I first met Bob Blackburn in October or November of 1997. It was shortly after a session that Clyde Morrell, BYU (retired) and I presented at a PeopleSoft Conference. Clyde was updating his progress working with a group of about 20 individuals who had been using PeopleSoft HR and/or Financials. I was updating on the progress of the development of Student Admin (now Campus Solutions). After our presentation was over some of the attendees were asked to stick around to discuss organizing a special interest group. Between the 18 Beta and Charter Student Admin institutions and the 10 or so HR and Financials institutions it was felt that the combined group could lobby PeopleSoft best moving forward. Bob was in the room that day and either volunteered, or was volunteered by his boss from the University of Waterloo (Jay Black). Regardless of my fuzzy memory he became a part of the core organizing group who volunteered to lead the HE SIG.
Bob worked on the board for the first several years and was one of the volunteers who worked with Clyde Morrell as the HE SIG became the Higher Education User Group and incorporated into a 501c3 non-profit corporation. In 2002 Bob's focus on the board moved to planning the annual conferences. Bob's tenure with the conference team included taking on responsibility as the vendor chair and conference assistant through 2005. In 2006 he became the Conference Chair for the Alliance Conference in Nashville, TN.
Struck by the 'event planning bug' Bob left the University of Waterloo and formed his own company (Blackburn and Associates). He contracted with the HEUG to provide some core conference planning services for the next 3 years. In 2010 Bob was sub-contracted by Socious, Inc., to provide vendor relations services to the HEUG. Over the years Bob's ability to meet with Vendors and demonstrate the value of participating in the Alliance conference each year grew revenue for the HEUG to well over $1M annually. This revenue helped build a strong conference but also helped allow the HEUG Board to implement a wide range of services.
Over the course of the past 18 years since I've known Bob, he has been a colleague, a team member and a close friend. He and his wife, Jan, I and my wife Jen have traveled together often, including to both Tuscon and to Tuscany! I've had the pleasure of meeting both of his children, Jeff and Jennifer (aka Elizabeth). I've stayed with Bob and Jan in their Kitchner, Ontario 'dead relatives room' (over a glass of scotch maybe I can explain that reference another day). We've traveled in support of the HEUG to the Netherlands and to Australia. We've been on hundreds of conference calls together, and have shared thousands of emails. We are just a click away from communicating often on Skype. In essence he has been an integral part of the HEUG but also fundamental part of my life.
Bob will retire from his HEUG related duties after 18 years of service at the close of the Alliance 2015 conference. I am sure I will continue to see Bob and Jan and hope we will have additional travel adventures together, but for this 'Executive Director's Line' I wanted to be sure everyone knew what a tremendous volunteer Bob was in the early years, and what a valuable asset he has been for all of the years to the HEUG. Thank you Bob Blackburn for your service and commitment to the HEUG, but most of all the friendships you have created with so many of us!
I'll see you on stage Sunday, March 15 in Nashville!