As she prepares to leave the office that she has occupied during her final year at Portland State, Teri Mariani wonders aloud what her legacy will be.
On the countdown calendar hanging behind her on the wall, she has crossed out each passed day with a pink highlighter.
“When I stepped down from coaching [softball], that was a bit harder. This isn’t going to be hard initially. It might just feel like a vacation, but at some point it will hit me. I am done,” Mariani says, temporarily holding back her emotions.
After a 32-year career at various jobs, Mariani, the athletic department’s multitalented and longest tenured employee ever, is retiring.
Her final day as a member of the athletic department came last Friday, June 29.
Mariani’s office10:55 a.m. “I knew that I wasn’t going to get this all done,” Mariani says as she inputs budget expenses into her computer, a project she began in April. “I certainly thought I would get more done than this.”
As is the custom, she was among the first to arrive at the office, and will likely be the last to leave on this seemingly perfect spring day. She already has plans to return to the office over her first weekend as a retiree, and will probably be in to help train her replacement after that.
Mariani’s concerns about finishing the budget are compounded by the frequent phone calls and drop-in visits from her co-workers seeking to utilize her wit and knowledge before she leaves for good.
Her service at Portland State includes 29 years as head softball coach, two stints as interim athletic director and her most recent service as interim associate athletic director.
“If it needed to be done, you do it,” Mariani says. “I never got caught up with if it was in my job description.”
Blind Onion 11:25 a.m.Continuing a tradition that she began years ago, Mariani treats much of the athletic department office staff to lunch from the Blind Onion, her favorite restaurant.
Mariani began the ritual was initiated as her way of becoming acquainted with the other employees in the department, and carries it on today as her way of showing the staff her appreciation for their hard work, much of which she says goes unseen.
“People don’t realize how much that this department does with what little resources we have available,” Mariani says.
Most of her efforts over the last year have been directed toward human resources. She does the monthly payroll, manages much of the paperwork for the 26-person staff and coordinates the job searches for positions within the department.
“I am not sure if she has a job description,” said athletic director Torre Chisholm, “because she pretty much does everything that needs done.”
Mariani’s office1:15 p.m.After the quick lunch, Mariani heads back to the computer. The usually tidy office is cluttered with a few boxes that she brought from home to pack some of her belongings.
Leaning on the wall near her desk are two blown up posters featuring the well-wishes from close associates within the department and the countless other people she has positively affected. Those too are supposed to be packed up.
She has had other difficult days to get through since becoming head softball coach in 1977. She vividly remembers the transition of varsity athletics from Division II to Division I in the 1990’s, and the day that the Portland State baseball program was cut, a move she wishes could have been avoided.
“It was like losing one of my arms,” Mariani says, referring to the baseball program being terminated. “I tried to lobby to and see if we could cut our budgets a little bit and make something work, but it wasn’t going to happen.”
Mariani’s office 2:15 p.m.After an exciting and successful year like this one, it is hard for Mariani to walk away from the athletic scene. Success was had in volleyball, both basketball programs and golf. It has not always been like this in the athletic office though, she recalls. Three times during her career, Mariani had nearly left Portland State for other lucrative jobs.
“Looking back, I am glad that I stuck around this long; this has been the right place for me,” Mariani says. In between more phone calls, she takes a visit from a local sports anchor and cameraman, and fields the same questions she has answered the last few weeks. She is patient and enjoys the spotlight, but silently wishes that the attention could have come on a day other than today.
Around campus 3:25 p.m.The busy day continues as Mariani walks around campus to take care of some of the last minute details of retiring that she has joyfully neglected. She cleans out her locker in the Stott Center, a building she envisions in 15 years completely renovated and able to seat 4,000.
“Not having a working arena is probably the most frustrating thing about my time here,” Mariani says. “It will be great when people around the community want to come to this facility.”
She also makes stops at Neuberger Hall, where she turns in her school-issued identification card and frets over the newfound hassle of having to pay for a bus pass.
As she walks through the South Park Blocks near Millar Library, she knows that the end of the day is drawing near and her time is almost up.
“I have always envied construction workers. Thirty years from now they can drive past a building that they helped to build and take some pride in knowing that they had a hand in it,” Mariani said. “It is nice to know that you can leave a positive footprint on something. I hope that I have done some of that here.”