Dinner celebrates Dean Rhodes’ career

Dr. Julie de Moissac, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), presents Dr. Charles Rhodes with a hand-carved, First Nations ceremonial talking stick.

Nearly 200 people gathered on Saturday, June 13, to celebrate WCVM Dean Dr. Charles Rhodes’ outstanding career with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Rhodes, who joined the WCVM faculty in 1971, is retiring at the end of this year after serving nearly eight years as the College’s dean and 38 years as a WCVM clinician, professor and administrator.

The retirement dinner’s program included words of appreciation from several key people in Rhodes’ career including Peter MacKinnon, president of the University of Saskatchewan.

“In my experience, really good deans — the most able deans — are appreciated as much by their internal collegiate communities and by the larger university community. By that standard, Chuck has been simply an excellent dean,” said MacKinnon. “During his deanship, as I have observed, the WCVM has built very important bridges to the rest of the campus in terms of interdisciplinary research around vaccines, public health, and interfaces of animal and human health. He has been an important supporter of the growing integration of the university’s health sciences colleges and he has been a key participant in the new Council of Health Science deans.”

MacKinnon also described Rhodes’ excellent work in leading the College’s multi-phase infrastructure project despite challenges caused by rising construction and material costs along with shortages in tradespeople for the expansion and renovation. Specifically, the president highlighted Rhodes’ constant efforts to find more money to complete the project. That goal was reached on June 12 when the federal and provincial governments announced a $9.06-million investment in the veterinary college’s diagnostics renovatioins — the final phase of construction.

“You should appreciate the extraordinary efforts that were made by your dean in securing the additional funding for the project,” said MacKinnon.

Dr. Julie de Moissac (WCVM ’86) of Outlook, Sask., the newly-elected president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), described Rhodes as a wonderful ambassador for the WCVM and for veterinary medicine in general. “He’s an eloquent, dignified speaker and he has always made me proud to be a WCVM alumnus.”

De Moissac also brought a gift from the B.C. Veterinary Medical Association: a West Coast ceremonial talking stick. Part of First Nations culture, the talking stick is held by the most respected person at a gathering and is passed along to each person who wishes to speak. “We hope that this talking stick can be put to use and stand for the character of a man who we all love,” said de Moissac, presenting the gift to Rhodes on behalf of BCVMA president Dr. Jeff Grognet.

Dr. Neil Shantz of Warman, Sask., a swine practitioner, researcher and colleague of Rhodes, also spoke about his longtime friend’s influence on the veterinary profession and in the specialized area of swine practice across Western Canada and North America. “Good leadership is a unique quality, Chuck, and you are unique,” said Shantz. “You are a man of sound judgment, you’re very foundational in your thinking, and you’re very loyal to your family and to the people you work with and serve. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to work alongside you — we have been very blessed.”

Dr. Klaas Post, head of the WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, made several gift presentations to Rhodes and his wife Anita. Among the gifts was a soapstone carving of a muskox that was presented to Rhodes as a token of appreciation from the College.

“We would like to thank you for a great 38 years at WCVM, with the last seven years as leader of this College. During this time, you led with humour, you had a nose for truth, a passion for excellence, a tireless devotion to veterinary medicine and WCVM. You showed us skill and enthusiasm and thoughtfulness from which we all have benefited,” said Post.

In his words of thank you to everyone, Rhodes pointed out several key messages including the need for patience and persistence — a message that he has often thought about during his deanship and during the College’s efforts to complete its infrastructure project. “The message is that you need to be persistent and patient. Sometimes that is very difficult to do, but if you believe in what you’re doing and maintain that belief, you will be successful.”

Rhodes also pointed out that we all learn from those who have gone ahead of us. He quoted Sir Isaac Newton’s words — paraphrasing the original comments made by English Catholic bishop John of Salisbury in 1159 — that, “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” During his time as dean, Rhodes said he has benefited greatly from the work of past WCVM deans Drs. Larry Smith, Ole Neilsen, Gavin Hamilton and Alex Livingston as well as many others in the College’s faculty and administration. “For this, I’m very appreciative — I truly have stood on the shoulders of giants,” said Rhodes.

The retiring dean thanked Anita Rhodes, his wife of 38 years, and their three children — Christopher, Derek and Veronica — for their patience, understanding, encouragement and support. He also thanked his parents, Elisabeth and Norman Rhodes, and his sister Kay for making a number of sacrifices and allowing him to have the ability to pursue his passion for veterinary medicine.

During his speech, Rhodes talked about the significance of WCVM and recalls when Dr. Jim Sawatsky (WCVM ’73) came to speak to veterinary students about that very topic a few years ago. Sawatsky’s words have always stayed with Rhodes: “He reminded me of the fact — and I try to remind our students of this when we gather them for the fourth-year reception each year — WCVM is a building, but it’s not just a building. WCVM is not just an excellent faculty and staff, WCVM is not just a body of truly talented students, WCVM is not just an alumni of truly exceptional professionals and people. WCVM is all of these things, and we are, each of us, WCVM for life.

“I truly believe that, I try to instill that upon our students, and I try to pass that message on to our alumni whenever I can. And I think that feeling of closeness and unity — has brought the College a lot of success through a lot of difficult times over the last 44 years, and I hope it will carry us ahead for another 50 years.”

While the University of Saskatchewan continues the search for a new dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Rhodes has agreed to stay on as leader of the veterinary college until a successor has been selected.