Two decades at UNE Life: Dave Schmude reflects on leadership, legacy, and passing the torch

After 20 years of leadership, Dave Schmude will step down as Chief Executive Officer of UNE Life on 20 November. His departure marks the conclusion of a defining chapter for the organisation he helped build from the ground up.

UNE has always been a big part of Dave’s life. As a child, he would explore the Dixson Library with his brothers while their father, Karl Schmude, worked as the university librarian. “We’d play hide and seek in the bookshelves when Dad worked late. It was the scariest thing like we were all very young, the adrenaline was pumping, and then you’d hear Dad call out, ‘BOYS, it’s time to go home…’ or get ice cream if Neville’s was still open!” Little did Dave know then that UNE would become his professional life’s work.

After a stint playing professional rugby overseas and working as a journalist, Dave returned to Armidale in 2000. He took on the role of SportUNE’s Sports Coordinator in 2004. Over the years, Dave was instrumental in building UNE Life into what it is today. In 2013, SportUNE and Services UNE merged under the banner of UNE Life. He remembers writing the word ‘Life’ on a Post-it, inspired by the idea of creating a service that would cater for students, staff, and the wider Armidale community.

“I was very honoured to become CEO”, he says, reflecting on the journey. “Everything that we were talking about and we were strategically planning… what we would house in this organisation, not only for students and staff but also the wider community. How could we connect with the whole community being a regional and rural university?”

UNE Life quickly became the go-to for services that didn’t quite fit anywhere else at UNE.

“We’ve just always had a can-do attitude … being a UNE-controlled entity, we had that agility and determination to really do some great stuff. We’ve always built some great stuff and taken over things and delivered really good services.”

That “can-do” spirit was tested in 2020 when COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill. “COVID was probably the biggest thing that really jolted everyone, obviously globally. But for us here at UNE Life … it was probably my most pressured time as a leader, because no one knew what to do,” Dave reflects. “For UNE Life, our services and business are all about bringing people together. So, when you’re asked to do the opposite, how do we react to that?”

Dave decided that the UNE Medical Centre could lead the way in serving the community. He and his team set up vaccination hubs, where they were vaccinating over 600 people a day at one point. “We had our food and beverage operations manager in charge of the setup team. And we had a head barista who had the role of taking temperature checks for people coming in,” he says. “And I’d show up in a minibus with our clinical team of doctors and nurses, and we’d provide over 600 vaccines a day. The team have always had the attitude of, it’s not my job, it’s our job.”

Dave’s contributions have left an indelible mark, especially in sports. During David’s time at UNE there has been over $32 million spent on improved sporting facilities at UNE.

“From a regional and rural university perspective, you know how the saying goes, we may be small, but we punch way above our weight.”

As he reflects on his time with UNE Life, Dave says he’s most proud of the opportunities UNE has provided to students and staff from all walks of life. “To be part of building things and providing opportunities and experiences, it’s been fantastic,” he says.

With his departure approaching, Dave says the time feels right for new leadership. “It’s probably time for fresh eyes. I think it’s an opportunity for someone else to take it to another level … For myself, I feel satisfied that I’ve done everything I wanted to do.”

Dave leaves UNE Life confident that the team he’s built is more than ready to carry on the work without him. He doesn’t know exactly what’s next in his life, but he’s both nervous and excited for what the future holds. Reflecting on his two decades at UNE Life, he says simply, “All in all, I gave it my best.” And what will he miss most? “UNE is a special place but it’s the people who are here that I’ve really cherished.”