Ambassador is waiting — and willing

There are at least two sides to every story.

This weekend, Al Williams is telling his.

As much as the community has rallied around ousted North Idaho College President Rick MacLennan, Williams received far less fanfare when he “retired” in 2019 as athletic director from his alma mater. Sure, Big Al’s supporters were up in proverbial arms, and The Press was right there with them, but the public ire was limited.

In the editorial board’s view, Williams was a convenient scapegoat when NIC ran afoul of the Northwest Athletic Conference. NWAC, Williams claims, had nebulous rules and did its best to slam the college so hard, it would have no choice but to quit and go back to its previous affiliation. For example, NWAC levied a fine against NIC 15 times greater than its own guidelines recommended. At a time Al thought MacLennan would defend his athletic director, the president instead accepted NWAC’s penalties, and Williams was gone.

Of course, that’s Big Al’s side of the story. College officials, including MacLennan, see it differently, and their decisions were published in The Press through Williams’ departure. But for Al Williams, now just 62, his early retirement was so bitter, the ex-Cardinal refused to even step on the NIC campus as long as MacLennan ruled the Cardinal roost. That ended after MacLennan was fired without cause, and now, at the critical juncture of NIC’s past and its future, is as good a time as any to look ahead.

It would be naive to believe Williams and MacLennan could mend fences, so that proposal will stay in a closed drawer. What isn’t naive is the idea that Williams, the finest college/community ambassador we’ve seen in the past 20 years, could play a significant role in mending damage done by a Board of Trustees majority that has put political ideology ahead of sound operations.

In his interview with the newspaper, Williams made it clear that he’d like to help if he can. Figuring out how best to leverage his NIC pedigree, his deep roots in the community, and yes, his stature as a Black leader in an almost all-white region should not be difficult. Big Al is willing, and nobody would benefit more from his talents than that board majority.

Chairman Todd Banducci, for instance, is a devoted NIC sports fan. He paved the way for wrestling coach Mike Sebaaly to be named interim college president, after all. Perhaps the way forward starts with Williams, Banducci and rational trustee Ken Howard sitting down and doing some brainstorming.

Diversity concerns are among the chief reasons NIC is under the accrediting agency’s microscope this week, and nobody knows diversity issues here better than Al Williams. Finding ways for him to be part of the solution might ensure that this sad, bizarre story ends happily for all.