Each Monday, The Citizen features someone from the Finger Lakes community.

This week, we spotlight Gary Robertson, retired elemenary school principal.

Gary Robertson

Hometown: Auburn

Occupation: Retired principal at Genessee Elementary School

Nominated by: Colleen Miles, teacher at Genessee Elementary School

Q. What was the most rewarding part of your job?

A. As a school principal and teacher, the most rewarding part was when children succeeded at whatever task they chose.

Q. What was the most challenging aspect of your job?

A. The most challenging was keeping students, parents, and teachers focused on what it takes for a child to be successful.

Q. What would be your dream job, and in what part of the world would you be working?

A. I would like to be the chancellor of the New York state education system for a year to get the schools refocused on education, not testing.

Q. What's the best way to relax after a tough day?

A. For me, as a water person, relaxing comes with having a good dinner, something to drink, and spending time outdoors either fishing, canoeing, sailing, or just sitting by the lake.

Q. What do you like most about living and/or working in the Finger Lakes?

A. The natural beauty of the lakes and the seasons, and the accessibility to all forms of water sports. I also enjoy the history of the area and learning about how important this area was in the early development of the United States.

Q. If you had the choice of meeting any three people in the world who would they be, and why?

A. The first person I would like to meet is the Jewish Nazi hunter Elie Weisel to discuss the relationship between justice and revenge, as well as what drove the Nazis to exterminate 6 million people. The second, President Thomas Jefferson to discuss the intent of the people who created the Constitution in relationship to the questions we have in the present about what the Constitution says and what it should say about our modern problems. Thirdly, the Greek philosopher Plato, to discuss what goodness of the human soul is and how it is manifested by each individual.

Q. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A. In 10 years, I hope to still be doing what I enjoy doing and continuing life's adventure.

Q. If you were to win the lottery tomorrow, what's the first thing you would do?

A. If I won the lottery, first I would set up trust funds for all of my family members, and, then create a foundation to award children money for each successful year of middle school, high school, and college they have.

Q. If you were mayor or supervisor of your town/city, what's the first thing you'd change?

A. I would like to be a Cayuga County legislator, because this county has so much to be developed to improve it, and the Legislature is so unfocused and has no plan about doing anything.

Q. What would people who think they know you be most surprised to find out about you?

A. I love to read and watch sci-fi books and movies, especially ones about the concept of the sudden destruction of modern society and what it takes to rebuild human society. An example of this would be the book and movie, “The Postman.”

- Lauren Mocarski