by Michael Preston | July 2021
In July of 2015, the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities opened its doors for the first time and there were two people who were there from the beginning. Ted Greenberg was one of those people. However, it is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that Ted Greenberg passed away on Saturday, June 19th. He was surrounded by his family, and I had the honor of visiting with him and his family during his last week. We were able to share a few laughs and his coy sense of humor and wry smile was on display. Anyone who knew Ted can tell you he was a kind, jovial, and personable man. He will be missed here in the office.
Ted joined as the second employee at the Florida Consortium in 2015 and his impact was quickly seen. He was critical in developing our office policies and in establishing relationships with staff on all three-member campuses. Since 2015 if you stayed in a hotel room, ate a meal, or received a travel check or stipend provided by the Florida Consortium it was Ted who completed your paperwork. Ted assisted us with over $4 million in grant allocations and helped us organize our business practices in a way that increased our efficiency and speed.
But what made Ted a gift to our Consortium was his ability to write and his dedication to students. I hired Ted because his skills moved beyond simply knowing how to file purchase orders or plan meetings. Ted was our principal editor and assisted in preparing our program assessments and reports. Ted really believed in how higher education can change lives and looked forward to meeting with and interacting with students. Ted was also the friendly face who was there when we held our meetings. As an added touch he would look into local restaurants and things to do so he could play concierge. He was the best!
As you all know, our office teams go beyond work, they become family and I consider Ted part of my family. We worked together for nearly 10 years, and he got to see my daughter grow up and was always game to grab a beer and some wings after work. We would chat about 70s rock music and repairs we needed to make on our homes and there were times he would just give me a call and ask how I was doing. I hope as you take a moment this week for reflection or prayer you think about Ted Greenberg and his family. He was a good man, and the Florida Consortium could not have made it these first five years without his hard work and leadership. His Celebration of Life is currently being scheduled for mid-August in Orlando. If you are interested in attending, please reach out to me at Michael.Preston@ucf.edu.
Read Ted’s obituary in the Orlando Sentinel.