Huntington Mayor Steve Williams visited Marshall University Thursday for the first Coffee with the Mayor session of the spring semester.
The series, sponsored by Marshall’s Student Government Association, took place inside the Memorial Student Center.
Katie Wright, Marshall graduate student and supporter of Williams’ 2012 mayoral campaign, said the Coffee with the Mayor series offers students an opportunity to become acquainted with a local politician.
“I think that it’s a good outreach program because a lot of the students… don’t really understand how much [Williams] affects things that happen here and in the surrounding area,” Wright said.
Wright said her involvement in the campaign allowed her to interact and get to know Williams on a personal basis.
“It’s really important for them to connect and understand that he is an approachable person and is able to handle anything that you may throw at him,” Wright said.
Interim President Gary White said the program is important for Marshall.
“I think it’s a very good program,” White said. “It’s also a very important program. You can’t separate Marshall and the city of Huntington.”
White said Williams’ forums allowed for student feedback that would otherwise be unheard.
“I think he’s highly respected and he has a very distinguished political career,” White said. “What he’s done for Huntington speaks for itself. I think it’s well received by the students and I think they appreciate the opportunity to have some input.”
Williams and White posed for a selfie together before White’s departure.
Williams said he is beginning to recognize students who attend his series and enjoys the chance to interact with them on a monthly basis.
“Students here are residents of the city of Huntington,” Williams said. “I’m representing each of the students here, and coming on campus is an easy way for me to get a sense as to what’s on a student’s mind.”
Williams laughed while mentioning that this semester marked the fifth semester of his involvement on campus, and said his series had reached its junior year of college.

“[Coffee with the Mayor] started when I was running for office,” Williams said. “I realized then that if I wanted to do this I needed to be here, not just asking for votes. I needed to be here to offer help and we’ve been able to help a lot of people by doing this. I’ve learned a lot.”
Williams said the Coffee series has prompted suggestions to start similar outreaches elsewhere in the city.
“We’re talking about having a ‘Walk with the Mayor’ on the Paul Ambrose Trail [to Health] or in parks throughout the area,” Williams said. “I may be in a neighborhood on a certain day and time and then we can just go walking through. It all stemmed from what we started here.”
The next Coffee with the Mayor will be March 12 from 10-11:30 a.m. inside the MSC.
Lexi Browning can be contacted at [email protected].