35-Year Profile: Jeff Williams

Jeff Williams

How many Sacramento State employees can say that they’ve shared the stage with the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Harry Belafonte or Isaac Hayes? Jeff Williams can. The Fresno native was raised with a French horn in his hand and over the years has become an assured artist. It led the classical music connoisseur to a 10-year gig in the Sahara Casino orchestra in Tahoe and a 12-year stint with the Sacramento Symphony.

These days however, you can find Williams in a corner of Sacramento State that most people on campus may never have seen—the Central Receiving department. An employee for nearly 36 years, Williams began his tenure at the university in 1969 as a stock clerk in the mail room.

“It was a lot different back then. There were no computers so there was paper everywhere,” he says. Williams has taken on several different responsibilities since his arrival on campus and it was a transfer in 1994 that landed him in his current position in the receiving center.

Williams and his colleagues are responsible for most of the supplies and materials that are used by students, faculty and staff in the classrooms and buildings around campus. They process orders placed by departments for materials and distribute them accordingly when they arrive. And keeping track of the endless flow of equipment is not always accomplished easily.

“That’s one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Being able to get things done and keep everything in order and make sure everything gets to where it needs to go,” he says. Although Williams’ tenure is longer than most, other receiving employees can boast extensive service as well, which he says helps the overall process. “Our experience is what keeps things moving,” he says.

Yet his true passion has always been music. Even when he enlisted in the California National Guard in 1969, Williams had his instrument by his side. An active member of the 59th Army Band, Williams donates one weekend every month to his country, and has played at events for presidents, governors and even the Queen of England. A former history major at Sacramento State, Williams recalls that somehow most of the classes he took were performance music classes. Even now as an employee, he donates his time and talents to the faculty Woodwind Quintet.

Williams isn’t the only one in his family with the gift of music. He met his wife, Cathleen, while performing in the University’s Symphony Orchestra many years ago. A schoolteacher at Harmon Johnson Elementary School in North Sacramento, she is also the principal bassoon player in the Auburn Symphony.