From the time Wayne Dill was 5 years old, he knew what he wanted to be: a soldier. What the Waycross preschooler didn’t realize at the time was that he was marching down a road that would twist in ways he had never imagined.
“It is hard to describe, but selfless service is what drove me to the career path that brought me to where I am today,” said Dill, associate vice president for environmental safety. “I have always approached challenges with the greater good as the ultimate objective. This commitment means putting the mission first, along with concern for others working with me, over any personal gain.”
When Dill leaves his office for the last time on Dec. 1, he will be closing the door on more than 50 years of public service. He retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army after distinguished service that included command of two airborne infantry companies in combat in South Vietnam, command of two battalions in the Canal Zone and service as post-operations and training officer at Fort Benning.
It was at the end of that career, however, that Dill’s direction turned. An Army colleague told him about an opening at UGA’s Physical Plant. Thus began his next stint in public service in September 1988.
“Wayne Dill became the go-to person at Chicopee for any major event on campus,” said Dexter Fisher, who worked closely with Dill and succeeded him as services director. “His was always the voice of reason and integrity, and you could count on him to be upfront. Wayne remains my mentor, role model and good friend.”
Dill oversaw the setup for every university-wide commencement ceremony, including many smaller ones at the colleges and schools. He led UGA’s team that provided Physical Plant support for the Olympic Games in Athens in 1996. He initiated many programs that continue to reap benefits today: the campus recycling program, a Physical Plant mentoring program and a recognition program for Physical Plant custodians.
Dill has also been a constant fixture on the sidelines of gymnastics meets. For more than a decade, he volunteered his time to coordinate all the team’s travel needs, everything from lining up transportation in snow storms to retrieving forgotten jewelry, leotards and hand grips.
“Wayne always found a way to get something done for us,” said Suzanne Yoculan, head gymnastics coach, who fondly refers to Dill as “team dad.” “After we won a championship, the wall outside our gym would be mysteriously painted to say NCAA champions. We all knew that Wayne had handled it. He took initiative and anticipated our needs at every turn. It was like he was an angel. When we needed him, he would appear out of nowhere.”
In 2005, Dill stepped up for yet another new challenge: to lead the Environmental Safety Division through a transition. This small but critical division oversees laboratory and chemical safety, fire safety, radiation safety, hazardous waste disposal, public health and emergency response in environmental safety incidents. The Army veteran brought just the right management style, according to Tim Burgess, senior vice president for finance and administration.
“We didn’t need a technical expert at the time to lead ESD, but rather someone with proven leadership skills who could develop a common vision, inspire camaraderie and focus the unit on working as a team,” said Burgess. “Wayne was the perfect fit.”
Dill’s interim appointment became permanent in 2006, and it is from this post that he will retire in a few weeks.
“The most job satisfaction I can receive is from the success of my personnel whom I have worked with in both the Physical Plant and environmental safety,” Dill said. “I have watched them accept challenges that I presented and, with proper support and mentoring, blossom into effective leaders themselves.”
Dill has no particular plans for retirement, other than to travel occasionally and spend more time at his family’s Ellijay cabin with his wife, Mimi. Their children will now carry on the family torch of public service-daughter Jennifer as a school teacher in Augusta, and son Jeffrey as a colonel in the U.S. Army.
FACTS Earnest Wayne Dill Associate Vice President Environmental Safety Division
B.S. in Business Administration, North Georgia College, 1962 Graduate, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (Leavenworth, Kan.), 1972 M.B.A., UGA, 1974 Graduate, U.S. Army War College (Carlisle, Pa.), 1981
At UGA: 20 years
