There’s a modern poem about the nameless brave, about unsung heroes—in this case the Trojans who fought and fell with Hector, a renowned hero in Homer’s Iliad. The unsung were as courageous as him, and even though they are forgotten, without them he wouldn’t be remembered. 

Though college operations may sometimes resemble the chaos on the plains of Ilium, few bards sing of administrative assistants. They could, and perhaps they should. Imagine, for a moment, a K-IIiad, wherein the Melanie Williamses are the Hectors.

For 23 years Melanie served as assistant to the president and assistant secretary to the board of trustees. She was a member of President’s Staff, Community Council, the Founders Day Committee, and numerous search committees and task forces. To the countless discussions that took place in these formal groups, as well as the informal conversations Melanie had with colleagues and students, she brought a concise and common-sense perspective that is occasionally uncommon in the rarefied air of academia.

All new jobs begin in talk, more so maybe at K where interviews can be day-long affairs during which the candidate meets with multiple individuals and groups. Interestingly, the talking that most influenced Melanie during her interview didn’t take place in the interview. “I was working at Western Michigan University and had applied for the K job mainly just to see what the ‘college across the street’ was like,” she explains. “Halfway through the interview day, while walking from Mandelle to Hicks with the Dean of Student Development I was struck by all the students who came up and chatted with the Dean,” Melanie adds. “That didn’t really happen at WMU. It was then and there I decided I wanted the job.”

 Her fondest memories of it? “Working alongside three presidents and their spouses,” Melanie says. “Each had a very different leadership style, so with each new president it was like I had just started a new job. All of them made K a great place to learn and to work.”

Melanie also cites the dedication and involvement of the many members of the College’s board of trustees. “Not a lot of employees or students get the chance to know trustees, but I can tell you they’re a fun group of people.”

Melanie’s been retired for only two months—her time from retirement to the Hicks award might be the shortest on record, which says a lot about the quality of her service to K—so her retirement plans are evolving.

She and husband, Joe, have been married 48 years. They have two children and five grandchildren. “I love spending time with family, especially the grandchildren,” says Melanie. “And one of my big passions is Halloween. It’s a year-round quest for just the right decorations. And if I can’t find what I’m looking for, I’ll make it.”