President's Blog: From the Heart

By Eric F. Spina

Let’s talk about leadership.

Over the course of my presidency and during a time of great challenge for higher education, five extraordinary individuals have offered UD a master class in servant-leadership. They’re the chairs of the University of Dayton's Board of Trustees, all of whom have been deeply devoted to the mission and promise of UD.

Take Mary Boosalis, for instance. The former Premier Health CEO decisively jumped into action in the opening days of a global pandemic in 2020 and, within 48 hours, UD and Miami Valley Hospital transformed the UD Arena into the region’s first mass public COVID-19 test site.

During her tenure as our first woman board chair, she displayed deep care for all of UD’s people, especially during this uncharted time, and inspired us with her vision and collaborative spirit. In a game-changing initiative, UD and Premier began to transform the former Montgomery County Fairgrounds into onMain, Dayton’s innovation district.

Leading with conviction and vision has long been a trademark of our chairs, a trait I immediately noticed in Steve Cobb ‘86, now-retired CEO and chairman of Henny Penny, a leader in the global foodservice equipment business. I met Steve during the presidential search process and worked closely with him during the transition, always finding him to be available, patient, caring, and thoughtful. During Dr. Dan Curran’s tenure, Steve helped guide UD with a steady presence and a deep love for his alma mater.

Dave Yeager ’75, former CEO and now executive chair of the publicly traded Hub Group, a leading multimodal transportation company, chaired the presidential search committee and served as board chair during the first three years of my tenure. He provided such insightful guidance to this rookie president as we developed an aspirational vision to be "The University for the Common Good" and boldly took a leadership role in redeveloping the mothballed Dayton Arcade into a place for creativity, ingenuity, and education.

Rick Omlor ‘79, whose term as chair ends in June, is as thoughtful as he is quiet and humble. The former CEO of the technology company YSI, Inc., Rick played a lead trustee role in the $76 million transformation of the UD Arena, the largest construction project in school history. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, Rick always says “yes," exemplified by his service on numerous special committees and the onMain board.

Rick will pass the chair's ceremonial gavel to Deb Tobias ‘73, retired operations director of Juniper Networks, who led the historic "We Soar" campaign with indefatigable energy. Largely due to Deb's unfailing can-do spirit and optimism, we surpassed the campaign's $400 million goal a full year early and topped participation and engagement goals. She stands out as UD's biggest cheerleader.

Through hundreds of hours of gratis service these leaders have exercised great wisdom in leading the board and supporting UD’s leadership team. My engagement with them is not limited to monthly executive committee meetings and three annual board meetings. Throughout their three-year terms, I logged at least 150 touch points with each through weekly phone and Zoom conversations. It's in these small, out-of-the-limelight moments that I've gotten to know and respect each on a personal level, and how I know the depth of their love for UD.

Beyond their valuable time and business acumen, they have contributed millions of dollars to propel our beloved UD forward. Each has supported the under-construction Health and Wellbeing Center, which the board views as an investment in student retention and success. Their philanthropy has touched many parts of campus and the Dayton community, including UD Arena, the Greater West Dayton Incubator, scholarships, study-abroad trips for Pell Grant-eligible students, Campus Ministry, academic units, entrepreneurial ventures, athletics, and more.

But the greatest gift they've given UD is themselves. They are stewards of our mission and visionaries who are shaping our future.