Say hello to Rob Bye
He’s Eventide’s Board Chair, a Moorhead native and a die-hard Concordia Cobber. He’s also a helper at heart.
The President of Fargo Linoleum, an iconic, family-owned flooring company since the 1920s, Rob joined the board at Eventide and was recently elected chair, a position he says helps him make sure our facilities, employees and residents get the best experience possible.
“I used to ride my bike through Concordia and Eventide’s campus when I was a kid,” he said. “I’ve known my whole life that Eventide is a special place, and since I’ve been in a leadership position at Fargo Linoleum, I’ve wanted to be involved in the organization no matter what it was.”
Big helper
Over the years, Rob has donated his time and talents to Eventide fundraising efforts, served on the Foundation board, and helped recruit volunteers and even staff members.
“It’s neat because my two worlds collide a lot,” Rob said. “Fargo Linoleum does a lot of flooring for the Eventide campuses, which means I spend a lot of time in the communities getting to know staff, residents and volunteers. You won’t find a better place to be.”
Rob calls the residents and staff at each Eventide location the “lifeblood” of the organization. “The people. They’re the foundation,” he said.
Rob appreciates that Eventide’s continuum of care model means that we can care for people with physical, cognitive and/or emotional needs, but also simply offer a great place to experience vibrant, independent retirement living.
“It’s interesting to go into the communities today and visit with the same people I grew up looking up to,” he said. “The same people who built our community into the strong tri-city region we have today, we now have a chance to make sure they have what they need as residents at Eventide.”
Big supporter
Not much is more satisfying than helping others, aside from maybe catching Concordia football games, of course. Rob’s three sons are Concordia graduates, as well as Cobber football and track-and-field standouts—just as he was before he graduated from the college back in 1985.
“I love the community. Not just Eventide. And we all know how much I love Concordia,” Rob said. “What I’d love to see is more people getting involved at Eventide. Volunteer, reserve your apartment for when you’re ready, work there. Whatever you do, you won’t be without friends.”
Because he spends so much time at the campuses, Rob said he’s met and befriended staff from all over whom he’s known now for 15 years or more.
“I know employees that have been at Eventide for 15 years because they just love it. Even though they could move on, they don’t because the work culture is so great, and they absolutely love helping the residents,” he said.
“It’s also wonderful to meet new employees working at Eventide campuses,” he added. “They have definitely added energy to the communities.”
Big family
In all, Rob sees a lot of the work he does as just hanging with one big family. Whether he’s managing his staff at Fargo Linoleum or sitting down for coffee with a resident at one of Eventide’s Fargo communities, he’s a community leader who understands the value of connection.
“Help where you can,” he said. “Give back, volunteer. Whatever. The people who do always get more out of it than they give to it. And that’s a special thing.”
In the future, Rob hopes to see more donations to Eventide’s Foundation, which raises money to support enrichment programming for residents, such as our Music Therapy program and adaptive bicycles.
“What we can’t do out of our operational budget are the things that really make Eventide stand out,” he said. “Giving back if you can plant a seed you might not see in your lifetime, but will someday be a tree” that makes lives better for the next generation of Eventide employees and residents.
Looking for volunteer opportunities? Contact us today!
Donate to Eventide Foundation and support life-enriching activities for our residents and staff.
Find career opportunities at Eventide.
