Barbara Butts Williams, PhD, has nearly five decades of business and community leadership experience spanning the public, private, higher education, and nonprofit sectors in both highly regulated and nonregulated industries. She currently serves as executive dean, social responsibility & community engagement and dean emerita of the School of Business and Technology at Capella University, leading the organization’s social responsibility and community impact strategy. Since joining Capella in 2002, Dr. Butts Williams has served in several leadership positions including dean of the School of Business and Technology, and dean, of the School of Education.

Dr. Butts Williams’ roles outside of Capella and in Minnesota have included president of Growth Partners Consulting; global officer (vice president) of Leadership Development and Talent Management and corporate officer of Education and Skilling at the St. Paul Cos.; and corporate vice president of Marketing and vice president of Sales and Key Accounts for Wilson Learning Corp. She has served in other leadership positions in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Dr. Butts Williams serves as director on several boards, including Allina Health, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, and the NACD Minnesota Chapter. She is also an NACD Board Leadership Fellow.

Dr. Butts Williams has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career, including Minnesota Women’s Consortium Founding Feminist Award 2010, Minnesota ACE Network’s Women Helping Women Award 2014, The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2016 Career Achievement Award, Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Facilities Authority Certificate of Excellence recognition for Exemplary Leadership 2016, AARP/Pollen (2017) 50 Over 50 Top 10 Inspiring Business Leaders honoree, Minneapolis Women of Excellence Award Twin Cities Steppers Association 2018, Junior Achievement Upper Midwest, Business Hall of Fame Honoree 2019, and Twin Cities Business Magazine’s Outstanding Directors Award 2019.

She holds a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems and an MA in Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California; an MALS in Leadership and Business from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota; and a BA in History and Political Science from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.