Fred Paavola meant to retire. He just defines it differently than many people do.
After leading more than 1,100 pharmacists as the U.S. Public Health Service’s chief professional officer in pharmacy, the Rear Admiral thought it was a good time to retire after a 30-year career with the U.S. Army and the Public Health Service.
But then 9/11 happened. He spent the next thirteen years as a National Disaster Medical System team commander in Tucson, Arizona, heading a deployable team of 50 health care professionals who set up mobile hospitals where they are needed during disasters.
Paavola’s journey in pharmacy began long before, when he pursued his degree from NDSU’s School of Pharmacy. He graduated in 1970 and received an honorary doctorate in 2002. His wife, Linda, who received her degree in psychology from NDSU in 1973, has taken the 39-year journey with him.
“Part of what drives me is that I refuse to fail,” Fred Paavola told students at an Open Forum on April 28. Plain-spoken and humble with a sense of humor, he still carries himself with the straight posture of military training.
He says his training in pharmacy at NDSU also had an impact. “There’s no question about my professional skills. That brings the foundation of how you make decisions, how you can evaluate things, how you work with patients,” said Paavola.
Combining pharmacy with Reserve Officer Training Corps set him on another path. “With ROTC, you learn how to be a leader,” he said.
In the Open Forum, Paavola shared the importance of leadership with students.
“You can have all the great pharmacists in the world, but if you don’t have some who can step up to the plate as leaders, then some of the things that need to be done are probably not going to be done,” said Paavola.
“If you’re not at the table to make the decision, then you have to live with that. And I want to be at that table and I want to help make that decision,” he said. “I think it goes back to the values and the education and the training that you get here. You have the capabilities to make that decision. Don’t let someone else make it for you. When you believe it’s the right thing, don’t give up on it.”
Whether it was leading a 35-bed rural hospital in South Dakota or reporting to the U.S. Surgeon General when he served as the highest ranking pharmacist in the U.S. uniformed services, Paavola followed several rules.
“Any good leader surrounds themselves with incredible talent and gives them the mechanisms they need to succeed,” said Paavola. “The second component is to take care of the troops. If you do that, it’s pretty hard to fail.”
Paavola has always answered the call to service, whether to his country or to his alma mater. He and his wife, author and business owner Linda Kane Paavola, have demonstrated dedicated leadership and service. They received the 2016 Heritage Award for Alumni Service for outstanding support of time and talent to NDSU.
“Students are always paramount and I will go out of my way to spend time with them,” said Fred, who recently spent a week visiting with students and with faculty researchers in the School of Pharmacy.
“NDSU helped us out by giving us a great education and if we can pay it back through other students, we’re happy to do that,” said Linda. Their generosity included providing housing for a student on one of her pharmacy clinical rotations in Tucson.
“From my perspective, Linda and I would not be where we are today if it weren’t for NDSU,” said Fred. “We want to be able to give back to an organization that really has set me on a path to a great career. That’s what NDSU did.”
The Paavolas have established four endowed scholarships to help students in their education. Two scholarships are awarded to pharmacy students, one for a veteran in pharmacy or nursing and the other for a Master of Public Health student.
“Many people wait and will their money to the school, which is great, but we wanted to actually see it in our lifetime,” said Linda. “We have received some of the most heartfelt thank you’s. They’ve brought us to tears,” said Linda. “We realize how much it does mean to these kids and it makes us want to give more actually.”
The Paavolas provided a key gift for the Fallen Bison Memorial on campus and a donation to the College of Health Professions building addition. They also serve as hosts for alumni gatherings in Arizona.
Fred Paavola served as chair of the pharmacy national advisory board for the School of Pharmacy from 2006-10. He has continued his service as an emeritus advisory board member. His guidance helped the College of Health Professions grow to more than 2,000 students, making it the largest health professions training program in the state. He also is an emeritus member of the NDSU Alumni board of directors.
As a leader, mentor and philanthropist, Fred Paavola sums things up concisely. “It goes back to making a difference. Whatever I do, I try to make a difference.”