Mike Wynn, Class of 1993

You were the first, and are likely to be the last, Williams student ever to be handed a set of keys and told, “OK, you’re a campus safety officer now.” The times were different then, but so were you, who had earned such respect as a student employee of the office that when a professional was called up for National Guard duty, you were the logical one to fill in. Respect has become the hallmark of your career. It began as a fellow with the Drug Enforcement Agency, and continued as a civilian member of the Pittsfield Police Department, working to recruit to the force members of underrepresented groups. You then joined yourself and quickly rose to become one of the youngest police chiefs in Pittsfield history. From there your influence has spread widely. You are frequently called on to train officers regionally and nationally, while your much-praised book, Rising Through the Ranks: Leadership Tools and Techniques for Law Enforcement, has helped to develop public safety leaders in far-flung locations. Back here in your own community you have also contributed through your involvement with Scouting, with the county’s Youth Leadership Program, and with the popular Winter Study course that pairs Williams student mentors with juveniles involved with the court system. Your main message through all this has been to choose in every instance the right thing, over the easy thing—a timely reminder not just for law enforcement but us all.

In recognition of your distinguished achievement in public safety, Williams
College is proud to honor you with its Bicentennial Medal.

September 15, 2018