Michele Leigh Williams

Michele Leigh Williams is a seasoned human resources professional with more than 30 years of experience, specializing in employee relations, workplace investigations, employment law, and HR best practices. Her career began after earning a BSBA in Human Resources from Rockhurst University, where a career exploration course helped her discover her passion for people, workplace culture, and human resources. Over the years, Michele has developed extensive expertise in managing complex employee relations matters, supporting leaders, conducting investigations, and fostering workplaces built on communication, trust, and accountability. Michele spent nearly nine years as Human Resources Manager for Kansas City Cancer Center under U.S. Oncology, overseeing HR functions for a multi-site medical practice with approximately 600 employees. During her tenure, she played a key role in talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, legal compliance, and compensation and benefits. One of her notable accomplishments was helping transform the organization's traditional performance appraisal system into a more meaningful process designed to better recognize employee contributions and performance. She later joined The University of Kansas Health System, where she supported more than 12,000 employees through employee and labor relations, investigations, performance management, management training, policy administration, and employment-law compliance. Since 2020, Michele has served as an Employee Relations Senior Partner at Maximus, where she contributes to strengthening employee relations practices and supporting the development of an Employee Relations Center of Excellence. Committed to continuous learning, she earned an Employee Relations and Investigations Certificate from Cornell University in 2024 and previously held the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) credential. Michele is passionate about creating positive employee experiences and believes that how employees are treated ultimately influences the experiences organizations provide to their customers. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and playing Mahjong with her mother, while also encouraging young women entering HR to build strong employment-law knowledge, pursue relevant education and certifications, and develop a specialty aligned with their interests.