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.