On Wednesday, February 17 from 4:30-6 p.m. on the Downtown Campus, Room C50, the Association for Public Administration will host guest speaker Marva Williams of the Federal Reserve. 

Marva Williams is a seasoned urban economic development researcher and practitioner recognized for her commitment to innovation and collaboration. She is currently an economic development director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. There she is responsible for promoting a better understanding of community development and consumer finance by engaging in applied research and providing outreach to financial institutions, community-based organizations, and government agencies.

Her research areas have included establishing a relationship between poverty and childhood trauma; migration of African-Americans from Illinois; and foreclosures mitigation efforts. While at Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Chicago, Williams designed and implemented the Great Neighborhoods Program, a comprehensive community development initiative. She was the vice president of the Woodstock Institute for over 10 years. She published research reports and led a coalition of community and non-profit organizations. Williams also worked for a community development corporation in Pittsburgh, where she managed real estate projects, commercial revitalizations efforts and business lending. Williams serves on the board of directors of two Chicago foundations: Wieboldt Foundation and the Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation. Williams has a Masters and a Ph.D. in urban planning.