Dr. Thad Williamson

Dr. Thad Williamson is a sought-after professor and civic activist. His research focuses on the intersection of theories of social justice and public policy, particularly as applied to urban politics and economic policy. He writes regularly on current issues for a wide variety of popular and scholarly publications.

He is currently engaged in two research projects. The first focuses on community wealth building as a national policy paradigm capable of developing practical solutions to long-standing, racialized inequalities of wealth and power that have undermined democracy in the United States. The first major publication from this project, Community Wealth Building and the Reconstruction of American Democracy: Can We Make American Democracy Work?, which Williamson co-edited with Melody C. Barnes and Corey D. B. Walker, was published by Edward Elgar in October 2020.

The second is a book-length study of contemporary Richmond, in collaboration with Dr. Julian M. Hayter, associate professor of leadership studies in the Jepson School, and Dr. Amy L. Howard, senior administrative officer for equity and community at the University of Richmond. The book, tentatively titled The Making of 21st-Century Richmond, is under contract with the University of North Carolina Press with an expected publication date of winter 2024.

Williamson’s previous academic work focuses on the application of contemporary theories of social justice to political and economic institutions. He co-edited (with Martin O’Neill) and contributed to Property-Owning Democracy: Rawls and Beyond, published in 2012 by Wiley-Blackwell. Other books include Leadership and Global Justice, co-edited with Douglas A. Hicks and published by Palgrave Macmillan Press, and Sprawl, Justice, and Citizenship: The Civic Costs of the American Way of Life, published by Oxford University Press.

A recognized community leader on poverty reduction efforts in Richmond, Williamson currently serves on the boards of the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation, supporting K-12 public school students in Richmond, and the Richmond Health Equity Fund, which supports community organizations tackling racial and economic inequities in health outcomes. He is also involved in several community advocacy organizations. In 2022, the Richmond City Council appointed him to the City Charter Review Commission.  

Previously, Williamson served as the first director of the city’s Office of Community Wealth Building (OCWB) while on leave from the University during the 2014–15 and 2015–16 academic years. The OCWB is charged with implementing a comprehensive poverty reduction initiative encompassing education, employment, housing, and transportation. In December 2015, it was ratified as a permanent city agency. Williamson previously served as a member of the mayor’s Anti-Poverty Commission and principal author of the commission’s final report and as co-chair of the Maggie L. Walker Initiative for Expanding Opportunity and Fighting Poverty. 

Following the November 2016 municipal elections, Williamson served as transition director for Mayor-elect Levar Stoney. Between January 2017 and June 2018, he served as senior policy advisor in the Richmond Mayor’s Office in a part-time capacity, while continuing to teach full-time at the University. As senior policy advisor, he led the development of the RVA Education Compact, a systematic collaboration between the Richmond Mayor’s Office, school board, and city council to address the needs of schools and families in Richmond. He also led the establishment of the new Performance Management Office within the city’s Department of Budget and Strategic Planning.

Williamson is a recipient of the University’s Distinguished Educator Award (2012), the Jepson School’s Servant Leader Award (2019), the Lavender Graduation Committee’s LGBTQIA+ Faculty Ally of the Year Award (2020), and the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement’s Contribution to the Institution Award (2021). He also served as president of the University Faculty Senate during the 2020-21 academic year.