Karen Williams-Nicodemus
Karen Williams Nicodemus, kanicodemus@gmail.com
Class of ’74 In 1973, I married George ‘Nic” Nicodemus (former JFK Women’s Basketball Coach/Athletic Director); we were married 43 years until his passing in September 2016. Before relocating to Arizona, I taught and coached at North Bend Central Jr-Sr High School (NE) and Bellevue College. During that same time, Nic served as women’s basketball coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln followed by appointment as head coach of the Iowa Cornets, an early member of the first women’s professional basketball league, the WBL. In 1986, I accepted a teaching/coaching position at Cochise College, a community college in southeastern Arizona. After several years, I moved into college administration (having completed my master’s and Ph.D. work at UNL). I served in several administrative positions culminating in my appointment as college president in 1998. After 11 years, I retired as President Emeritus in 2009. For several years, I consulted on a state and national basis focusing on the alignment of K-12, community college and university systems. George and I both enjoyed playing senior slow-pitch softball; he also participated a number of years in Senior Olympics. I now enjoy golf several times a week, horseback riding, as well as managing my “mini” ranch of horses, donkey, dogs, and cats. Over the years, we have enjoyed visits to Arizona by our family members – my large Nebraska family, George’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren along with many friends and former students.