Executive officer to retire

Teri Losey, executive associate to the president and secretary to the Board of Trustees, will retire June 30.

She came to Grand Valley in 1991 as executive assistant to the president and has served the university for 28 of her 44 years in higher education.

In 2004, she became executive associate and secretary to the Board of Trustees, as well as an executive officer of the university, a member of the President's Cabinet and a member of the University Budget Committee.

Losey was instrumental in the establishment and management of the Fall Arts Celebration, which brings thousands of people to campus events, underscoring the importance of the arts to the communities that host Grand Valley campuses. She also managed the office of the president and staff, and helped plan the president's events both on and off campus.

As secretary to the Board, she worked with nine Board chairs and 22 trustees. Her responsibilities included maintaining contact and relationships with current and former trustees, planning and executing Board meetings and keeping the archival records of the Board. 

"Teri is the consummate professional," said President Thomas J. Haas. "She was able to balance the needs of the Board of Trustees with great attention to detail in support of our mission. She has an infectious smile and is a friend to so many across the university. As a friend of mine for the past 13 years, I couldn't have asked for a better colleague." 

Losey said she found her higher education home when she came to Grand Valley. 

"My greatest joy has been the number of people I now know on our campuses and in the communities we serve whom I call my friends," Losey said. "I believe one of my greatest accomplishments was chairing the campuswide, year-long 50th anniversary celebration in 2010-11. And as a part of that, I think my longest lasting contribution will be the archives that were created for that celebration — having the official history written, archiving 80+ video stories of founders, Laker Lore stories of hundreds of students, faculty and staff among the accomplishments of that committee."

Losey is a member of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education and the Michigan Board Professionals Leadership Group. She is a member of the local Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Association and serves as an advisor to the student CCFA group at Grand Valley. She is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi and honoris causa member of Omicron Delta Kappa.

Losey was recognized in April by the Board of Trustees and given the title of executive associate emeritus.