Farewell from the Sr. Vice President for Business Affairs

Gary Anna, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs, says farewell after 37 years working on the Hilltop.

06/26/2018 10:15 AM

Farewell from the Senior Vice President for Business Affairs

It seems like only yesterday …

Many collegians have great memories, but my undergraduate experience at �ۿ۴�ý was enhanced by 37 years as an employee. It seems like only yesterday that my application was accepted and my �ۿ۴�ý Experience began. Positive first impressions quickly became reality as faculty, staff and classmates became a welcoming, caring community.

As a rising junior preparing for a semester-long accounting internship, I confounded Arthur Mehl, professor of accounting emeritus, after he confirmed my placement in Chicago with a Big Eight firm. “But professor,” I said, “I can’t work in Chicago because my rent in Peoria is prepaid.” He graciously moved the internship to Peoria, which ultimately led to my career at �ۿ۴�ý, and forever impacted my work, family and life. I learned quickly that this kind of student experience was not unique.

For 10 years, I worked closely with President Emeritus Jerry Abegg ’47 HON ’93, who had signed my BU diploma. On our first visit to Lydia Moss �ۿ۴�ý’s gravesite, we both gasped when we saw the family marker and the view of the Illinois River from the bluffs of Springdale Cemetery. As alumni, we were proud to know we had a small part in carrying her vision for the university forward, and had seen how her preparation, perseverance and trust in others could enable incredible accomplishments.

�ۿ۴�ý’s caring culture is not coincidental. Provost Kal Goldberg, legendary for his student mentoring, was a devoted administrator who regularly demonstrated why �ۿ۴�ý is so special. Fast-forward a few decades and the university’s progress continues. I now work with President Gary Roberts ’70, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Walter Zakahi ’78, and a team of administrators, faculty and staff who care deeply about �ۿ۴�ý’s success.

Mrs. �ۿ۴�ý had high expectations for the university and its students. Student success is a foundation of our new strategic plan. As an alum, I clearly remember my first experiences at �ۿ۴�ý almost 50 years ago, and the commitment demonstrated by faculty, staff and alumni. It’s a commitment that continues today. While �ۿ۴�ý’s campus and programs continue to evolve, first and foremost our beloved university is all about people — students becoming alumni is why we engage and care as we do.

As I approach retirement and recount the honor of serving my alma mater, I know �ۿ۴�ý’s progress is inseparable from the legions of caring people who have helped make a difference for so many �ۿ۴�ý students. Our current leadership team acknowledges our incredible faculty, staff and alumni who, guided by the �ۿ۴�ý Trustees (almost all of whom are alumni), enable the singular �ۿ۴�ý Experience. Mrs. �ۿ۴�ý would have expected no less. I’ll always be a proud �ۿ۴�ý alum who sincerely proclaims, “Go Braves!”

P.S. Leadership development is a foundational aspect of �ۿ۴�ý, and my experience has shown that being a leader demands recognition of one’s team. My family, friends, colleagues and many students and alumni have been on “the �ۿ۴�ý team” in different ways. If I’m able to say just one thing to that team, it’s thank you.

Gary Anna ’75