Get to Know HFC: Kim Kaier brings a family legacy to her HFC work

For more than 25 years, Kim Kaier has served HFC in many roles – and her contributions to HFC are also part of a family legacy.

Kaier came to HFC (then Henry Ford Community College) in 1999. She has worked in several departments, including Financial Aid, Registration and Records, the Learning Lab, and Career Services. For the past 10 years, she served as the Administrative Assistant for Dean Janice Gilliland of the HFC School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). At the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year, she became the Special Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Michael Nealon, replacing Mary Flick, who took on a role in the new Academic Operations department.

“Janice Gilliland was wonderful to work for, and I miss her and my STEM colleagues. The transition to working for Dr. Nealon was motivated by a desire to use my diverse skillset to support Academic Affairs at a higher institutional level,” said Kaier, of Trenton.

Three generations of Kaier’s family have worked for HFC:

• Her mother, Deb Hebert, retired from HFC.
• Her brother, Kevin Kaier, retired from HFC.
• Her daughter, Kayla Walsh, a two-time alumna of HFC, is a Student Support Professional.

“My father, Andrew Kaier, retired from the Dearborn Public Schools,” said Kaier. “The most meaningful part of having three generations at HFC is that each family member brought entirely unique skillsets to the College. Every person contributed differently while remaining deeply tied to the community.”

Drawn to HFC’s strong campus community

Born in Dearborn, Kaier is the youngest of two. She has four adult children: Justyn, Kayla, Andrew, and Bella. Three of her children attended HFC.

An alumna of Edsel Ford High School, Kaier earned her associate degree in liberal arts from Schoolcraft College. She completed coursework in business administration and psychology at HFC and Wayne State University. In early 2027, she will begin coursework at Eastern Michigan University.

Kaier has been closely involved in the HFC Support Staff Association (SSA), most recently as the union's president.

“I recognize the vital importance of labor unions on campus, and I wanted to step up to actively help, protect, and support my colleagues,” she said. “The students, the dedicated colleagues, and the tight-knit campus community make it a pleasure to work here. I’ve always been drawn to the strong campus community and the unique opportunities for collaboration. I genuinely love working at HFC. It is incredibly rewarding to play a small but meaningful part in shaping the future of the students.”

Gilliland said that Kaier is already missed in the STEM Dean's Office.

“For more than two decades, Kim Kaier has been a steady and trusted presence across our campus,” said Gilliland. “While serving as Assistant to the Dean, she managed STEM payroll with remarkable accuracy and served as a dedicated leader for the SSA, building a reputation for dependability, integrity, and genuine care for others. Her promotion to the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs is a well-deserved recognition of her exceptional contributions to the HFC community.”

Nealon noted that Kaier hit the ground running when she transferred to his office.

“Kim has developed and demonstrated a broad range of administrative and technical skills throughout her 25-plus years of service to the shared learning community of HFC and DPS,” said Nealon. “She has mastered and helped to improve academic and operational processes, procedures, and systems, not only in her former position in STEM, but through collaborative efforts with Academic Affairs over the years. Kim has participated in the configuration and implementation of several Coursedog modules [Coursedog is the College's catalog and curriculum management system], worked to improve faculty workload management practices, and has used her expertise to improve efficiencies through the design and deployment of automated systems and dynamic forms. Her expertise, experience, and commitment to excellence are welcome assets to our divisional leadership team!”