradicate global illiteracy; and with the Harlem Educational Activities Fund and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to increase awareness for the importance of college readiness in underserved communities.

Williams began her career in higher education, having held communications positions at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, where she served the School of Medicine.

She holds a BA in communication from the University of Pennsylvania and participates in several leading professional communications organizations.