One of Eastern’s longest serving employees, who directs much of the campus’ building service maintenance, will retire at the end of the month.

Carol Strode, director of facilities planning and management, is a 36-year employee of Eastern. She says her resignation, which she announced Nov. 1, was done to fulfill a goal she made with her husband when they married to retire by time they were 55.

Gary Reed, affiliated with the physical plant, will assume Strode’s vacancy on an interim basis. A search committee has not yet been formed, but President Lou Hencken said the committee should have “close to 12 or 13 people” and should begin meeting in January.

Family obligations, Strode said, played a large role in her decision.

“I’ve devoted a lot of time out here, but I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly” Strode said, who mentioned spending time with her 10-month-old grandson.

Optimally, the position will be filled this spring, Hencken says. Vice President for Business Affairs Jeff Cooley will oversee the search.

Over the last year, members within the facilities planning and management department have taken the necessary steps to replace Strode, who said this decision has been made for about a year.

She says the necessary people have been groomed and involved in meetings.

“So now we won’t have an abrupt change,” Strode said.

For example, Jim Nantz, affiliated with the physical plant, will assume the media relations responsibility Strode once held.

Hencken, a 37-year employee at Eastern, remembers chatting with Strode about draft windows when he was a residence hall director at Douglas Hall.

Since then, those windows have been replaced, twice.

“A couple of people here could have people sit in their place, but Carol is one of those people we can’t replace,” Hencken said.

Under Strode, progress toward the revamped Doudna Fine Arts Center took flight.

The building, which is scheduled for completion in fall 2005, has snagged in progress because funding has not been replaced by the state.

On Wednesday, Hencken said he believes funding for Doudna, which has to be released by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is “high priority” and that the university will hear something “real soon.”

Strode said she will help with the search process, if needed, but that comes as no surprise.

“The thing I liked about her is that when you ask her for something,” Hencken said, “her first words are ‘let me see what we can do.’ And that means she’s looking to find a way to solve these issues.”