Naming ceremony honors VanSteeland

As long-serving retired vice president Ronald VanSteeland spoke at the dedication of a living center that bears his name, he addressed the future Grand Valley students who will live there.

“To those who will follow, I hope you will enjoy, appreciate and even treasure your Grand Valley experience as much as I have treasured mine. If you give Grand Valley your all, it will repay you many times over,” VanSteeland said.

South Living Center was renamed the Ronald F. VanSteeland Living Center in a ceremony September 15. VanSteeland served Grand Valley for 35 years before retiring in 2001. Speaking at the ceremony, President Thomas J. Haas said it offered the opportunity to honor “the service and commitment that Ron made with his family to this great university.”

VanSteeland’s fiscal leadership helped build the financial backbone of the university that has been ranked as one of “America's 100 Best College Buys.” for 13 consecutive years.  “We’re really building on what he has contributed with his service,”  Haas said. “We’re really building on his legacy.”

President Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers remarked on the more than three decades the two of them worked side-by-side. “It was a great run we had together,” Lubbers said.

Lubbers added that it is appropriate to have a building named for VanSteeland because of the instrumental role he played in the construction of the university’s facilities. “I don’t think there is any university that received more for its money than Grand Valley when it came to construction of buildings, and a good deal of credit for that goes to Ron,” Lubbers said.

VanSteeland’s successor, Jim Bachmeier, also paid tribute his former boss. “Ron insisted on excellence. In some ways I think that’s the legacy he leaves this university — do the job right, do it well,” Bachmeier said. “Everywhere around you see excellence, and I attribute a great deal of that to Ron.”

VanSteeland began at Grand Valley in 1966 as the first personnel officer, charged with establishing a personnel department. In 1968, he became the university’s business manager and then was promoted to vice president of the college in 1973. In 1979, he became vice president for Finance and Administration, a position he held until his retirement.

With rigor and integrity, VanSteeland guided the university through a period of enormous growth; he was a trusted advisor to President Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers from the time there were just 2,000 students through the university’s explosive expansion in enrollment, programs and facilities.

Also, upon retirement, he received an honorary doctorate of humane letters. He received the Arend D. Lubbers Award for service to the university during June’s Enrichment Dinner.

Active outside the university as well, VanSteeland has served in many professional and civic leadership positions in the community. One of his volunteer activities is doing sing-alongs in area nursing homes.