Farewell from the Sr. Vice President for Business Affairs

Farewell from the Senior Vice President for Business Affairs

It seems like only yesterday …

Many collegians have great memories, but my undergraduate experience at Bradley was enhanced by 37 years as an employee. It seems like only yesterday that my application was accepted and my Bradley 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 Bradley, 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 Bradley’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.

Bradley’s caring culture is not coincidental. Provost Kal Goldberg, legendary for his student mentoring, was a devoted administrator who regularly demonstrated why Bradley 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 Bradley’s success.

Mrs. Bradley 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 Bradley almost 50 years ago, and the commitment demonstrated by faculty, staff and alumni. It’s a commitment that continues today. While Bradley’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 Bradley’s progress is inseparable from the legions of caring people who have helped make a difference for so many Bradley students. Our current leadership team acknowledges our incredible faculty, staff and alumni who, guided by the Bradley Trustees (almost all of whom are alumni), enable the singular Bradley Experience. Mrs. Bradley would have expected no less. I’ll always be a proud Bradley alum who sincerely proclaims, “Go Braves!”

P.S. Leadership development is a foundational aspect of Bradley, 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 Bradley team” in different ways. If I’m able to say just one thing to that team, it’s thank you.

Gary Anna ’75