Last Friday marked the end of the Bob Lambert Era in Eden Prairie city government. After 29 years of service to the City of Eden Prairie, Bob retired. His last day of work was March 30, 2007. Bob’s staff organized a very nice farewell event for Bob after work last Friday in the Garden Room here at City Center. Bob’s family joined his co-workers, elected officials, Parks Commissioners, citizens, and municipal parks & rec colleagues from area cities as we honored Bob for the quality and quantity of his contributions to Eden Prairie. I was one of the lucky presenters at the event. I was lucky because I had the opportunity to share my feelings about Bob in such a nice setting. Here’s what I said:
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“I would like to begin by thanking everyone for coming tonight. It’s a big night for the Lambert family. 29 years of service is a long time and I don’t think Bob is going to do that again for any future employers. I’m glad that Sally and the kids can join us here tonight. I’m glad that Bob could join us too, although I told him we would be having this party for him tonight whether he could make it or not.
It is my honor and privilege tonight to be one of the speakers at Bob’s retirement extravaganza, just as it’s been an honor and privilege for me to work with Bob for these past five years. One of the attributes that Bob brought to his work is brevity and straight talk, so I’ll be brief tonight to honor that Lambert spirit.
Sometimes in City government you can’t get over the fact that you’re doing the same thing over and over again, just with a different group of people along for the ride. Our City Clerk Kitty Porta did a bit of research for me and discovered just such a cycle in Bob’s 29 year career here. At Bob’s first City Council meeting in March 1978, as the Director of Community Services, he was asking the Council to award a grading contract for a parks project. In Bob’s last Council meeting here, earlier this week, what he doing? Asking the Council to approve a grading contract for the Community Center project. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
It’s so rare in life when you get to work with someone who you can legitimately describe as the “Founder of this” or the “architect of that”. There just aren’t that many people out there that can live up to that description. Robert Moses in New York, as the founder and many of great public works and parks projects in New York City. Theodore Wirth in the Minneapolis park system. And Bob Lambert.
Bob Lambert is the primary architect of Eden Prairie’s park and open space system. Now he’ll be the first to tell you that he didn’t do it alone. He had plenty of help, and even more hindrance, at times. But it was Bob’s constant reliance on his vision for the future that kept hundreds of elected officials, Park commissioners, employees, and even city managers on track.
And today that vision, Bob’s vision, is all around us. You can’t drive or walk or hike through Eden Prairie without seeing something that Bob Lambert wanted you to see, feel and think about. It’s a legacy that few of us will be able to match, and it’s one that we’re all glad we have.
Bob, you will be missed, but your legacy will be appreciated by Eden Prairie residents, visitors and staff forever.
Thank you.”
