Thank you all for attending this ceremony today. We are here together—faculty, staff, students, alums, current and former trustees, representatives from our sister universities, and members of our broader community—to celebrate Miami's past, present, and future. I particularly would like to welcome President Shriver and Martha Shriver, President Garland and Carole Garland, and Winnie Pearson, who have given so much to make Miami better. Everyone's presence here today honors Miami's traditions and energizes its future.
For nearly 200 years we have used the introduction of a new president as a moment of reflection, celebration, and renewal. There are not words to describe the sense of honor Valerie and I feel in joining a community of such deep traditions and purpose. We cherish the opportunity to serve Miami in our new roles and are eager to join with you to uphold the traditions of excellence and purpose that have sustained Miami over its long history, and, even more, to advance Miami to yet higher levels of excellence and impact.
I would like to use this opportunity to share some thoughts on how we might do exactly that. But before I do, I would like to take a moment to indulge in some personal reflections and appreciation. As we celebrate Miami's past, present, and future, I cannot help but think of my own life path and would like to acknowledge and thank several people here today who have done so much to make this day possible. I start with my parents, Donald and Margaret Hodge, who not only gave me life, but also gave me values that have sustained me in every aspect of my personal and professional lives. Neither of them finished high school, but they represent the goodness that is at the heart of our society. They taught me to value hard work, to extend kindness to strangers as well as to friends, and to believe in ideas and institutions that transcend our personal lives.
We are also joined today by former colleagues at the University of Washington. To them I owe much in learning about leadership. Their fearless commitment to excellence, to integrity, and to responsible and progressive change for a better future have shaped my approach to leadership and fueled my hunger to contribute to the world our children will inherit.
Finally, and above all else, I owe today to my wife and children. As many of you know, our first introduction to Miami came a little over three years ago when our son, Gene, attended a summer leadership conference here sponsored by Beta Theta Pi. He returned to Seattle and declared that Miami was the most beautiful campus he had ever seen and that I should be president there. Until that moment, I had always thought of him as a level-headed person! When I think of what Gene has taught me, I am reminded of a phrase that Jimmy Carter ascribes to Admiral Rickover: "Why not the best?" From his first responsibility in his first summer internship with a construction company—to take care of the punch list for an $80 million building—to his first and current responsibility as a full-time employee of the same company—to do all of the scheduling for the construction of a $200 million hospital—he has unhesitatingly shouldered responsibility at the highest level.
Our daughter Meriem shares this fearlessness and adds a strong dose of energy and decisiveness. When we were waffling over whether to leave Seattle temporarily for a stint at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., it was Meriem, at age 8, who said, "Dad, sometimes you simply need to jump into the deep end of the pool." That has become a family motto, and she has modeled that behavior by going off to college about as far away from Seattle as she could get and now changing course to embrace the challenges and opportunities of Miami University.
And finally, there is Valerie, who is in every sense of the word, a full partner in this endeavor. She is a remarkable woman. Last spring when we were wrestling with the decision about whether to leave Seattle and take on this new responsibility, she was also wrestling with the grief of the loss of her mother and trying to embrace the joy of our 25th wedding anniversary. This personal strength and commitment to family have sustained us all over the years. And now she is utilizing all of her professional experience in higher education, her affection and caring for people, and her deep commitment to the future to serve Miami. It is difficult to express the joy we find in working together, at this moment, and in this place, for such a great cause. Miami and I are both blessed to have such an incredible person in our lives.
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