March 7, 2008
Commending the Grounds Crews and Maintenance Departments
An aspect of Northwood we could easily take for granted is the outstanding condition of our buildings and grounds. This week I would like to commend the grounds crews and maintenance departments for their excellent work. These men and women perform their duties quietly and unobtrusively and, because of their consistent diligence and strong work ethic, our campuses continue to be points of pride.
The physical plant is responsible for the front line image of Northwood University. When visitors, potential students or potential employers, members of local communities or press corps, and others, enter our campuses, they are greeted by stunning architecture, both in the buildings and in the landscapes, that is meticulously maintained–day in, day out–without exception.
This year, in particular, the maintenance crews have stood up to some heavy, persistent challenges. In Michigan it seemed as if it never stopped snowing. Yet when students, faculty, and staff arrived each day the parking lots were ready for cars and the walkways were safe for pedestrians. Not once, not twice, but practically daily (sometimes hourly!) major snow removal was first on the to-do list. And it all had to be accomplished before anything else got done. Throughout this taxing winter however our physical plant staff kept their cool and performed their varied duties with customary good will and courtesy.
In Florida, drought conditions might have been perceived to be a good thing as a brand new roof on the Turner Administration Building turned out to be full of leaks. While it didn’t rain much in Florida this winter, leaky roofs in both the Turner and DeVos buildings kept maintenance very busy. And rain doesn’t wait for your schedule to be clear. When the rains come and your roof leaks, everything else stops until the situation is under control.
An unusual situation at the Florida baseball field, until recently rectified, took the maintenance staff off campus and into neighboring homes. The baseball field is located at the outermost perimeter of campus and backs up to an adjacent mobile home community with many elderly residents. Fly and foul balls often went errant and through the windows of these neighbors’ homes. Until the installation of a new backstop, it wasn’t unusual for maintenance staff to be called in to repair broken windows for senior citizens.
The maintenance crew in Florida recently went to a hand-held computer communications system called Micro Main. All maintenance requests, totaling about 400 per month, are generated through this system. Interesting to note of the 400 monthly requests, about 85% are generated directly from the maintenance staff themselves. I salute the Florida physical plant staff for their proactivity in keeping the campus clean and safe.
In Texas, high winds and rapidly changing temperatures keep maintenance busy. Add rock slides and creek bed issues when the rains arrive and then factor in periodic unwanted visitors in the form of poisonous snakes (rattlers and copperheads), destructive raccoons, beavers, and opossums as well as fire and carpenter ants and you can see our beautiful but rugged Texas campus takes some extra vigilance.
The maintenance crews in Texas have done an extraordinary job to remove vegetation in the ravine area to make the campus safer and more attractive for our students, faculty, and staff. This has been especially important as we will soon celebrate the dedication of the Swalwell Student Union and the one- year anniversary of the Gaubert Student Activity Center.
The Texas campus has been recognized as a Cedar Hill “property of the month” on several occasions so it is apparent the work done by this excellent crew is noticed by more than just the internal Northwood community. They’re not just good–they win awards!
While many of us work in varying degrees of personal organization, it is critical in the larger scheme of things our campuses are reliably functional and clean. I believe I can say without hesitation that all of us know we can count on our physical plant staff whenever and however we need them.
As we make the passage from winter to spring, it is my pleasure to thank the men and women of our grounds and maintenance staffs for a job well done–each time, every time, all the time!Have a great weekend!
Keith A. Pretty, J.D.
President and CEO
Northwood University
4000 Whiting Drive
Midland, MI 48640
989.837.4203 (phone)
989.832.9590 (fax)
