Lamont poised to retire from BU

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This article was published 22/09/2023 (925 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A pillar of the local post-secondary community is set to retire this coming June, with Brandon University vice-president of administration and finance Scott Lamont scheduled to step away from the job he has occupied since 1996.

After making this announcement through a news release on Wednesday, Lamont briefly chatted with the Sun on Thursday, revealing that he wants to make the most of his retirement by travelling, woodworking and spending more time with his family.

“I’m not planning on starting a business or, you know, anything wild,” said Lamont, who turns 65 in January. “But there’s a lot of good things that happen in ordinary life.”

While Lamont has been balancing BU’s books and managing day-to-day operations for three decades, his professional life began on a slightly different track.

After graduating from the University of Manitoba with a diploma in agriculture, he started to work for Redfern Farm Services in 1983 as an agronomist and controller.

“So that’s where, in many respects, I cut my teeth in administration,” he said.

In 1992, Lamont began working for BU as the school’s director of financial and accounting services, having previously obtained a certified general accountant designation.

Four year later, he was promoted to the role of VP of administration and finance, making sure to complete a master of business administration degree from the University of Guelph to round out his skill set.

Since then, Lamont has been involved with BU’s operations at almost every level, which he says is one of the highlights of his job.

“The work is pretty steady throughout the year and yet cyclical and seasonal, all of which keeps things interesting,” he stated in Wednesday’s release. “We are also exposed to people and ideas that advance society, culture, business, technology and philosophy that constantly challenge and stimulate the curious mind.”

Throughout Lamont’s tenure on campus, BU has undergone a remarkable transformation, with new facilities like the Physical Plant, the Early Learning Centre and the Healthy Living Centre all being completed since he began.

BU president David Docherty believes that Lamont may be one of the longest-serving senior administrators in the current Canadian post-secondary sphere, whose “unparalleled” experience and institutional knowledge has helped prop up several generations of staff and students.

“It is gratifying to look around and see that Scott has helped BU build a deep bench of young talent,” Docherty stated in Wednesday’s release. “So he’ll leave us in good hands, but with big shoes to fill.”

In terms of advice for his eventual successor, Lamont said they should try to carve their own path and not get bogged down in the past.

“They should not feel compelled to do what I’ve done or what previous teams have done,” he said. “I think, in many respects, having fresh people with fresh ideas is perfect and they should not feel constrained by what predecessors have done. And so I would wish them [that] freedom.”

One of Lamont’s last big projects for BU is presenting the university’s 2024-25 operating budget, which will be unveiled sometime in March.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com