Fred Gilbert wishes LU officials farewell at staff barbecue

It was a bittersweet day for Fred Gilbert Friday as he said goodbye to Lakehead University and looked toward an unknown future.

"I didn’t realize it was going to effect me that much," said the university’s president, a post he’s had for 12 years and will hold for just one more day. "I haven’t shown any real emotion during all this process, but this is a tough day."

Gilbert said it is definitely the people he’s worked with on a daily basis he’ll miss the most as he enjoyed a staff barbeque on his last business day.

"It’s the people who make up Lakehead University," he said. "I won’t miss the power. I won’t miss the travel. The pressure is something that is probably going to be hard to replace. It’s something that you live through, you cope with and it becomes part of your expectations. In some ways the stress is something I’m going to miss."

Having put a lot of himself into his work the past 12 years, Gilbert said he’s proud of many things the university has accomplished during his tenure. The medical school, research activity, athletics and the beautification of the campus are just a few items that top his list.

"All of the really important things are a function of the team," he said. "The team is the staff, the faculty and it’s the students. I’ve just been very pleased to be a part of the progress the university has made over the past 12 years."

While what’s waiting for him in retirement is still up in the air, Gilbert will enjoy the freedom, the ability to choose and do things in his own timeframe and get to things he’s neglected while heading up Lakehead.

After Friday’s festivities, he still has some business to attend to, in an office he says is an office that’s only as clean as it was the day he arrived.

"It feels strange to say the least," he said. "This is a special place, a special university."
Gilbert’s last official day as Lakehead’s president is July 31.