Bridgewater Va. – After 24 years of serving behind the scene at Bridgewater College, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Anne Keeler will be retiring effective June 30. 

Keeler started working at BC in 1997 as a financial analyst and assumed her current position the following year. 

In addition to the financial work Keeler does, she also oversees various operating systems such as information technology, human resources and facility management. 

“It is with decidedly mixed emotions that I share with you the news that Anne Keeler will be leaving her position as Vice President for Finance and Treasurer at BC this summer,” President Bushman wrote in an email to faculty and staff on Feb. 23. 

Background

Raised in West Virginia, Keeler attended Virginia Tech where she earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science. She then went to James Madison University to get her master’s degree in accounting. 

Following her graduation from JMU, Keeler worked as an agribusiness sales manager at First Union Bank in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 

Bridgewater College’s president at the time, Phillip Stone, approached Keeler and asked her to come help him with some financial work at BC. Keeler recalled telling Stone “I don’t know anything about higher education except for having been a customer.” 

Projects

Keeler has since then been involved in major projects across campus including the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, which officially opened Feb. 24, 2020. 

“Looking back at how long ago we sat in one of the conference rooms on the second floor of the old library just starting to talk to the architect about what our students really need to thrive here at Bridgewater,” Keeler said, “And to go from that to having the supporters come forward with the money was very cool.” 

“It was really the first project since I’ve been here where we really got the philanthropy support behind it,” said Keeler. “Not only did we all agree on the vision, but we got donors to agree with us as well.”

Changes

Not only was Keeler able to help bring about change on campus, but she was also able to see some changes as well. 

“The needs of our students have changed,” said Keeler. 

When she first came to BC, Keeler and her team were just beginning to think about the students’ experiences and considering ways to enhance those needs, including dining services. 

Keeler also spoke of how the attitude toward what students need has changed. 

“It stopped being a matter of us doing the same thing every other college is doing,” Keeler said. “We started to think more about the quality of the experience, in the classroom as well as outside the classroom.” 

However, Keeler acknowledged that in some ways, the college has not changed. 

“The overall philosophy of what we believe in as an institution and what we all think our students benefit from the most, those values have not changed,” said Keeler. “At Bridgewater College, we’re not in it to make a profit, we’re in it to achieve a mission.”

“She told me that if she’s doing her job well, no one should notice,” wrote Bushman. “In the eight years I’ve worked with her, Anne has been the consummate team player on projects too numerous to mention, and I am grateful for the grace, the skill and the creativity she brought to each of them. Anne has done her job well, and we have noticed.” 

Post-retirement

Looking ahead, Keeler is looking forward to a “chance to pause, breath and think” about what she wants to do next. 

“It feels good to know that the college is moving forward whether I’m here or not,” she said. 

Keeler has maintained her CPA license and is interested in doing independent work in the future. 

“As much as I love this job, it’s all pretty consuming and it’s not the kind of job you leave at the end of the day and go home,” said Keeler. “To be able to disengage from it and know that all the teams I work with are moving forward with a new leader, I feel very confident that when I do step back and pause and start to do what I want to do next, Bridgewater College is going to be fine.”

The search for a new vice president for finance and treasurer began in March. The position is expected to be filled with the successful candidate beginning sometime between July 1 and Sept. 1.