Out with the old: Exiting SA president Rob Nettleton says goodbye to college and work

By Julia Vorob'eva

voro0006@algonquincollege.com

“I cannot believe I’m leaving,” said Rob Nettleton, outgoing president of the Students’ Association.  

It has been two years since Nettleton got on the Board of Directors of the SA, a year-and-a-half as a president. And there is much that had been done since then: a new Pembroke campus, dealing with the bus strike and choosing a director for the Perth campus for the first time.

One of his most important accomplishments was being involved in the process renovating the Pembroke campus.

“We have worked really hard on this project as a team, sending letters, signing off the documents, organizing meetings and persuading the college’s directory to listen to a students’ voice,” said Laura Spragge, a former vice-president of SA and a close friend of Nettleton.

“Being passionate is what this job about,” said Nettleton.

Nettleton thought of setting on the board his first day at Algonquin back in 2005 - business marketing orientation day for new students.

“I was much younger – 17 as I remember, but I already knew how much I wanted to make a difference at Algonquin,” said Nettleton, smiling.

He made an effort and applied for the board.

“I didn’t meet the criteria of the board in 2006,” said Nettleton. “And I was hurt.”

However, he had the whole year to get the most out of the college life. Nettleton started volunteering for the students’ services department. At the end of the year he was honored by students’ services with the Wybourn Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to the promotion of students’ rights. “I’m proud of making a difference and helping people at Algonquin,” said Nettleton.

Nettleton was so attached to the college’s spirit. He decided to stay for a couple of more years. Reaching out for a new direction, he took professional writing.

Then he took a second breath and applied for the board again. This time he got in.

“I was jumping up and down in the hallway, because I knew it was my time,” said Nettleton.

But at that point he didn’t even expect what he would have to come through.

When Joan Wright, the SA president in 2007-2008, resigned her position, Nettleton was asked to take over.

“On the first day as a president of the SA a lot of people were rambling around, asking a lot of questions about who I was,” said Nettleton. “However, I’m far too humble to be a celebrity.”

He stepped into the board diplomatically and people loved him immediately, said Jack Doyle, general manager of the SA. Doyle was the one who chaired all the board meetings. “Rob tries to listen without judgment and makes everyone on the board smile.”

The next year Nettleton was re-elected to the board as president of the SA. 

When the board members go to Glenn House Resort for two-and-a-half days to have corporate meetings and get away, Nettleton organizes different leadership games to make everyone have some fun while working.

“It seems like he knows how to make people happy and satisfied,” said Spragge.

“Arguing across the table will never lead to anything productive,” says Nettleton. “We should remind each other that we are also friends.”

However, Nettleton is not only known as a fun president.

“He takes his job very seriously,” says Alex Hosselet, a second-year small and medium enterprise management student, who volunteered with Nettleton for students’ services. “He goes above and beyond.”

The transit strike was one of the biggest problems for college. While everyone thought the problem was inextricable Nettleton with the help of the SA board and the vice-president of students’ services, Deborah Rowan-Legg organized shuttles for Algonquin students.

He also transferred the office phone line to his cellphone to make himself accessible to students 24/7, said Doyle.

His normal day starts either with classes or meeting representing Algonquin students. It is usually fully-scheduled from early in the morning until the late night.

“He is everywhere,” said Hosselet. “I haven’t seen any meeting so far where he wasn’t there.”

Adds Nettleton: “The nature of being a president of SA is that you never have to make uneducated decisions. It is important to be open-minded, knowing when to turn yourself on and off.”

But looking back nothing can be done. There is only one way and it is called future.

“It has been such a pleasure for me to work with Rob and to get to know him,” said Rowan-Legg. “I have found him to be respectful, thorough, dedicated, informed, open, honest and engaging.”

Being a part of Algonquin he grew up from a 17-year-old unconfident guy, who came to Ottawa from small town Marmora, to a stronger and better personality. Through those two years he helped students dealing with day-to-day problems and support them on their way to a new college world.

 “This job was a labour of love”, says Nettleton, with a tear in the corner of his eye. “I really don’t want to leave Algonquin, but I need to look forward to the future.”

And he slowly closed the drawer in his office-table, where he kept all the publications and work he had done for these two years.