Fond farewell to Jenny Edmunds

April 20, 2007

Mrs Jenny Edmunds, Executive Officer to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England, has tendered her resignation after 20 years at the University.

To thank Mrs Edmunds for her service to UNE, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Pettigrew, hosted a farewell function yesterday in "Booloominbah", the landmark heritage building at the heart of the University. A large and diverse cross-section of the University community attended.

"Jenny has made an enormous contribution to the work of the University," Professor Pettigrew said. He noted that she had served in the Vice-Chancellor's Unit since 1990, and as Executive Officer to four Vice-Chancellors since 1994. "That level of experience and dedication to the institution needs to be recognised and celebrated," he said.

Vice-Chancellors have found in Mrs Edmunds a reassuring, reliable source of support. Her smile of greeting in the morning "set you up for the day", Professor Pettigrew remarked.

"I saw the University go through some periods of change that were quite dramatic," Mrs Edmunds reflected. "The disamalgamation probably stands out as the most dramatic. Every challenge we faced helped the University to move in a different direction, and ultimately shaped it into a better institution."

"Working here at UNE has been a wonderful experience," she said. "I feel very privileged to have been part of teams that have helped the University move forward and grow. I have worked with some truly inspirational people. I do very much appreciate all the support that everybody gave me while I was here." She received farewell gifts from the University including a framed photograph of "Booloominbah", a hand-crafted necklace of semi-precious stones, and a jewellery gift voucher.

Late in 2005, Mrs Edmunds was honoured with a special Award for Excellence in Service presented to her by the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses. "In my eight years plus as Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Jenny has been of invaluable assistance and has provided outstanding and exemplary service," Professor Moses said at the time. "She assists, prompts, encourages, sympathises, organises, supports, protects, troubleshoots, and mothers me. She is tireless in her pursuit of organisational efficiency and effectiveness, and of high standards in the Vice-Chancellor’s Office and in customer service."

Like many professionals at UNE, Mrs Edmunds was an active and committed member of the local Armidale community. She was a pivotal figure in Hockey New England's fight to upgrade its facilities over recent years. She played a central role in the securing of over $1 million in government funding and in-kind support from local businesses to make an Olympic-quality, water-based hockey facility a reality for the New England region. The facilities, owned by Hockey New England and also including a dry sand field, are located behind Sport UNE. As well as her enduring contribution to the University, there would be "a memory of Jenny Edmunds whenever we see the lights going on in the hockey field", Professor Pettigrew said.

Mrs Edmunds has moved to Port Macquarie, where she will take up a position as Marketing and Community Coordinator for The Westport Club early in May.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here was taken at yesterday's farewell function. It shows Jenny Edmunds (centre) with two of her colleagues from the Vice-Chancellor's Office: Skye Ruurda (left) and Brenda Bell. It expands to include another colleague, Jane Gow.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at April 20, 2007 03:03 PM