There were people in every chair and people standing. People everywhere, throughout the Wigton Heritage Center’s Dr. Leland J. and Dorothy H. Olson Atrium and streaming in from down the way. Talking. Laughing. Smiling. Hugging.
Even in Kearney, people watched remotely.
Kyle Meyer, PhD, founding dean of the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions and Armstrong Family Distinguished Chair of Rural Healthcare Workforce Strategy, was retiring from UNMC after 35 years, 20 years of leading allied health.
He has already stepped aside as dean; his last day as associate vice chancellor for health workforce initiatives is in January.
“This will tell you how well thought of Kyle is,” said Anne Lawlor, administrative associate for the dean’s office in the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions, as she took in the crowd at the Omaha event. “Everyone’s here.”
Attendance at Dr. Meyer’s retirement reception on June 25 did speak to how the medical center community feels about him.
“His humility,” said UNMC Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, who emceed the event. “His self-deprecating humor is something I really value in him.”
DJ Thayer, director of international and domestic business affairs, said Dr. Meyer is “able to inspire, able to motivate and able to make friendships so well and so easily.” He thanked Dr. Meyer for bringing in the Thayer family to partner with the Charles R. O’Malley Charitable Lead Trust to create the biggest scholarship fund in the history of the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions.
Linda Love, EdD, director of faculty development, talked about the two words Dr. Meyer said to her that changed everything: “Hi, Linda.”
“It just hit me,” she said. “I was a new employee and didn’t think anyone knew my name or cared to know my name.” But she realized someone saw her as a person. “It’s probably the reason I stayed at UNMC.”
Howard Liu, MD, told a story of touring the new Kearney buildings. Dr. Meyer encouraged him to get a higher point of view to inspect the latest development. He looked down and there was Dr. Meyer, safely on the ground.
But it was the perfect metaphor, Dr. Liu decided.
“Kyle always keeps his feet on the ground,” he said. “While he inspires you to climb to the next level.”
Catherine Mello, executive director of the UNMC Alumni Association, said Dr. Meyer always made her feel that she was on his team. She repeated a quote he liked to share: “Success of the group ensures the success of the individual, but not the other way around.”
Rod Markin, MD, PhD, simply told Dr. Meyer: “I’m proud of you.”
The light in the faces in the crowd, as each speaker described Dr. Meyer, said Dr. Markin was not the only one.
Dr. Meyer’s son Ryan spoke on behalf of the family. Wife Deb, four grown children, their spouses, 13 grandchildren were all in attendance.
Ryan Meyer talked about a father of four rambunctious boys who always set a good example and somehow found a way to be home for dinner every night. Was he slowly turning into his dad as he aged? He could only hope to be so lucky, he said.
He feels proud, no longer embarrassed when he finds himself wearing what his wife calls “a great Kyle Meyer shirt there.”
But Dr. Meyer isn’t perfect. He once took a golden shovel from a UNMC groundbreaking ceremony. He displayed it in his office to symbolize hard work (and … other things that need shoveling).
And while he does treat everyone he encounters with dignity and respect, Dr. Meyer revealed that he does have a favorite: Pat Leuschen, PhD, whom he talked out of retiring after a distinguished UNMC career to spend just a few more years as allied health’s first assistant dean for research development.
“She was paid 50%, worked 100% and when she retired, she gave all the money back,” to fund the M. Patricia and James W. Leuschen Professorship for the Advancement of Research in the Allied Health Professions, Dr. Meyer said.
When it was his turn to speak, Dr. Meyer displayed his trademark humility. While he was thankful for the “lovely” tribute, he apologized that everyone had to sit there and listen as people sung his praises. “You know how I feel about things that take too long,” he said.
He looked at his new official portrait and realized: “I have the same necktie on!”
He thanked everyone. He shared the credit, as he often does.
“Whatever success you think I might have had belongs to all of you,” he said.
Several of the speakers mentioned they hoped Dr. Meyer would not “fail at retirement,” that he will be able to walk away into the sunset. A handful touched on this theme, but Mello perhaps said it best, with emotion in her voice:
“Don’t miss us,” she said.
