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Tucked behind a grove of trees near the Hope Quad, there is a little known building that serves as the headquarters for Union’s facilities management team.
Outside the metal building sits maintenance facilities’ equipment: lawnmowers, wheelbarrows and other tools. The building is home to the men who maintain campus by landscaping and repairing buildings.
Most people see them around campus driving trucks, operating lawn mowers, working on different areas of campus and fixing problems in students dorm rooms. The nine-man team’s mission statement is to “keep up appearance and comfort of all involved, students and staff,” said David McBride, director of facilities management.
Inside the building, in an office full of books and personal photos is one lady who makes the operation run smoothly. Mary Brown, secretary for the facilities management team, has been working with facilities for 11 years. She assigns work orders to the rest of the team.
It can get hectic for the facilities team, but certain seasons are busier than others.
“Our busiest time periods are in the summer and winter terms because most of the students are gone so we can fix and improve on things without disrupting the students,” Brown said.
David Parks, a junior digital media communications major, followed the facilities team around for three weeks while working on a photo assignment.
Parks said that the maintenance facilities’ talent goes beyond mowing lawns, fixing air conditioners and replacing light bulbs. With several NCAA Division II tournament games recently held at Union they were busy hanging banners and posters in the gym. They build pieces of furniture, like trophy cases, to help make Union a better place for students and staff.
Students around campus may not know their names, but the facilities management team makes their lives easier by doing all of the things that normally go unseen by students. The facilities management team understands that their job is important because the little things matter for making the experience for students and faculty much more enjoyable.
“The guys care about the job they do, and put students first,” said Brown. “We always want serve them well and help take care of their needs as if they were our own.”
Brown said one of the best parts of working with the facilities management team is that the job changes all the time which causes them to see something new every day. Brown enjoys her work because it is always exciting to get to tackle a new problem each day.
“It’s never ending and nothing is ever the same, so it’s something new every day.”
