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A Long Time Coming ~ The Kimberley Williams Story

by Troy McMeanus, L2345

Many of you have had the pleasure, I’m sure, of speaking to Kim Williams at USPSA. Whether you were calling about your range officer certification or a nationals slot, you were dealing with “Miss Kim”, as my girls call her. Kimberley Williams has been the NROI coordinator for several years, (that’s how I first met her and how I got the McMeanus nickname), but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when you’re talking about her contributions as a USPSA employee. One of her responsibilities is Front Sight’s “Safety Area” feature, where she’s given you some insight on the NROI instructors and other key figures within USPSA. Now, she gets her turn in the barrel—it’s been a “long time coming”.

Kim’s 6 year anniversary with USPSA just passed; she hired in on February 7, 2000. Since then she’s been working hard to keep the NROI instructors on track, along with a few other little chores she’s picked up along the way. In addition to acting as NROI coordinator—booking classes and finding (sometimes begging) instructors to teach them, Kim’s also the USPSA Nationals Slot coordinator and recently took on the mantle of Nationals Sponsor Coordinator. Lastly, she’s the web mistress for the Nationals, NROI, and Front Sight web pages.

If you’ve ever been on staff for a USPSA National Championship, Kim made your hotel reservations, examined your expense report, ordered your name tag and shirts, and arranged for an appreciation dinner, not to mention handling all the mailings you received prior to the match. And, if you were competing in one of those Nationals matches, she was there to ensure a smooth registration and to help solve any problems that arose.

John Amidon, the Director of NROI, had this to say about Kimberly:

“Kimberly Williams wears many hats for USPSA. One of them is NROI Coordinator, for which I am very thankful. Kim handles recertification, schedules seminars and does numerous other NROI related chores. Though we are thousands of miles apart, she works with me as though we were in the same office.

Kim handles all the arrangements for the annual Instructors conference; she hunts down the most economical places, arranges meeting rooms and ensures that all the materials arrive on time.

She has become very familiar with NROI, which makes my job easier. She is my alarm for when new recertification exams are due, she is responsible for setting up the new NROI.org web site, and she keeps the Instructors active using it.

She is no longer the bashful and quiet woman that first filled the position--she has become more vocal and determined to make sure things are not only done on time, but done right.

I am thankful to her for the job she does: way to go, Elk Slayer. But that’s another story, better told another day.

Thanks, Kim.”

John Amidon

I recently talked with Kim about her many roles within USPSA—here’s what she had to say:

TM: As NROI coordinator, what is the most fun part of your job? What’s the most challenging?

KW: It’s fun working with the instructors. The guys are a great source of support and make my job so much more enjoyable. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. The most challenging part is that everyone has a different point of view. Whether dealing with recertification of range officers, updating materials or just daily communications, you really have to be open to suggestions and other viewpoints. Not everyone sees things the same way and sometimes an opposing point of view might actually be closer to the “right answer” than what you previously thought. An open mind is essential; your ego can’t enter into it.

TM: Which major matches have you attended?

KW: I’ve attended every 3-Gun National match with the exception of one since 2000 and every Handgun National match since 2003. I also worked the 2001 Area I Championship.

TM: Which one did you enjoy most?

KW: I’ve enjoyed some aspect of every match I’ve ever worked, but I think this year’s Handgun matches were probably my favorite. I got to meet and hang out with some new people, like the fabulous Miss Tessa and Miss Libby, and the staff honored me with a beautiful gift at the appreciation dinner. I was very touched and pleased to be working with them again.

TM: Which one was the most challenging, and why?

KW: The most challenging were also this year’s, both the Handgun and the 3-Gun, but the 3-Gun even more so. I had a lot on my plate and there were some high stress moments when I thought there was no possible way I could get it all done.

TM: This year, you took over the duties of sponsor coordinator for the USPSA National championships, on rather short notice. By all accounts, you did a great job with it. Were there any particular obstacles to accomplishing the task?

KW: It was tough coming in in the middle. I had to play catch-up a little and find out where people were in the process. I was anxious that no one be neglected, but found that this was proving difficult due to the tight schedule and all my other duties. I wanted to make sure that everyone’s needs were met, all of our obligations and responsibilities as an organization making certain commitments to our sponsors were kept, I wanted our competitors to have a great prize table, etc. Coming into the position halfway through the year made this more difficult, but I found the sponsors to be very understanding, patient, and even helpful for the most part.

TM: Of all the hats you wear at USPSA, which one is your favorite?

KW: Each role has its own rewards. I enjoy the stuff I do with the Nationals because it’s a lot of fun seeing the shooters come out to the matches and have a good time. Especially those shooting their very first National match; they get this wanderlust in their eye that makes all the hard work very gratifying.

I really enjoy my work with NROI as well because I think it’s such a vital part of the organization. Working with those who are so dedicated to safety and, let’s face it, volunteering so much of their free time and energy to actually making all these matches a reality is very motivational. It makes me strive to do better in my job every day because there are so many out there who go out to match after match, class after class for absolutely no gain-- financial or otherwise. Their only goal is to help support the sport and make it safer and more fun for everyone.

TM: In your role as NROI coordinator, you’ve attended several RO seminars. What strikes you as the most needed area for improvement? Where are we doing a really good job?

KW: I think retention is our biggest problem area. We give good seminar. Well-qualified instructors who really know their stuff give our classes. We put a lot of work into the materials and we try very hard to keep it fresh and relevant. NROI tries very hard to make classes accessible to everyone and we’ve developed new programs to fit the needs of advancing technology. Do we still have work to do in that regard? Certainly. But I think we pride ourselves on not resting on our laurels. We have conferences every year to brainstorm new ideas and review materials. We have the instructor forum where we discuss the latest issues and those things that need improvement. It just seems to me that getting those seminars scheduled isn’t the problem, it’s keeping them coming back. Currently Range Officers and Chief Range Officers need only take a short review exam annually to retain certification. Yet, we still lose a large number each year who either forget to return the exam or make a conscious decision not to. I don’t know exactly what the root cause of this is. I’m not sure if it’s burnout at local clubs -- too much work and not enough support – or if there are other factors at play. I’d certainly like to find out though so we can work on improving that issue.

TM: Have you seen much of the “us vs. them” attitude during your career as NROI coordinator?

KW: Ha. I’ve asked this question of everyone I’ve ever interviewed and I’ve never really thought about it myself. : / I think there is a degree of that attitude, but only among a certain contingency. There’s always going to be some shooters who take the attitude that the range staff is there to screw with them, no matter what. It’s less about the shooter though and more about that person’s mental makeup. In my very humble opinion, that person is probably the same person who takes issue with every meter maid and traffic cop in the county. He’s not down with authority, even if it is for his own safety and the well-being and safety of others. These people see it as an affront to their being, not a just a part of playing the game. The converse is just as true. There will always be certain Range Officials who don’t get it. They can’t seem to balance just the right amount of authority and “regular Joe-ness” required to make the shooter feel as though they’re on equal footing. This isn’t a judgment of either shooter or RO; it’s just the way some people are wired. The good thing is that if people are aware of their tendency to go off in those directions, they can quite often take steps to curtail that behavior on the range. They just have to be willing to make the effort.

TM: What can the membership do to help improve the quality of instruction received from NROI? What can the instructor corps do?

KW: Well, for starters, they can take a class. I think the value of an NROI seminar is immeasurable and anyone who hasn’t taken a class yet should seriously consider either getting into one or organizing one for their club. In the back of each of the workbooks we have an evaluation form for attendees to give us feedback on the instructor, materials and the seminar in general. We don’t want you to limit your comments to the form either. The back of the evaluation form is blank, allowing room for a letter or a few notes. We really do want to hear it. It’s the only way I think we can better serve the needs of our membership. It bothers me to think that there are people out there who have taken a class and just didn’t get what they wanted out of it, but never told us. We’ll never know unless we get some input from our most valuable critics. If you don’t want it to go to the instructor, send it to me. If you don’t want it to go to me, send it to John Amidon. Just let someone know so we can do something about it.

For those who are already certified, my mailbox is always open. The instructor bios on the NROI website include the contact information for John Amidon and each of the instructors. The Range Official Forum link is on the website as well. I think communication is essential to positive improvement. Send an email to anyone in NROI or start a discussion on the forum. I honestly believe that through open communication we can tackle those issues that need improvement.

TM: How about Nationals? What can the USPSA members do to make the matches run more smoothly?

KW: Same thing. My mailbox is always open and I know the Match Directors and Range Masters are always willing to hear input from competitors-- as long as it’s constructive. Many times people confuse whining and complaining with constructive input; there’s a definite difference. If you’ve got a problem with how certain things are being done and a good suggestion for how to improve on the current system, by all means drop us a line.

I would also suggest working a match. Until you know firsthand what goes into putting one of these bad boys on, you really have no clue what it’s like. Working a match helps you gain a better understanding and appreciation of everything that goes into making it happen and it also lets you put your money where your mouth is for a good cause.

TM: Care to share some personal information? Are you married? Any kids? How about personal interests—what do you like to do in your “spare” time?

KW: Sure. I’m divorced with two boys. I enjoy long walks on the beach. Pina Coladas. Getting caught in the rain…never mind. Don't print that.Those are song lyrics. I don’t know. I don’t like talking about myself. I’m probably pretty boring.

Not in the least. Well, there you have it, folks. Kimberly Williams, the energizer bunny of USPSA. Next time you call the office to speak with her, or see her at Nationals, give her a big thanks for all she does. It’s been a long time coming.