John Williams

Biography: John R. Williams is President and Chief Investment Officer of Avanath Capital Management (“Avanath”), an institutional fund manager that specializes in affordable and workforce housing investments throughout major U.S. cities. In his role, Mr. Williams spearheads the firm’s portfolio acquisitions, capital formation, investor relations and fund management. Since joining Avanath, Mr. Williams has directed the closing of five institutional investment funds totaling over $2.0 billion of capital, comprised of equity commitments from some of the most prestigious and astute investors, including US pension funds, European pension funds, US university endowments, UK endowments, investment banks, foundations, banks, life insurance companies, and family offices. Since its inception, Avanath has acquired and renovated over 104 affordable housing communities (over 15,000 units) and expanded its national portfolio into 14 states. The firm currently manages over $3.0 billion in assets, employs over 400 people, and focuses on generating attractive risk-adjusted returns, with an emphasis on fulfilling its investor’s ESG objectives. Mr. Williams graduated from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design Executive Program and earned his B.S. in finance from Duquesne University. He is active in the real estate industry, serving as a Governor of the Urban Land Institute (ULI); Past Chairman of the ULI Silver Multi-Family Council; a member of the Executive Committee of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC); and an Advisory Board Member of the Duquesne University Business School. Mr. Williams is also a frequent speaker at national real estate conferences sponsored by ULI, Pension Real Estate Association (“PREA”), Harvard