During her 23-year tenure at Stanford, Kate Chesley has had a profound impact on virtually every segment of the campus community. From faculty and staff to students, parents and alums – so many have relied on her talents and dedication – and so many University Communications colleagues have relied on – and received – her friendship.

Her retirement on July 1 is bittersweet for many of us. After so many years of tireless work, including too many long evenings and even longer weekends to mention, her retirement is well deserved. But we’ll miss her wisdom, her thoughtfulness and her wicked sense of humor.

Among the highlights of Kate’s career: providing timely, vital information to faculty and staff as managing editor of Stanford Report and, most recently, also serving as university governance writer; keeping parents of Stanford students engaged and informed as editor of the Parent and Guardian Newsletter; supporting communication needs for university leadership including speech writing for John Etchemendy’s entire tenure as provost; and guiding hundreds of undergraduates through their Stanford journey as Resident Fellow in Roble Hall for several years and before that academic adviser for more than two dozen students.

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She’s had some interesting assignments along the way, such as reviewing movie scripts by those who wanted to include Stanford branding. One of the most notorious was The Hangover Part II. For that, she sought the guidance of then-Provost Etchemendy, who gave the OK. When the movie was released, Kate sat through a matinee screening with her UComm colleagues and after wondered aloud whether her Stanford career would soon be over.

Her career survived approving the movie, as well as her approval of a lot of Stanford Band scripts through the many years she served as a Band adviser.

In 2002, she was assigned to lead the then-fledgling video production unit, what is now Stanford Video.

In her performance review for that year, her manager wrote about Kate’s role in finding permanent studio space for the video/broadcast unit. “This was a problem we inherited, and Kate worked tirelessly to find a solution, despite the complicated history, complex relationships and challenging personalities involved. The result is a good temporary solution that is already in place and an approved plan for permanent space is in the works.”

Kate’s impact on the extended Stanford community also dates back to the early 2000s. At the time, the university had no mechanism to consistently engage with parents and families of Stanford students. Kate was asked to create and maintain an electronic parent newsletter and to serve as the university liaison with the independent – and very influential – Parents’ Club.

Kate not only took on that challenge, providing a vital connection to parents, but has continued to produce each issue of the Parent and Guardian Newsletter ever since. Thus, for nearly 20 years, Kate has helped inform and likely reassure countless family members that the university cares deeply about the education and well-being of their Stanford students.

Service to students

Kate had an even more direct and perhaps lasting impact on the students themselves by serving as Resident Fellow in Roble Hall for several years.

So profound was Kate’s impact on some of her students that several have kept in contact with her for more than a decade.

Among them is Chelsea Groves Kuhnle, who was a resident assistant for Kate. When asked to share her memories of Kate’s time as an RF, Chelsea wrote the following:

“I remember stepping in for my interview as a resident assistant at Roble and immediately my nervousness dissipated; Kate knowingly smiled at me, as though we had met a thousand times before, and the sparkle in her eye dismissed all my fears. I felt at home. Her empathic puckishness resonated with my own fondness for responsible trouble-making and I knew I would find my place among the Roble family.

“Kate and I shared many late nights during my time as an RA looking after a variety of students, and I never doubted that I could come to her for anything. Her understanding and thoughtfulness suffused the entire staff and gave me a support I hadn’t found at Stanford previously, a family. Kate made that possible.”

As an academic adviser for several years, Kate helped guide more than two dozen students through their Stanford journey. Alumna Sarah Kunis recalled Kate’s impact on her time on the Farm. She wrote:

“I arrived at Stanford as a very lost and confused freshman in the fall of 2010. Kate was assigned as my academic adviser and from our first meeting, I knew she was going to be one of the people who would make Stanford feel like home to me. Kate encouraged me to pursue opportunities to study and work abroad and wrote me dozens of letters of recommendation that opened doors for me.

“Kate was so much more than an academic adviser to me. She made me feel like I truly belonged at Stanford and that her warmth and kindness made me feel like I was at home, despite the fact that my family was an ocean away from the Farm. Kate became my good friend, and even though I know Stanford will be at a loss with her departure, she will continue to light the lives around her with her warm and caring nature. I’m so grateful to Kate for so many things, and I cannot imagine my Stanford experience without her.”

Many of us agree with Sarah – we’re grateful to Kate for so many things, and wish her all the best in retirement.