Michelle Mitchell Williams came to Chowan in the fall of 1993 after being recruited by then-head coach, Jack Goldberg, to play softball. The Rapphannock, Virginia native quickly made a name for herself as a starting catcher on the softball team, a shooting guard on the women’s basketball team, and a middle blocker on the volleyball team.
While she played and excelled in both volleyball and basketball during her time at Chowan, it was softball that she loved and excelled. Her coaches and teammates knew her as “Mickey”, and it stuck over her four years as a then-Brave. “Mickey” was a backbone on the most successful softball team in program history (1995) when the then-Braves posted 36 wins and just 9 losses. The squad was touted as one the best teams on the east coast with the 1995 team boasting now five Hall of Fame inductees. “Mickey” started all-four years as a catcher, calling pitches for the program’s best pitcher of record and in ERA in Mandy McCain. The up-the-gut combination of McCain, Mitchell, Kim Hetherington (second base), Jennifer Murden (shortstop), and Meredith Long (centerfield) was certainly an impressive gathering of talent-now all members of the Hall of Fame.
“Mickey” was known for her smart pitch calling, arm accuracy, and blocking skills behind the plate. In the batter’s box she hit at a .357 career clip with 142 career games under her belt. “Mickey” went from season to season at Chowan, playing three sports, basically unheard of in the college ranks. After volleyball season, she moved into basketball season. In the 1995-1996 season she averaged 11.4 points a game for the then-Braves and was the second leading scorer on the team. Following basketball season, she put on her catcher’s gear and went to work. She helped the softball team amass more than 100 wins over four years. In 1998 she was named Chowan’s Female Athlete of the Year.
Following graduation from Chowan in 1998 with a degree in Education, Michelle worked in the financial industry for six years. In 2006, she began working for the Department of Labor as a Federal contractor. Over the course of 10 years, Michelle worked for the Office of Job Corps and Veterans Employment and Training Service. In 2016, she joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development’s Business Center as a Federal civil servant. During her tenure with Rural Development, Michelle also served as the Chief of Staff for the Business Center’s Chief Operating Officer and Senior Advisor to the Chief Enterprise Officer. In November 2023, Michelle joined Foreign Agricultural Service. Michelle is a Federal civil servant for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service as a Management Analyst in Business Operations. In this leadership role, Michelle oversees mission-critical projects and provides expert advice and consultation to the Chief Operating Officer on the development of international trade policies and program operations to meet the agency’s strategic goals and objectives.
Michelle has been married to her wife, Debra Williams, for six years and resides in Stafford, VA. Michelle is a proud mother of one son, Christian Chevalier. Christian is currently a junior at the University of Mary Washington and studying to obtain his bachelor’s degree in business administration. Michelle is also a proud mom to a beautiful Pembroke Welsh corgi named Athena. In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, throwing frisbee with her corgi, swimming, attending concerts, and being an avid sports fan.
