The following opinion piece was printed in the Merced Sun-Star October 13, 2009:
Carol Tomlinson-Keasey will be remembered for her tenaciousness, her intense focus on mission, and her passion for UC Merced.
I first met her in 2004 at a reception for UC Merced held at a community room in Grizzlies Stadium in Fresno.
The school would open in another year; I believe the purpose of the reception was to introduce the reality of a new institution of higher learning to the Fresno business community. She was gracious, full of pride, and intent on telling the story of the effort to start UC Merced. I was impressed.
Having moved to California that year from upstate New York, I had no idea about the scope of the work she and other Valley leaders had invested to build the campus.
I would soon learn of the many years she and others would endure to make the campus a reality.
In 2006, I made it my first priority to schedule a meeting with Dr. Tomlinson-Keasey once I settled in as CEO of the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce.
We had a productive visit with me sharing my thoughts about the future of our community, while she shared her deep pride for what the community did to get the campus built.
That intense focus was there, although this time I encountered another characteristic that I would come to remember about her: grace.
She would announce her retirement shortly after that visit.
No doubt, she had already made up her mind long before I met with her at the campus office. We understood her explanation that it was time for a new leader to take the new campus to the next step.
Many knew of her struggle with cancer and we believed she had won the battle. We wished her well in retirement.
All my memories of Carol can be summed up in one special day in May 2006.
That first commencement at UC Merced was a wonderful day for the community and especially for Dr. Tomlinson-Keasey. With only a handful of students graduating, the ceremony was held in a small auditorium on campus.
But the sense of pride could have filled the entire Central Valley.
The students, our true trailblazers, were smiling in their caps and gowns. The faculty, administration, and other staff were gleaming with satisfaction.
But who would forget Dr. Tomlinson-Keasey; she had the biggest smile, the most touching speech, and that sense of grace. Her work was done.
She would walk away knowing her accomplishments personified the work, stress and emotions of an entire community. She would leave knowing that her legacy rested with those graduates, and the many who continue to follow them.
And she left behind an institution that will endure for many generations.
Steve Newvine is the former CEO of the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce and now works for a California public utility. He lives in Merced.
→ Read this opinion piece online→ Visit UC Merced's website
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