Head shot of Rebecca Williams wearing dark blue shirt against a gray background

Rebecca Williams

Commissioner, Union County Board of County Commissioners

Commissioner Rebecca L. Williams was elected to her first full three-year term in November 2019 and was re-elected to a second full term in 2022. In 2022, she also served her first term as Chair of the Union County Board of County Commissioners.

This year, Commissioner Williams will be serving as Chair of the Board’s Parks and Programming Committee, and as a member of the Fiscal and Public Works and Facilities Committees, respectively.

In addition, she will serve as liaison to the following advisory boards: Union County LGBTQ Ad Hoc Committee, Cornerstone Board of Managers, Motion Picture & TV Advisory Board, Union County Vocational-Technical School Board of Estimates, Green Brook Flood Control Commission, and Meadowlink/EZ Ride. 

Known for an emphasis on constituent outreach, fiscal issues, support for arts and culture initiatives, and quality of life matters, Commissioner Williams advocates for county-local shared services that save tax dollars while improving efficiency. She has also been in the forefront of LGBTQ advocacy, working with the Union County Office of LGBTQ Affairs to address housing, senior services, education, health, public safety, community engagement, and other areas of concern.

 Williams prides herself on her openness and accessibility to all constituents. She remains a grassroots public servant, reaching out and following up with constituents to ensure their concerns are resolved.

A frequent speaker on women’s and LGBTQ+ empowerment, Commissioner Williams has served on panels at The League of Municipalities, The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers’s Eagleton Institute, The National Council of Negro Women, and Garden State Equality among many other organizations. Prior to her election to the Commissioner Board, Williams served two terms on the Plainfield City Council in support of a progressive agenda and economic development, contributing to Plainfield’s revitalization.

Commissioner Williams is a full-time faculty member of the Humanities Division at Essex County College in Newark, where she teaches American Literature, African American Literature, Effective Speech, English Composition, and Women’s Literature.