Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised on a small farm in Welling. I have very fond memories of my early school years attending the small school in Welling, with Grades 1 to 3 taught in one room and Grades 4 to 6 taught in the other room. My informal education took place on the farm, where I had an hour of chores before school and another hour before supper. I went on to attend school in Magrath and then Lethbridge Community College, now Lethbridge College, where I graduated with a two-year diploma in data processing. Work then took me to Edmonton where I met my wife, Norma Woodruff, who is also a southern Alberta farm girl. With the birth of our first child, we knew we wanted to raise our children on a small farm, so we moved to Welling. We have three children and nine grandchildren.

How long have you been at ULethbridge and what do you do here?
My employment at the University, in the Department of Information Technology Services, began in November 1988. During my time here, I have had the opportunity to work in various areas of IT. It began with being a computer operator of our large mainframe computers. Then, for a time, I managed lab and desktop support. After that, I was appointed as the Facilities manager, during which time we decommissioned the original Data Centre on Level 5 of University Hall and built three new Data Centres, located in University Hall, the Library and Markin Hall. During this time, I was also involved in creating our disaster recovery plan. I was then appointed to the position I currently hold as manager of finance and assets, a job I really enjoy.

What's the best part of your job?
I have enjoyed being a part of a great team of individuals.

My colleagues in IT are a talented bunch and I so appreciate my association with them over the years. I was given the opportunity to do things that made a difference and for that I am most grateful.

As you approach retirement, what will you miss the most about ULethbridge?
I will miss this campus. As I walk down the halls, through the tunnel, down the sidewalks and paths, I have a flood of memories. This campus, for 33 years, became my second home, and after I leave, it will never be quite the same. I appreciate those who I was able to get close to and those who became my friends.

What are your plans for the future?
A big part of my life is family, community and church, and I plan for these three areas of my life to only get bigger. I will spend more time in the mountains. I have hiked and backpacked almost every trail in Glacier National Park and I plan on completing the rest. I have walked down many mountain streams with a fly rod in my hand and I plan on walking down more streams. I plan on staying active and living life.