I really liked the idea when I read the theme of this Northern Magazine issue, “Hidden NMU: Your backstage pass to seldom seen spaces and special experiences.” I have this pass and I know these places well.
One of the best parts of the last 18 years of my NMU career, as vice president of Finance and Administration, is that facilities are in my division and I am the VP that oversees equipment as I’ve spent a considerable amount of my time assessing it for function and efficiency, maintaining it, renovating it, and brainstorming how to design, build and fund new spaces for better student, employee and visitor experiences. Working on facilities projects is one of the areas of my job I really like and take special pride in.
I so enjoy showing people NMU’s special spaces, which I do often. I also find a lot of satisfaction when I walk around campus and see folks on campus using our innovative spaces and features. I am looking forward to the opening of the renovated Harden Hall (also known to some alumni as the LRC) in January. This renovation, which includes the Lydia Olson Library and a new fourth floor on the building, features some unique spaces that I think the students will love. The library, in particular, will have a wide variety of types of study spaces and seating. Those heavy, hard wooden library chairs some of us remember are finally being retired.
In considering what has been the most unusual “seldom seen” NMU space I’ve experienced, I’d have to say it was the time I went to the top of the Superior Dome... on the outside, not the inside... in the middle of winter. Why would I do that at that time of year? NMU was preparing for a spring installation of LTE antennas up there and I felt it was important that I know exactly how things would be installed before we got too far into the installation planning. Let me just say that the view was fabulous, but the fear factor going up and coming down was sky high.
Since July 1, I’ve had the true honor to serve Northern as interim president. It has been a great experience; one I would have never dreamed possible back when I was walking the campus as an NMU student. In January, I look forward to personally welcoming Dr. Chris Olsen as Northern’s 19th president, along with his wife, Jennifer. It will be my absolute pleasure to help Dr. Olsen experience as many of the special spaces and experiences featured among these pages as possible, along with others, so that he, too, like me, can take pride in how our physical campus and its related equipment and features play such a positive role in the NMU student experience.
Go 'Cats!
Gavin Leach '85 BS, '99 MPA
Interim President