Remarks by Al Gobeille ’86, P’18 at the Celebration of Transitions Dinner

President Broadmeadow, fellow trustees, faculty, alumni, cadets, students, and honored guests, thank you. It is an extraordinary honor to stand before you today as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees of Norwich University.

As I accept this responsibility, I am deeply aware that we are living in uncertain times. The pace of change around us is relentless. Economies shift overnight. Technology transforms the way we live, learn, and defend. Global conflicts test our resolve and our values. And here at home, the very concept of leadership is being redefined, often in real time.

And yet, amid all this change, there stands Norwich.

We should find strength in our proud history. Yes, the state of Higher Education feels precarious, but I find comfort knowing we have led through greater challenges and emerged stronger. From the book “the blood of our alumni” we learn that in 1861, the entire senior class and all but four of the junior class had left to fight in the Civil War. Norwich did not have a graduation ceremony in 1861. We faced this challenge, and many others, always emerging stronger.

As we look ahead 5, 10, or 50 years into the future, the world will demand something unique from its leaders: agility without instability, conviction with humility, and a sense of duty grounded in service. Norwich men and women have always embodied those traits. And I believe, without hesitation, that our graduates are uniquely prepared to lead not just today…. but tomorrow, and the next 50 years beyond that.

And that brings me to my why. People sometimes ask me why I care so deeply about Norwich. Why I chose to serve in this role. The answer is simple: the students.

The students are my why.

Watching them learn, grow, and emerge as leaders, there is nothing more inspiring or important. They walk across the stage at graduation not just with degrees, but with grit, character, and a readiness to lead in a world that desperately needs them. They leave this campus with more than knowledge. They leave with resilience forged in tradition, and tempered by values that don’t bend with the headlines of the day.

Our responsibility… as trustees, alumni, faculty, and leaders… is to ensure that Norwich continues to be that forge.  That means adapting when the world demands it, without losing what makes us who we are. It means supporting our students with the resources and opportunities to grow, not only as professionals but as people of character. And it means guarding this institution’s mission fiercely, especially when the world becomes noisy or uncertain.
I want to thank my fellow trustees for your confidence. I look forward to serving alongside each of you. And I want to thank those who came before me in this role, whose leadership helped carry Norwich to this point in its long and proud story.

In closing, I’ll leave you with this thought: Norwich doesn’t exist to make students feel comfortable in a predictable world. We exist to prepare them for a world that is anything but. And in that mission, we are as necessary--and as strong--as we have ever been.

Norwich Forever!