Switching over to Mountain time

Enjoying the view from high atop Rocky Mountain National Park last August.

It was not my first visit. But the opportunity last August to attend a friend’s wedding in Colorado helped me put things in perspective. I kept thinking, “I could really make a life for myself here.”

Beginning next month, I will do just that. I am excited to report that future chapters of Stellavision will come to you from the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. I have accepted a position with the University of Colorado at Boulder, the flagship campus of the CU system, as the director of communications and alumni relations for the Leeds School of Business.

The Koelbel Building is home to the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.

From the beauty of its mountains to its fit-and-active lifestyle—I love almost everything about Colorado. Its residents, I find, are laid back and welcoming, so I am confident of feeling right at home there.

But as you might expect, my emotions are many—and seemingly contradictory. First, there is raw excitement. I join a talented team of higher education professionals in performing work that I love. And in Boulder, I’ll be immersed in a community that is both enterprising and entertaining. Fresh opportunities and new relationships await me.

There is sadness as well. I leave behind the one place I have ever truly called home—Rochester and Western New York—plus family, friends and my beloved RIT. Sharing news of my decision with University News coworkers was bittersweet. While happy to accept their expressions of support, I shared their sadness that we will no longer be a team.

I may be leaving WNY, but I’ll still be a ‘Buffalo.’

Last week, even before my plans were official, I felt my first wave of nostalgia. Sitting on the bleachers inside RIT’s Frank Ritter Arena, scribbling notes for a story on a ‘summer school’ for youth hockey players, I suddenly sensed myself drifting back in time. In my mind, I saw myself among more than 2,000 orange-clad Tigers hockey fans, heard the chants of the Corner Crew, felt the intensity of the Pep Band, and sensed the excitement of near-certain victory.

Yeah, I’m going to miss this place.

But as they say, timing is everything. Timing absolutely influenced my decision. Much of what has happened in my life over the past year or so—some of which I have documented here—has swung the doors of opportunity wide open. And I feel satisfied with the portfolio of achievements I’ve tallied during my 12 years of service to RIT. Personally and professionally—it’s simply time.

The Colorado chapters of Stellavision begin in mid-September. The weeks ahead will provide ample opportunity to reflect fondly on the many chapters I’ve written leading up to this exciting new journey.

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