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Name: Kenyeih Williams
Title: Director of Development, Craig School of Business
Department: University Advancement
Academic Degree(s):

• B.A. in English, Fresno State
• Masters in Public Administration, Marist College

How long have you worked at Fresno State and which offices have you worked in?
I have worked here for one year.

Are you a Valley native? If not, what brought you to the area and to Fresno State?
I grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento. Once I graduated from Fresno State, I lived out of the state for some time. Once my husband retired from the NFL we decided to move back to Fresno to be near family, and to raise our family. I’ve always had the goal to gain vast experience in my field, and eventually find an opportunity here.

Are you a Bulldog family with generations of Bulldog graduates or current students?
Yes, I met my husband Paul when I attended here in 2002. His older siblings all attended Fresno State, he and his brothers played football here as well. He also has a brother who is a current football coach for the Bulldogs. We also have nieces and nephews that are attending and just graduated. The university is a special place to our family.

Tell us about your department and what people may not know about it.
I work in University Advancement where it is our job to connect the university with the community through communications, events, programs and philanthropic opportunities. Through our work the goal is to broaden resources for the university. People may not know that philanthropic support has increasingly become more important to fill the gap of rising costs of higher education and limited state funding.

What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
My most notable accomplishment in my field was when I became a capital campaign director in my previous position. Building the framework of a capital campaign allowed me to implement leadership roles in so many different areas. The capital campaign that I had the privilege of leading was huge for the organization as they were undergoing multimillion dollar building improvement projects.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
I love working with donors and alumni and learning about how they have been impacted by a particular program or the institution itself. Being able to help them realize their philanthropic goals for something that had such a positive impact on their life is very rewarding.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job?
My most memorable moment so far has been working on and attending the Craig School of Business 30th Anniversary Gala which took place during the fall semester. It was great to have the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the school, bring together alumni, supporters and friends and look forward to future endeavors the school has in store. I look forward to many more memorable moments to come.

What is the most interesting or unusual job you've ever had?
The most interesting job I had was when I worked at a store that only sold socks! It was my first job as a teenager.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
Our family is very busy. If we are not taking our kids to their sporting events, we do fun things like travel, go camping, etc. We like adventure and recently drove an RZR Polaris through the mountains of Puerto Vallarta.

What is something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
People may not know that I love the mobster era. I can watch "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas" over and over. For my birthday, I visited the Mob Museum in Las Vegas.