Ron Witt
Contact info: RonGWitt54@gmail.com and c/o UN Environment Programme; 11 chemin des Anémones; 1219-Chatelaine; Geneva SWITZ.
Personal info: I have lived in Geneva since October 1987, and prior to that for two years in Nairobi, Kenya (see professional info below). After graduating from Midd, I spent one year at home again and then three years in grad school (Geography/Middle Eastern Studies) at the Univ. of Utah in Salt Lake City. I was married in Nairobi before moving to Geneva, and have two daughters (aged 28 and 24) from that first marriage. After divorcing in the early 2000s, I remarried in 2009 and am fully enjoying life as a young (partial) retiree. In fact, just one month ago my wife and I became Swiss citizens! Geneva is a great place to live and the quality of life is high; being here affords endless travel and other great opportunities which I hope to continue enjoying.
Professional info: After graduating with my master’s degree from the Univ. of Utah, I spent five and a half years working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, as a researcher and technology transfer specialist in satellite remote sensing and earth resources mapping & monitoring. I had the unimagined (but always wished for!) opportunity to apply similar skills working for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), first in Nairobi, Kenya at their headquarters, and then after two years here in Geneva at UNEP’s main European office. I eventually ended up running UNEP’s Global Resource Information Database (GRID-)Geneva office and also serving as the Regional Coordinator of UNEP’s Assessment and Early Warning programme here. Working in such a setting and taking part in many related UN activities and projects led to varied travel opportunities in all corners of Europe and more globally (I always said I needed a career which would facilitate my wanderlust, and I was fortunate enough to have one). I retired over a year ago, since UN policy requires that if one joined before 1990, so now I get to choose my gigs and work part-time as an editor on UNEP assessments and reports.
Favorite memory: X-country skiing by moonlight on the Middlebury golf course; bleu-cheeseburgers at the Crest Room and drinks/snacks at Fire & Ice!
Favorite profs: Pardon Tillinghast (History) and Roland Illick (Geography); I became what I am because of them.
Favorite song: Hmm; always hard to come up with just one, but I’ll go for Steely Dan’s “Do It Again”
Old Photo: At Lake Dunmore: Mark Daly, Cindy Reagan, Sally Russell, Ron Witt, Mark Andrews, Betsy Shreve and Chris Ryer.
Midd76 