This year, MBU honors two extraordinary team members whose behind-the-scenes dedication made a lasting difference.
Mary Baldwin University is proud to recognize the service of its 2025 retirees and the year’s service award recipients. The university community is thankful to say goodbye to only two retiring employees this year — but both are critical staff members in their areas, and will be sorely missed by the countless students and colleagues who they’ve helped over the years.
Donna Bletz
Administrative Assistant, Physician Assistant Program
Donna Bletz came to Mary Baldwin as the first support staff member at the then-new Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences. Bletz had already spent a career managing doctor’s offices and operating rooms, but was still unsure whether working in an academic environment would be right for her.
It turns out, she was just what the community at Murphy Deming needed.
Soon after her arrival, Bletz discovered that working with students was the best part of her new job:
“My favorite days are always orientation and the white coat ceremonies. When you see those students coming for orientation with their bright and shiny faces, just excited to help anyone they come across. And then getting to follow them all the way through to the very end, at that white coat ceremony, where I get a chance to meet their families and tell them about just how hard I’d seen them work throughout their program.”
Over the years, students came to know Bletz for her capacity to go above and beyond. She warmly recalls bringing home-cooked food to campus for students caught up in the rigor of their schoolwork; or helping to remove ink stains from an unlucky student’s white coat; and the students who regularly stopped by her office to ask, “Are you going to be a mock patient tomorrow? I really hope I get assigned to you.”
Bletz became so popular with students that they began to give her grandiose nicknames at the beginning of the school year. Bletz explains, “First, it was momma donna. Then we had angel donna, goddess donna, queen donna, Ma-Donna (like the singer). So, I played along! When I sent them emails, I would address them to fit my name for the year. ‘My loyal subjects’ if I was Queen Donna, or maybe “my greatest fans” for Ma-Donna.”
On a tour of Murphy Deming, if a visitor stopped by the building’s administrative offices, they would likely notice a pencil-drawn poster of an angel, large wings extending beyond outstretched arms, and a face with an unmistakable resemblance to (probably) everyone’s favorite Murphy Deming support staff member. If there was any doubt, “Angel Donna” is spelled out in big, calligraphic letters.
Bletz had a positive impact on more than just the student experience.
Emily Greene, interim program director for Murphy Deming’s PA Program, highlighted all the ways Bletz improved life for her colleagues:
“She has been an invaluable team member not only in her work, which has always been wonderfully executed, but in her contributions to team culture. Donna shows up with a laugh and smile to everything. She brings baked goods, books, gifts and tiny satin hearts of encouragement to everyone on the MBU team. She had everything you ever needed in her desk drawers (snacks, office supplies, phone charger, stain remover, Tums, sewing kit) and proactively sought out problems to solve. Donna is a versatile worker with a signature response of ‘I’ll figure it out’ and she always did it on time and with a smile!”
Reid Oechslin
Director of Technical Services
Despite changing titles and shifting departments over the years, one thing remained constant about Reid Oechslin’s role at Mary Baldwin — he was always the person who could help.
In his nearly 15 years at the university, Oechslin became a trusted figure across campus for his work in classroom and event technology setup and support. Whether troubleshooting a projector five minutes before class or designing audio-visual systems for new construction, he approached each challenge with patience, creativity, and a sense of calm.
His impact was especially clear during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Oechslin returned to campus ahead of most staff to help outfit classrooms with cameras and microphones. That work — often unseen but critical — enabled MBU to hold in-person classes safely in fall 2020.
“That’s probably my proudest project,” said Oechslin. “Not many places could reopen that fall. But we could — and I had a hand in that.”
Originally hired to support classroom AV systems, Oechslin eventually became director of technical services. His expertise touched nearly every space on campus — including the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, where he helped design the tech infrastructure during its construction. But his colleagues say it wasn’t just his technical skills that set him apart.
What! Reid is retiring?! No!
Chaplain Katie Low, on Reid Oechslin’s retirement
First, in shock, Chaplain Katie Low reacted to the news, “What! Reid is retiring?! No!” After a moment, Low shared her thoughts, “He’s respectful and timely in his communication, which helps calm my technology nerves. And he has a kind of light-hearted humor that’s always welcome — once, when I had a ‘mouse problem,’ he told me I might have to poke the computer in the eye and say ‘ow.’”
Professor Katherine Turner echoed the sentiment: “Reid has been the most reassuring, kind, and witty IT wizard one could imagine. He sees every snafu as an engaging puzzle and always goes out of his way to help — often with no more notice than a panicked phone call just before class.”
Oechslin credits much of his empathetic approach to his wife, a professor, and their many post-work conversations about the realities of teaching. “When I walk into a room to help,” he said, “I know that professor is already in a vulnerable spot. I never wanted to add to their stress.”
In many ways, Oechslin has embodied the congeniality, camaraderie, and pride in his work that defines the entire MBU community. Mary Baldwin clearly holds an important place in his heart — both of Oechslin’s daughters, Nora and Lucy, graduated from MBU in 2022.
As he prepares to retire, Oechslin hopes his legacy is one of unity and mutual support.
“This isn’t a very big institution,” he said. “We should all cross whatever divides exist and realize we’re working on the same project. I’ve always felt like there’s a wonderful lack of ego at MBU — it’s about teaching, not titles.”
He leaves behind a reminder for future generations: “Get to know as many people as you can in this community. Just stop and talk — if you have a second, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
Bonus (AI-Generated) Image
Note from the writer:
Partly inspired by the imagery of Reid Oechslin’s tech wizardry and Donna Bletz’s angelic support and partly inspired the the student “fan art” in Bletz’s office, I had enough time on my hands to ask AI to generate an image of the two. AI image generation shouldn’t be used too frivolously, but for these two retirees, I think it’s worth it.
