At the intersection of need and desire to give sits Michael Williamson’s passion for helping others.
As President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Williamson is responsible for leading philanthropic and impact efforts to build stronger, more resilient communities in Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes.
Before taking over as CEO in 2013, he joined UWSELA as COO in 2009 from his position as Vice President of Field Leadership at United Way of America (UWA), where he provided overall management and leadership to UWA’s $28 million Hurricane Response and Recovery Fund developed in Hurricane Katrina’s wake. Under Williamson’s direction, UWSELA’s response to struggling communities has highlighted his unparalleled ability to lead world-class fundraising and impact at scale.
Williamson’s leadership enables UWSELA to respond to new and emerging needs in real time and in the most compelling ways. He led the development of UWSELA’s Blueprint for Prosperity, its holistic plan to eradicate poverty through innovative and systemic solutions, and the organization’s current transition to a modern United Way, strengthening UWSELA’s commitment to a market-driven approach to the issues most directly affecting lives in Southeast Louisiana.
Williamson’s most significant successes have come in response to disaster – major hurricanes, the BP Oil Spill, historic flooding, and COVID-19. UWSELA’s COVID-19 efforts generated $16+ million in local support through crisis grants, volunteerism, advocacy, and partner funding. In response, Williamson welcomed UWSELA’s newest Million Dollar Roundtable member through MacKenzie Scott’s $10M gift, the largest ever in UWSELA’s 100-year history.
His leadership in 2020 highlighted UWSELA’s ability to mobilize resources and activate with agility to drive impact. For his work, Biz New Orleans recognized Williamson as one of 2020’s Executives of the Year, and he is a regular on the region’s most influential leadership lists.
In the wake of Hurricane Ida in 2021, he led UWSELA’s robust response, raising over $5.3 million for immediate and long-term recovery efforts. Introducing an innovative pop-up relief model, the organization served over 8,400 families across 21 events and 7 parishes, giving out nearly $2 million in critical aid to the hardest-hit communities. Additionally, Williamson provided guidance over the organization’s distribution of $300,000 in immediate financial assistance through UWSELA’s new gift card distributions, offering recipients direct funds to address urgent needs such as gas, prescriptions, food, and household essentials.
Under his leadership, UWSELA introduced and expanded its Prosperity Center model, a one-stop hub for financial capability programs and resources. Now operating in five locations across Southeast Louisiana, the Prosperity Centers serve as vital, one-door access points for individuals and families working to reduce debt, build credit, secure housing, and achieve long-term financial security.
In early 2025, when tragedy struck Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day, Williamson once again led with urgency and compassion. He oversaw the launch of the United for New Orleans Relief Fund and ensured UWSELA provided the first fully vetted financial assistance to victims’ families and survivors, made possible by generous donors and rapid collaboration with community partners.
Williamson has over three decades of executive-level nonprofit management experience, 30 of those years served in the United Way system, including 17 years at UWSELA. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and served as President of United Way of Aiken County and Resource Development Director/Executive Director of Aiken Technical College Foundation in South Carolina.
Memberships
Governor Edwards’ Resilient Louisiana Commission’s Economic & Community Development Subcommittee Member
United Way Worldwide Network Advisory Committee, Disaster Resilience Committee, and Communications Subcommittee Member
United Way Key Cities Member
Louisiana Workforce and Social Services Reform Task Force (LA WASS) Member
GNO, Inc. Board of Directors Advisor Member
Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Member
NOLA Coalition Steering Committee Member
Northshore Business Council Member
Metropolitan Crime Commission Board of Directors Member
Tulane Weatherhead School of Public Health Community Advisory Board Member
Early Childhood Policy Institute Fellow
Goodwill Technical College Advisory Committee Member
City of New Orleans Hurricane Katrina 20th Anniversary Commission Member