During the early months of the successful fund-raising campaign, more than a few people expressed doubts about the $40 million campaign goal, which was three times more than had been raised in any prior campaign.
Flynn displays his famous hook shot at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, January 2004. For Springfield College, and its 12th presi-
dent, implementation required leadership, strong but nuanced, determined to focus on the important things with an appropriate disdain for fads and frills, and leavening the need for change with an abiding respect for history and tradition. He took what he had heard and shaped it
into a plan of action that students, faculty, staff, alumni, community leaders, and others could recognize as partly their own and buy into. Flynn was fond of saying, in those early years of his presidency, “The train is about to
leave the station; it’s time for everyone to get aboard.” Members of
the College community who
felt they had been listened to were enthusi- astic about getting on board. Those who were a bit late for the train’s departure, but who then caught on to the president’s vision, gradually came around. Silos disappeared. There was a marked interest in collaborative efforts for the common good. Among other examples, Flynn’s vigor and zeal, combined with highly pertinent knowledge and experi- ence, made possible the constructive coexistence of the College’s academic and athletic realms. early successes, which demonstrated Flynn’s ability to deliver
on his promises and do so consistently, were a big factor. As noted earlier, Flynn provided strong leadership in the building, renovating, and
Tom, Myrtle, Pat, and Dick Flynn at Tom’s October 2000 inauguration as president of Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y.
enhancing of campus facilities. His broad experience with educational facilities meant that he could become intimately and inextri- cably involved with the construction and renovation process, from architects’ drawings to the finished landscaping, and all the steps in between. But Flynn’s leadership went far beyond campus facilities, and he put his leadership stamp on each of the 10 strategic goals of The Plan for Springfield College, sometimes through direct involvement and action, but also through persistent, indirect lobbying and mostly gentle prodding.
Midwestern Values
The development of Flynn’s personal integrity began early in his Midwestern youth. His parents, who came from modest back - grounds, raised him with unqualified love and reasonable discipline, provided constant
President Flynn signs the giant thank you card to donors following the conclusion of the successful Leadership for the 21st Century: The Campaign for Springfield College in 2008.
20 TRIANGLE 1 Vol . 84, No. 2
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56