The foundation for a heralded 32-year military career began for Donna R. Williams in her hometown of Vicksburg. And in 2015, her selfless service earned her the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army ROTC.

Williams became interested in the military as a Junior ROTC student at Vicksburg High School in the early 1980s. She earned her commission in 1986 as a second lieutenant through the Senior Army ROTC Program at Jackson State University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and was later honored there as a 2021 U.S. Army ROTC Hall of Fame inductee. Additionally, she earned a Master of Business Administration in Information Technology and Military Management from Touro University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

An initial assignment placed Williams as an officer with Vicksburg’s 412th Engineer
Command. She would later return and conclude her military career here in 2018 as Deputy Commanding General–Support. Throughout her career, Williams held developmental and career-enhancing assignments across the continental United States and overseas. Her many decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, and the Global War On Terrorism Service Medal.

In her post-military career, Williams worked locally as a computer specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reachback Operations Center, supporting organizations throughout the Department of Defense and the federal sector as the leader of the unit’s request for information team. In her community, she is a proud member of the Vicksburg Alumna Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the NAACP-Vicksburg Branch.