Melvin Williams

Vice Admiral Melvin Gene Williams Jr. (born November 3, 1955) is an American retired officer in the United States Navy. He is the former Commander, U.S. Second Fleet and former director, Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence.

After military service, Williams served for two years as a Presidential Appointee at the US Department of Energy. He was the Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy; 2011-2013- responsible for day-to-day Management and Operations of the Department of Energy (reporting to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Energy).

Since 2013, he has served in academia, and has been designated as a Joint Service Officer (JSO).

He and his father are the only pair of African Americans wherein the father reached a top enlisted rank and the son a top officer rank.

Biography

Early life and education Vice Admiral Williams was born in San Diego, California and raised in Washington, DC. His father, Master Chief Melvin G. Williams, Sr., also served in the United States Navy (1951-1978). Chief Williams served aboard submarines, aircraft carriers, and other surface ships. Chief Williams would go on to meet then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and highlight continued discriminatory practices in the Steward's Branch of the Navy, practices Zumwalt would later end.

Williams attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1978 with a degree in Mathematics. In 1984, he earned a Master's degree in Engineering at The Catholic University of America.

Operation GW VALOR In 2013, Williams joined The George Washington University to lead the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. There, Williams was responsible for serving and supporting GW student military members, their families, and veterans to accelerate learning opportunities and rewards while working with university senior leadership, students, alumni, and other stakeholders to maximize access and affordability for the military community at GW. GW VALOR under Associate Provost Williams provided strategic-level leadership, close student services and support, and oversight of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program at GW. Williams left GW VALOR in 2016 for a position at UC Davis.

The Catholic University of America Williams is a former associate dean of the School of Engineering at The Catholic University of America. In 2023, he joined the university's board of trustees.

Personal life Williams and his family are longtime residents of the greater Washington, D.C. area.

Education U.S. Naval Academy - 1978 (B.S. Mathematics) Naval Nuclear Propulsion and Submarine Officer Training - 1979 Catholic University - 1984 (M.S. Engineering) Joint Maritime Tactics Course - 1999 National Defense University CAPSTONE Military Leadership Program - 2002 Naval Postgraduate School Executive Business Course - 2003 Harvard University, Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Program in National and International Security - 2005

Awards and decorations

Military Awards Navy Distinguished Service Medal (two awards);

Defense Superior Service Medal;

Other awards The Catholic University of America 2012 Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award The Black Engineer of the Year Award for Professional Achievement as well as induction into the STEM Hall of Fame in 2011 The National Society of Black Engineers Award for Lifetime Achievement in Government The Thurgood Marshall Award for Service and Leadership Defense Mapping Agency Outstanding Personnel of the Year

Civil awards