8-K

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): November 17, 2010

The Williams Companies, Inc.
__________________________________________
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	1-4174	73-0569878
_____________________ (State or other jurisdiction	_____________ (Commission	______________ (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification No.)
One Williams Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma		74172
_________________________________ (Address of principal executive offices)		___________ (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 918-573-2000

Not Applicable
______________________________________________
Former name or former address, if changed since last report

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[  ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[  ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On November 17, 2010, the Board of Directors (the "Board") of The Williams Companies, Inc. ("Company") increased the size of the Board to thirteen and elected Ms. Laura A. Sugg to the Company’s Board of Directors to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Board also appointed Ms. Sugg to serve on the Compensation Committee and the Finance Committee.

Ms. Sugg, 50, retired from ConocoPhillips in February 2007 as President, Australasia Division. She has more than 25 years of energy experience in areas including exploration and production and midstream gathering and processing.

There are no arrangements or understandings between Ms. Sugg and any other person pursuant to which she was selected as a director of the Company.

Ms. Sugg has no prior relationships or other transactions with the Company or its management.

A copy of the press release publicly announcing Ms. Sugg's election is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	The Williams Companies, Inc.
November 19, 2010	By:	La Fleur C. Browne
		Name: La Fleur C. Browne
		Title: Corporate Secretary

Exhibit Index

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Copy of press release dated November 17, publicly reporting the election of Ms. Laura A. Sugg to the Company’s Board as discussed herein.

EX-99.1

Williams (NYSE: WMB)
One Williams Center
Tulsa, OK 74172
800-Williams
www.williams.com

DATE: Nov. 17, 2010

MEDIA CONTACT:	INVESTOR CONTACT:
Jeff Pounds (918) 573-3332	Sharna Reingold (918) 573-2078

Laura A. Sugg Joins Williams’ Board of Directors

TULSA, Okla. – Williams (NYSE: WMB) announced today that Laura A. Sugg has been elected to the company’s Board of Directors.  Sugg is a retired senior-level executive with more than 25 years of energy experience in areas including exploration and production and midstream gathering and processing.

Sugg retired from ConocoPhillips in February 2007 as President, Australasia Division.  In that position, she was responsible for the profit and loss and growth responsibility of ConocoPhillips’ operations in Australia and East Timor. 

She held a variety of other leadership positions during her 21-year career at ConocoPhillips, including General Manager E&P Human Resources, with responsibility for global compensation and benefits, leadership succession planning, and all HR functions for 10,000 worldwide employees in 16 countries. Sugg was also previously ConocoPhillips’ General Manager of Midstream Gathering & Processing, where she was responsible for profit and loss, health, safety and environment, and operations for its gas gathering, processing, and fractionation business in the U.S., Canada, and Trinidad. 

“Laura’s proven track record as an effective leader in the energy industry makes her an excellent addition to the company’s Board of Directors,” said Steve Malcolm, chairman, president and chief executive officer. 

Sugg has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University.  She is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the Oklahoma State University Engineering Advisory Board.

She becomes the thirteenth member of Williams’ current board of directors. A listing of all Williams’ directors is available at www.williams.com.

About Williams (NYSE: WMB)
Williams is an integrated natural gas company focused on exploration and production, midstream gathering and processing, and interstate natural gas transportation primarily in the Rocky Mountains, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, Eastern Seaboard and the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. Most of the company’s interstate gas pipeline and midstream assets are held through its 77-percent ownership interest (including the general-partner interest) in Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ), a leading diversified master limited partnership.  More information is available at www.williams.com. Go to http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=630&to=ea&s=0 to join our e-mail list.

# # #

Portions of this document may constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined by federal law. Although the company believes any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such statements are made in reliance on the “safe harbor” protections provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the company’s annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.