Just outside the office of Chuck Baldecchi, Head of School, stands Michelle Godfrey, who’s been the Executive Assistant to the Head of School since 2014. The “stands” in that sentence is literal: her office has photos of her husband Bob and her son Ray, and an extensive collection of yearbooks, but no desk chair. Some days, with a ringing phone, a crackling walkie-talkie, and a steady stream of visitors, her office feels like the nerve center of Charlotte Latin School. Keeping everything calm is a woman who stays light on her feet and sports a wide array of official Latin clothing. “You surely don’t want to know about my closet color coordination,” she says with a twinkle in her eye, “but over the last eleven years, let’s just say there’s a lot more blue in there.”

Where did you grow up?

My childhood was spent in Clover, South Carolina — there used to be one stoplight and now there are three. Back then we’d drive nearly an hour to go to SouthPark Mall because there wasn’t much else to do.

I spent most of my twenties and thirties in Clemson, South Carolina, attending university and laying down some roots. I started out as a nursing major, but chemistry, biology, and algebra were not a good match for me. I started asking myself, “Why am I in nursing? Is it because I love medicine or because I want to help people?” I realized it was the people and the bedside manner that attracted me. 

Was nursing your dream job when you were growing up?

Maybe I saw myself following family: Mom was in home health, my aunt was a nurse, and my brother went into anesthesiology. But my grandfather was a high school principal and I attended the daycare at his school from an early age. I was never drawn to teaching, but I loved the school environment from behind the scenes. 

A dream job, aside from deep sea fishing, would be writing. I’ve dabbled in a couple of books, but there never seem to be enough hours in the day. My biggest project is a memoir cookbook. Stories behind food are threads: they connect cultures, they connect families. My grandmother was my muse — she taught me everything in the kitchen. My happy place is in the kitchen with RayRay by my side as sous-chef and Bobby as the taste-tester. 

What are the favorite recipes in your house?

Too many to count. Bobby comes from an Italian family and his favorite is chicken parm, so it’s a staple. My son invented a honey bun recipe that’s great in the grilling season. The sugar caramelizes on the flat top griddle and we chop up strawberries and throw all kinds of fun stuff on top. But my secret love is gas station food. Growing up, Dad used to take us to the local service center, Killian’s, before or after school. You grabbed a Pop-Tart or a pack of crackers, and that would hold you. My favorite “recipe” from there is a Mountain Dew with salty peanuts dumped in it. Don’t knock it till you try it!

What did you do after college?

I got a job as the Assistant to the Mayor and City Administrator of the City of Clemson. I got to help the general public — and design all the parking maps and visitor kiosks. I was in charge of hosting functions, customer service, and a lot of the same things I do at Latin. I met my husband, Bobby, in 2001. He was a pro golfer who took me all over the US through tournaments — I even caddied for him a few times. When we decided to settle down and start a family, we flipped a coin: Charleston versus Charlotte. Heads won!

What’s it like working with Mr. Baldecchi?

For the longest time, he called me the Khaleesi [the title of Daenerys Targaryen, the mother of dragons in Game of Thrones]. It was a little embarrassing, but sweet. I do feel like a gatekeeper or dragon-slayer some days, so it’s nice to feel recognized and appreciated for the effort. You work with people for so long and you get connected to them. I know that as a parent of three kids, as a spouse, as a longtime head, and as someone who loves his job, Chuck never makes a decision in haste or without care. I’m protective when he’s judged or questioned in his decision-making, because I know how much thought he puts into the job. In truth, there aren’t many dragons out there, so I keep coming back for more.

What’s your biggest challenge on the job?

There’s one commodity that you can never get back, and that’s time. Mr. B prides himself on having an open-door policy, but we have over 1,500 students and, on average, they have two parents each, and there’s 300-plus employees, so that’s quite literally thousands of people. We never want to turn anyone away, but there’s only one Chuck and only so many hours in the day. My job is to help manage his time and be sure he has some breathing room. Some days, finding enough time for him to eat lunch can be a challenge. If you see me leaving Founders’ with two plates, I promise one is his!

Tell me something he knows about you that most people don’t.

Well, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I’ve had some very raw moments with him, especially when my husband was faced with a cancer diagnosis. It came on the coattails of the pandemic, in March 2020, and Chuck was still fairly new. While most of my coworkers were quarantined in their homes, my son and I were doing remote learning from the hospital parking lot. Many coworkers didn’t even know, but Chuck has seen me unravel. 

Are you going to spend the rest of your life at Charlotte Latin?

My predecessor was in this role for 43 years — I’ve always joked that I’m going to make it 44! But “the rest of my life,” definitely not. Life has a way of changing perspective. When you work full time and you want to be a good spouse/parent, there’s not much time left in the day to do what makes you happy. Maybe I’ll retire in a few years and finish that book. 

Twenty years ago, would you have guessed that this would be your life?

I didn’t know that I wanted an independent school for my son, because I didn’t go to one — I thought we would move to Charlotte and we would probably live a life similar to what I lived growing up. I’m glad things went slightly awry. There’s a sign that hangs in our house: it says “Fairy tales do come true.”