Housing director retires after three-decade career

Ozzie Breiner has lived in the Lehigh Valley his entire life. He grew up in Bethlehem and attended Muhlenberg College for his undergraduate degree. He came to Lehigh in 1986 for a master’s degree in higher education administration and has worked at the university as a member of the housing services staff ever since. 

After spending more than three decades at Lehigh, Breiner is retiring this October. 

While studying at Lehigh, Breiner and his high school sweetheart — and now wife — lived in the McClintic-Marshall house. There, he worked as the graduate director of the dorm. 

Breiner said he always knew he wanted to work in education and initially planned to be a school principal. However, he said coming to Lehigh changed his mind. 

“As I worked in the Dean of Students Office, I realized it was a much different kind of life working in higher education,” Breiner said. “So, I decided to make that my career.” 

After earning his master’s degree, Breiner stayed with the housing team and advanced through the department. He started as an assistant director, then an associate director and was promoted to his current role in 2004. 

Breiner said working in the housing department means being responsible for all buildings and residence halls on campus. Part of his role is to make sure students have an adequate place to live. 

He said over the course of his career, he’s seen the university undergo many changes related to technology use, inclusivity and Greek life. 

When Breiner arrived at Lehigh, there were 32 fraternities on the hill. Although the houses were university-owned, they operated autonomously until he became director of housing. 

Breiner said when these houses became university-operated, the challenge of holding students accountable was introduced. 

Breiner said he played a key role in changes implemented on the hill, including residency and upkeep of the houses. 

During Breiner’s career, Sayre Park Village, Farrington Square and the Singleton, Hitch and Maida Houses were constructed due to increased student enrollment.

As the student body grew, Breiner said he noticed shifts in Lehigh’s culture. He said when he first arrived, the community was much more homogenous, with most students coming from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

“The Lehigh of today is much different than the Lehigh of the past, for the better,” Breiner said. “We’re certainly more inclusive than we were way back then, so it’s a much more welcoming place for all students.” 

Interactions between students and staff have also evolved with time. Breiner said the rise of technology has reduced personal interactions between Lehigh housing and students. He said this makes experiences between staff and students less engaging and less personal.

“This office used to have traffic constantly with students doing business with us because they had to drop a form off, or they had to sign something,” Breiner said. “Now everything’s done electronically. 

When Breiner first started, all processes were completed manually, including first-year roommate pairing.

He said back in the day, the housing staff would sit in a room with students’ rooming preferences written on index cards and line them up to connect them. 

The housing lottery was also conducted in person. He said housing services hosted open houses for students to explore their residence options, after which they would gather in Packard Lab to await their lottery number — called by Breiner — to select their preferred room. 

“Now students sit in their room and just go online and look at the options and the floor plans from the comfort of their rooms while making their selections,” Breiner said. 

While Lehigh has undergone various changes over the years, Breiner said the community within the housing department has remained consistent, with most  staff members working together under his leadership for 15 to 30 years. 

Mary Kay Baker, director of conference services, hired Breiner and said his insight is valued on the staff. 

“People listen to him and know that if (Breiner) says it and thinks it’s a good idea, it more than likely is,” Baker said.

Laura Bachman, assistant director of conference services, said Breiner’s ability to retain staff is a testament to his leadership, as people want to stay and work with him. 

Bachman said the reason the staff loves their jobs most is they come to work every day with their family. 

“We do so much here, but we also do so much outside of the office,” Bachman said. 

They celebrate milestone birthdays together, attend each other’s weddings and participate in a holiday gift exchange. Bachman said they re-gift one item each year, a frame filled with pictures of Breiner.  

Baker said Breiner fostered a sense of community over the years by bringing energy to the office. He does so through jokes and stories.

Chris Ottey, senior associate director of housing, has worked under Breiner for 10 years, and he said the staff always feels at ease because they knew Breiner is there. 

Ottey said Breiner’s extensive knowledge of Lehigh and his reliability have made him a highly respected director.

He said the housing staff will greatly miss Breiner and have already noticed the empty space he has left behind and the quietness of the office without him. 

“Breiner always knew what to say and do when it came to any crisis or anything his staff needed help with,” Ottey said.