Joan Williams, is the director of the Office of Diversity and Institutional Equity at the University of North Alabama. Williams has been the director of the Office of Diversity and Institutional Equity at the University of North Alabama since 2013, where she re-branded the office to include campus-wide diversity initiatives. During the sixth annual Comprehensive Diversity Conference, Williams was honored as the 2018 recipient of the ALAHEDO Louis Dale Diversity Leadership Award for outstanding contributions to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Higher Education. Williams has served in many leadership roles within ALAHEDO, including past president and conference chair.  She currently serves on the ALAHEDO Board of Directors. Williams has been the director of the Office of Diversity and Institutional Equity at the University of North Alabama since 2013, where she re-branded the office to include campus-wide diversity initiatives.