Dr. William Law
Dr. William D. Law, Jr. became St. Petersburg College’s sixth president on June 7, 2010.
At the time of his appointment, Dr. Law was serving as president of Tallahassee Community College, a position he had held since 2002. Before joining Tallahassee Community College, Dr. Law had been the founding president of Montgomery College in suburban Houston, serving in that role for 10 years. From 1988 to 1992, Law was president of Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois.
Early in his career, Law served as staff director of the Florida House of Representatives’ Committee on Higher Education and worked for the Florida Board of Regents. In 1981, he became the vice president of Institutional and Program Planning at St. Petersburg College (then St. Petersburg Junior College), where he worked until 1988.
Law earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from LeMoyne College and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Design and Management of Postsecondary Education from Florida State University.
In his several presidential positions, Dr. Law has become well known as an advocate of economic and workforce development, student success and community outreach. He currently serves on the boards of:
- Center for Community College Student Success (CCCSE) National Advisory Board Community College Research Center (CCRC)/ National Center for Postsecondary Research
- National Community College Advisory Council Educational Testing Service (ETS)
- American Association of Community Colleges Voluntary Framework for Accountability(VFA)
- The Collins Center for Public Policy
- Workforce Florida
- WorkNet Pinellas
- Pinellas County Economic Development
- Fifth Third Bank Board of Directors
- Florida Chamber Foundation
His effort to increase student success has allowed him to work at state and national levels and has provided opportunities such as consulting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, providing expert testimony to the United States House of Representatives, and serving as a member of the Florida Task Force on Community College Baccalaureate Education.
Bill Law’s community work includes a strong commitment to the arts programs; he has served on the Board of Directors of the Mary Brogan Museum of Arts and Science as well as the Council on Cultural Arts. In his role as President of St. Petersburg College, he seeks to develop partnerships between St. Petersburg College and community arts centers that will both enhance SPCs arts programs and lend support to, and participation in, local arts programs.
When not working, Law enjoys running and has completed more than two dozen marathons, including five Boston Marathons. He also enjoys traveling and following new technologies. He and his wife, Pat, are the parents of two adult sons.
