Southeastern said farewell to 48 retirees at the Retiree Reception which honored members of faculty and staff who were leaving the university at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 academic year.

The reception was held in the Alumni Center on Tuesday, March 27 at 2 p.m. President John L. Crain opened the ceremony by thanking the retirees for their service to the university.

Among the retirees was Dr. William Bond, who has been at the university for 44 years and Stephen Smith, vice president for Administrations and Finance, who has accumulated 35 years of service.

When asked about his retirement, Smith explained he has enjoyed his time at the university despite the difficulties of the past four years.

“I’ve enjoyed the last four, but they’ve been difficult,” said Smith. “With everything I did, I kept in mind that I was doing it with the best interest of Southeastern and surviving in the long term.”

Smith already has plans for his impending retirement.

“My wife and I have talked about getting back into travelling and camping,” said Smith. “We’re looking forward to that.”