Pats on the Back Archive

Pats on the Back

Recognize a co-worker for a job well done by submitting a Pat on the Back. Pats on the Back are published in the Dispatch, on the bulletin boards and on ERIN. Send your POBs to fscustomerrelations@illinois.edu or turn them into Customer Relations & Communications in Room 147 of the Physical Plant Services Building.

Submissions may be edited for style and clarity.

2024

December 13, 2024

Marcus Albert, Building Maintenance
Chris Doxtator, Building Maintenance
Kyle Kamradt, Building Maintenance
Mark Klein, Building Maintenance
Jason Maxwell, Building Maintenace
Dustin Seaman, Building Maintenance
Mike Siems, Building Maintenanc

I would like to acknowledge my whole team for the dedication to our customers at the University of Illinois.  Jason Maxwell, Mark Klein, Kyle Kamradt, Dustin Seaman, Mike Siems, Chris Doxtator, and Marcus Albert constantly perform at a high level.  Their customer focus, dedication to job completion, independent thinking, and good communication are all attributes making our team stand out to campus customers.

Will Corum
Electrician Sub-Foreperson

—

High Voltage Electricians

After power loss at the Music Building, Shop 25 (High Voltage Electricians) was awesome! Thank you to them for amazing work and working through the night, and they were great with communication. Music appreciates them (and all of our shops that helped with this) very much!

Thank you and sincerely,

Nathan Mandel
Business and Administrative Associate
Music Department

and

Miranda Molina
Facility Operations Coordinator
Music Department

—

Mark Barcus Building Maintenance & Grounds
Jim Sims, Engineering & Construction Services
Macie Sinn, Transportation & Building Services
Pete Varney, Transportation & Building Services
Katie Balch, Customer Relations & Communications
Quentin Lusby, Capital Programs
Rose Paul, Transportation & Building Services
Colleen Ruhter, Safety & Compliance
Doni Walker, Human Resources, Diversity & Strategy
Stephanie Landess, Executive Assistant
Pam Ellison, Shared Administrative Services

I want to recognize the members of the events committee, Katie Balch, Quentin Lusby, Rose Paul, Colleen Ruhter, and Doni Walker, for their hard work and dedication to making the 2024 holiday gatherings a success.  I also want to thank Stephanie Landess and Pam Ellison for helping me move the holiday gathering raffle baskets to storage until they were ready to be picked up. I also want to thank Mark Barcus, Jim Sims, Macie Sinn, and Pete Varney for helping to make the 2024 holiday gatherings an enjoyable experience. 

Joe Meeker
F&S Training and Development Specialist

November 27, 2024

Lance Oliver, Human Resources
Drew Schlosser, Human Resources

I’d like to show some much-deserved appreciation to Drew Schlosser and Lance Oliver. They work hard and dedicate a lot of time to ensure TBS is always well taken care of. I’m so grateful to be on the same team and truly appreciate their commitment and contributions. Drew and Lance – your efforts don’t go unnoticed! Thank you!!

Thank you,

MACIE SINN
Assistant Director Transportation & Building Services

—

Katie Slough, Building Services
Rose Paul, Building Services

I wanted to give a shout out and Pat on the Back to both Katie Slough and Rose Paul. Not only do they both consistently help with the transformation Building Services is going through, but they have gone above and beyond by helping train and support a new member of our team. I am very grateful to have both of them on our team and hope they know they truly are making an impact. Thank you, Katie and Rose!!

Thank you,

MACIE SINN
Assistant Director Transportation & Building Services

November 15, 2024

Katie Sperl, Engineering & Construction Services
Erika Lee, Capital Programs

The HushPod we have been demoing in Lincoln Hall has become a welcomed resource for a good portion of our administrative staff. The sprinkler code amendment is definitely a good step to allowing wider use across campus.

I realize these are not easy adjustments and truly appreciate your work to realize this local code amendment.

Best,

Derek Fultz
Senior Director of Facilities and Planning
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

November 8, 2024

Beth Leitz, Engineering Services

Hi Kelly Jo,  Below is an example of the great support Beth provides to PMs for their efforts.  There are many other times she has help.  Recently,  She helped me with a U21032 CCBC request. She provided efficient reply to the need and offered me a 3D camera and measuring equipment to use in addition to the drawings I requested.

Letting you know we greatly appreciate the help she consistently  provides.  

Sandra Roesler
F&S Construction Manager

—

Sam Parrish, Transportation
Andy Ray, Transportation

I just wanted to circle back and let you know how great Sam and Andy did last week as our drivers. Everything went off just perfectly on Tuesday.

Please let them know how much we appreciated their efforts. Great job!!!

All our best,

Lorraine P Graham
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
University of Illinois System

November 1, 2024

Service Office Team

Thank you, to James Scherer, for forwarding our issue to the correct individuals.

I really appreciate everyone in the Service Office! Your team provides the best customer service on campus!! You make my job as a building manager much easier!!

Thank you,

Julie Shaffer
Director of Budgeting & Finance
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

October 25, 2024

Woody Bagwell, Building Maintenance

Would like to give Woody Bagwell (Heat and Frost Insulator Shop 52) a Pat On The Back for completing foreperson training. Woody plays a large roll in making sure our shop functions effectively and efficiently.

Clint McGraw
Heat & Frost Insulation Shop

—

Cynthia Burnett, Building Maintenance
Greg Granadino, Building Maintenance
Kelly Hutcherson, Building Maintenance

Couldn’t recall if I had sent anything in on this, but wanted to pass along that the Lock Shop crew is amazing. Greg, Kelly and Cynthia have been such wonderful help to me, they’ve taken time to explain things to me, help me identify keys, helped me get updated keys.

I wished everyone on campus was as easy and pleasant to work with as that group. Just wanted to pass that along.Kristy Mecum
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND RECORDS SUPERVISOR
Division of Public Safety

—

BSWs

Thaddeus BrownMichelle BuschBrian Carter
Bryson CarterNick CobbRay Cook
Heather FarmerJasia FayneMatt Flaningam
Rynell FrazierCourtney FrazierJames Gillen
Joe GreenMike HausermanJames Head
James HudsonEric JacksonDelbert Ketteman
Rodney LarkinLa-Kita MaynorDorothy McArthur
Markius McCartneySaensuk MokaphanJohn Morris
Ralph NevilsSolomon PotorfJosh Potts
Bret PourchotTina WangChris Wasson
Ashley WheatleyAshley WhittingtonMarcus Williams

Building Maintenance

Nate AdamsonChad DunnArnie Jeffers
Brad KelmMelissa McDadeDavid “Paul” Weisman

Grounds

Demarco BurdenGreg CarlsonJude Crozer
Jeremy HortonZac IsaksenZakk Kerr
Stacey KinneyChris McGeeLathan Tillman
Billy Ray VaughnJason WallerChuck Zech

Transportation

Sam Parrish  

I would like to take a moment to recognize the outstanding efforts by all Staff, Trades Service groups, and our own departments student workers that have helped prepare the facility for the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science dedication celebration. Your commitment and service are profoundly appreciated.

*Electronic displays mounted (to include power/data installed) & programmed for 1105, 1109 & throughout the building.

*Donor Board received new LED lights.

*The House of Imagination lighting was addressed & the artwork was cleaned/waxed.

*The Bench of Opportunity artwork was cleaned/waxed.

*The building’s exterior glass was cleaned, Donor Board glass was cleaned,  Building Entrances glass was cleaned (including inside glass where Mr. Siebel’s path may go).

*The Siebel grounds were worked on: Edging, Grass cutting, Hedge trimming, Weed eating, Mulch removal & new installed, Hillside maintenance, Rock installed, Tree trimming & Blowing off walkways/entrances.

*West entrance concrete steps were repaired.

*2405 & 2nd floor atrium carpets were cleaned.

*Building hallways were scrubbed.

*Areas for the Celebration were deep cleaned and then maintained (floors, restrooms, glass cases, etc).

*Lighting was checked over & replaced with good bulbs to include bringing a lift in to 2nd floor atrium pendant.

*Chairs & tables have been installed into the directors’ conference room & 2405.

*Glass panes were replaced in the 2nd floor atrium & the sky light on top of the center stairwell.

*Movers, Transportation & Waste Management providing services for the many of things describe above.

Sorry if we missed anything and/or forgot to add anyone, but please share my deepest gratitude for your teamwork and hard work!

Sincerely,

Siebel School of Computing and Data Science Facilities & Operations Team

October 18, 2024

Demarco Burden, Grounds
Greg Carlson, Grounds
Jude Crozer, Grounds
Jeremy Horton, Grounds
Zac Isaksen, Grounds
Zakk Kerr, Grounds
Stacey Kinney, Grounds
Chris McGee, Grounds
Lathan Tillman, Grounds
Billy Ray Vaughn, Grounds
Jason Waller, Grounds
Chuck Zech, Grounds

Just wanted to thank you for the awesome job you guys did on Siebel grounds!  This is the best they have ever looked since I’ve been here!  We have had numerous compliments and your efforts have not gone unnoticed!

Thanks Again!

Jason R. Hatton

Facilities Manager

The Grainger College of Engineering

October 11, 2024

Bill Brunner, Grounds
Chad Garrett, Grounds
Ethan Howard, Grounds
Alice Needham, Grounds
Dylan Tucker, Grounds

A huge THANK YOU to the entire Grounds crew who came to beautify the landscape around the LIFE Home last Tuesday in preparation for our fall open house. The event was a great success in no small part due to your hard work and skill. You guys rock!!!

On behalf of the LIFE Home staff,

Yvona Vlach
Operations Coordinator
College of Applied Health Sciences

—

Harold Gross, Building Services
Bill Shafer, Building Services

This week while I was working in Wohlers, I encountered the teams doing electrical work and servicing the radiators. I think they were two different groups, the electrical a contractor and the radiators F&S but I may be totally wrong. Either way, both were amazing! So friendly and thoughtful. Saying hello, popping in to apologize for noise, moving equipment to permit office access, etc. I wanted to pass along the positivity and offer gratitude for their work.

Kari Cooperider
Senior Director of Facilities Management
Gies College of Buisiness

—

Raul Aceves Cisneros
The National AFL-CIO is honoring Raul Aceves Cisneros in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. You can read the article here.

October 4, 2024

Aaron Brunkhorst, Building Services

I just want to share my sincere appreciation for the hard work, professionalism, and dedication that Aaron Brunkhorst has displayed in the past week while ensuring that the needs of the Alumni Center have been met. We have spoken several times, developed game plans and strategies for some complex scenarios and he has really risen to the occasion and has been a big help. The building was a mess after the high school dance and he did an amazing job cleaning, working deep into the night, and getting it back in shape for our very important Campus Visits on Monday morning. What an outstanding effort! I wish we had a thousand employees like him on campus! Thank you for all your help too and I know there are others that deserve praise, so I just want to let you all know how much I appreciate all you are doing. Thank you.

Jim Runyan
General Manager, Alice Campbell Alumni Center

—

Mike Hauserman, Building Services
Rodney Larkin, Building Services
Joe Perkins, Building Services

Altgeld Hall rooms 109 and 309 have been vacated. Huge thank to all for helping get this taken care of with limited resources during unique circumstances. Joe Perkins and his crew, Mike, and Rodney did an incredible job of supporting this move.

Working with the occupant, who is actively teaching, creating a hybrid moving schedule of multiple phases allowed them to also service public functions.

Great job and greatly appreciated.

THANK YOU!

Kevin D. Armstrong
Facility Operations Coordinator
Department of Mathematic; Department of Statistics; School of Earth, Society, & Environment (SESE)

September 27, 2024

Keyanah Carter, Building Services
Odis Casmirio, Building Services
Heather Farmer, Building Services
James Fowler, Building Services
Courtney Frazier, Building Services
Ryan Hardwick, Building Services
Regina Johnson, Building Services
Dean Le, Building Services
Tanner Meislahn, Building Services
Charles Moore, Building Services
Raesha Williams, Building Services 

Thanks to all who worked in BIF in preparation for the events last week! Thursday and Friday were great days for the college with so many people joining us to celebrate. Everyone’s efforts are appreciated! Please share our thanks with the teams!

Kari Cooperider
Senior Director of Facilities Management
Gies College of Business

—

Sanja Koric, Engineering & Construction Services
John Prince, Engineering & Construction Services
Katie Sperl, Engineering & Construction Services
Joseph Youakim, Engineering & Construction Services

I have heard about the concerns for code requirements and facility standards many times, but today was the first time I heard a discussion where you were addressing concerns from a client. I was very impressed with how calmly, clearly, and completely you addressed the questions raised by the GCOE safety rep (Ed Chainani) and the DRS rep (Brian Meschewski) about perchloric acid and the related code requirements.

Well DONE!!! Your voices all sounded completely collaborative and reasonable and your explanations were great. Your patience is impressive, and I am proud to be part of F&S when I experience that type of communication! 

Thank you for being you,

MORGAN B. WHITE
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

September 20, 2024

Josh Strawbridge, Transportation
Mike Carlson, Transportation

Your drivers were wonderful last week. Josh and Mike were friendly and kind to our students and gave them a great experience going to and from the career fair. I checked in with them both days and they knew exactly what they were doing. Just want to pass along my gratitude and appreciation, they were great to work with.

Emma Andruczyk (she/her)
Associate Director
The Grainger College of Engineering

September 13, 2024

Dave Neumann, Building Services
Auggie Torres, Building Services
Marcus Williams, Building Services

This weekend is a big weekend for our gymnastics programs, as several top recruits are scheduled to visit starting Friday. Kenney Gym looks fantastic. Both teams are scheduled to practice this afternoon, I believe they’ll be more than happy with the cleanliness of the space. Thank you all for your effort in maintaining it.

Mitchell Goines
Facility Operations Coordinator
University of Illinois Athletics

—

Aaron Brunkhorst, Building Services

Aaron has been doing a great job in are room the past few weeks. I hope they can keep this crew. I know it might be nice to hear a complement.

Daniel Birge

76 Noyes Lab

—

Kevin Karnes, Building Maintenance
Bret Likens, Building Maintenance

Bret Likens and Kevin Karnes got an atta boy from Mark Barcus for sending in good work order write ups along with pictures during the rain event last Friday.

Mark Barcus
Building Maintenance

—

Johnna Krutsinger, Building Services

Just wanted to send a quick note that our building is cleaner than ever! Our current BSW is doing a fantastic job maintaining the building this fall 😊

Thank you!

Rose Metallo
Assistant Director for the Plant Care Facility
Plant Care Facility

September 6, 2024

Guadalupe Lopez, Transportation

I wanted to send a note of appreciation for Guadalupe Lopez. I recently needed to send two boxes of ID Center supplies up to UIC on very short notice. Neil at Carpool helped facilitate things with Guadalupe for me. That next morning, Guadalupe helped me load the boxes at E14 and asked for my cell number. He then called me, “I’m 7 minutes away from the UIC Harrison St stop.” And called again once the boxes were grabbed off of the shuttle by my UIC colleague. I couldn’t believe this level of attention to detail and great customer service! Kudos to Guadalupe!

I also want to shout out Roy, who I usually ride with. He’s always so nice and accommodating and does a great job. Really appreciate them both!

Have a great weekend,

John Ealy, MHRIR
Director, i-card Programs & Merchant Card ServicesOffice of Treasury Operations
University of Illinois System

—

Human Resources, Diversity & Strategy (ERDS) would like to thank everyone for the expeditious assistance with the AVSL Annual Reporting. With your help, ERDS was able to complete reporting two workdays ahead of the campus deadline. 

—

Kevin Claxton, Building Maintenance
Mike Gadbury, Building Maintenance

This email is getting sent late, I should have sent it off last week. Mike and Kevin have worked so hard on 614. They are thorough, diligent and pay meticulous attention to every detail about the heating and cooling system over there.  They have been extremely patient as well. It seems like each time there is a new problem over there we are fighting with CORE to get things done or to find out information. I’m not crying over anything because it “is what it is” but I wanted to let you know that I can’t say thank you all enough for working with me on handling the building. Mike and Kevin are great and again go above and beyond, every chance they get.  Have a great rest of the week. I’m sure you will see a work order from me soon!

Tad Schroeder

Assistant Director of Facilities

School of Information Sciences

—

Anna Ratcheva-Staneva, Human Resources
Drew Schlosser, Human Resources

I appreciated Anna for her record time in processing academic hourly retiree rehires so there was no gap when they were eligible to work.   In past, this has taken 2 to 4 weeks to accomplish.   Another shout out is due to Drew & IT Dev for working through portal improvements to include the MY APPOINTMENTS feature.   Drew sent out advance reminders to hiring managers in July so F&S personnel could be at the front of the line with processing retiree rehires.  It was refreshing to exceed our expectations!  Way to go!

KELLY JO HOFFMANN, P.E., S.E.

Associate Director of Engineering Services

August 30, 2024

Tony Hubbard, Electrician

Matt Griffis, Electrician

Nate Adamson, Electrician

Arnie Jeffers, Electrician

Mike Burge, Electrician

Gareth Boyd, Electrician

Sure thing. We have had more work than we can handle all summer and they have really stepped up to the plate and knocked it out!

Thanks so much!
Bradley James Kelm

—
Jason Koontz, Ironworker
Mike Paris, Ironworker
Damon Roy, Ironworker
Eric Ryerson, Ironworker

On an unrelated note of the food vouchers, if you would just put Ironworkers shop 50 for their work on the Ice Arena attic platform installation would be super.

Todd Hawkins
Ironworkers Foreperson

—

Kody Egolf, Pipefitter
Klint Schmidt, Pipefitter

Thanks so much for all your help today! The classrooms feel great and I am confident that they will remain cool enough the rest of the week while we hopefully experience our last major heat wave of the year.

I will let you know when we are ready to remove the extra units.

Molly e. Harmon, ma

CHILD DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

—

Grounds

I wanted to take a minute to say how great all the grounds look. I walked from the SDRP area to LAR and everything just looks great. SDRP area was in really nice shape, and I let Bill know when I saw him how nice everything looked.  Another area that really caught my eye was the bushes in the Turner Hall and Architectural building area that were all trimmed so neatly. It just gives the whole campus such a good first impression.

Great job to all the Grounds team!!!

Best,Mark A Kuehl
Assistant Director for Housing Building Services

University Housing │ Student Affairs 

—

Tom Pagel, Building Services

At 60 Smith Memorial Hall: a student was trapped after the door closed behind them. Please send BSW to unlock this door.

Pete Varney
Director of Transportation & Building Services

August 23, 2024

Michael Jamison, Building Services

At approximately 10:50 pm on Sunday August 18, 2024, I was notified by an employee that 2 individuals had started a fire under the trees at the Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences building. I immediately called the UIPD to get someone to respond to the fire. Once I had my clock station going, I went to the parking lot and found that the fire department had responded and were putting the fire out. 

Reply:

Thank You for letting us know and calling it in Mike.

Dennis Peters

Building Mechanic

College of Veterinary Medicine

August 9, 2024

Kody Egolf, Building Maintenance

This is very impressive. Thank you for taking the initiative and creating this benefit to the shop and F&S. Well done.

Best,

Steve Bainbridge

[From Kody to Steve],
I believe you are getting these emails but I just wanted to add a quick comment on this as what this means compared to what we had been doing. In the past to get rid of the refrigerant we were paying someone to take it. For example, on this order for the amount of refrigerant and tanks that were turned in it would have cost us $1,900 – $2,100. Now that we are set up on a buyback program with A-Gas we will be getting a payment for $3,178.00. On average we would be doing these transactions 3-5 times a year. This was something I learned and started the process on from going to the ASHRAE conference in Chicago back in January. 

Steve Bainbridge

—

Andrew Moore, Transportation
Shawn Patterson, Transportation

This Touch A Truck event was a hit among our Child Development Laboratory children, families and staff! This event was a collaboration effort among CDL, the UIPD, the College of ACES, and UIUC Facilities & Services. With collaboration with Shawn Patterson (Facilities & Services), specifically, we were able to create a nice display of trucks for children to explore and learn about. There was a police officer (Michael Mitrou) with a squad car and K9 Rosie, large tractors, bucket trucks, garbage trucks, and more! If you know children, trucks are a huge interest of young children (we serve children 6 weeks – 5 years). We wanted to create a hands-on experience for our children and families to explore a variety of trucks that they see often throughout the community.

I can not thank Facilities & Services enough for all the effort they put in to making this event a success, from the moment that I had the idea to create this event until the end of the event, Facilities & Services employees helped me plan and organize this event to be sure that I had a safe area set up and a variety of trucks. Shawn and Andrew Moore even stayed the whole time to help educate the children about the trucks and helped them explore the many buttons and horns on the trucks. We cannot wait to collaborate with them again!
Molly E. Harmon, MA
CHILD DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

August 2, 2024

Dorothy McCarthy, Building Services
Jayson Oskard, Building Services

Thank you Jayson (& Dorothy) for taking the proper steps to keep everyone safe, and for notifying us, after an individual was found at Morrill Hall who appeared out of place on the first floor. U. of I. police were dispatched and the officers helped deal with the situation.

Dennis Dalby
Business Associate
School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

July 26, 2024

Thank you to the Information Technology Services team, who dealt with website issues and widespread PC crashes last Friday in the aftermath of the CrowdStrike update glitch.

July 19, 2024

Mark Chesnut, Building Maintenance
Kody Egolf, Building Maintenance

I’m wondering if you might be able to help me out.  The air conditioning unit in one of our classrooms in the Child Development Lab building (older of our two buildings) went out this morning. A person on my staff reached out to the Refrigeration unit at F&S to request some help, and they immediately came out, identified the issue (i.e., broken belt) and fixed it. This prevented the classroom from heating up with the temp going beyond what DCFS allows for childcare classrooms. 

We really appreciate the quick response, and I want to let someone in F&S know how great the service was in response to our request. I think Kody Egolf in Refrigeration got the process going for us. If possible, could you pass along our “Thanks,” and let them know how responsive the Refrigeration unit was to our problem?

Thanks.

Brent A. McBride, PhD
Director, Child Development Laboratory

—

Kristi Cler, Design Services

Also thank you for you excellent support over all these years. It has been a huge help to have the consistency in you all’s work to make deliberate progress over a long period of time.

Mike Brewer
Abbott Power Plant

—Delbert Ketteman, Building Services
Rodney Larkin, Building Services
Joe Perkins, Building Services

I want to recognize Joe Perkins and his team for the great job they have done cleaning the windows at Turner Student Services Building. Joe has been very communicative throughout the process. Tenants in the building are ecstatic to have clean windows! I think it had been several years since it was last done. I know how busy and short staff this crew is, but they sure do a terrific job filling requests by their customers. The moving team has been excellent as well when I have had items delivered to surplus.

Thank you!Julie Shaffer, MS CPA
DIRECTOR BUDGET & FINANCE
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

July 12, 2024

Pat Reynolds, Building Services

Hello I’m with Campus Mail and just wanted to let you know that Pat is the absolute best BSW that we have ever had in this building. He has cleaned things that our normal BSW has never done. We really appreciate him!

Thanks

Jocelyn Hilgenberg
Campus Mail

July 5, 2024

Joey Rice, Building Services

I just spoke with our team lead and it sounds like we’re putting the finishing touches on the 2nd phase of the Nexa Concentrates installation at U. of I. We really appreciate the opportunity and look forward to supporting in maintaining the equipment installed, and following through on what we’ve promised and what is expected in rolling out a solution such as this. Hopefully all of your expectations and goals have been realized up to this point.

I’m reaching out specifically to put in a good word for Joey Rice. Joey has simply been a pleasure to work with throughout this process. Hard work, composed, professionalism, knowledgeable all come to mind in describing my personal experience in working with him.

Our installation/field team has had more extensive experience in working with Joey, and at a minimum, share the same sentiment. In discussing their experiences on this as well as the prior phase of the installation, as it pertained to Joey, the word “Awesome” seemed to be used the most often. Overall, it was stated that he had nothing but a positive impact on the installation and did nothing short of enhancing our ability to complete the job.

Please feel free to forward this to whomever it may concern as we believe that Joey deserves to be acknowledgement for an what has been an overwhelmingly positive experience to this point.

Thank you again and we look forward building a sustained partnership.

Chris Walter
Senior Account Manager
Ecolab – Facilities

—

I would like to recognize the following individuals for stepping up and going above and beyond this morning.

With regard to helping move supplies and coordinating so everything was handle as smoothly as possible.

Reggie Carr, Building Services
Patrick Morrow, Building Services
Kiona Mclaurin, Building Services
Jolene Myers, Building Services
Cara Goin, Building Services
Mikaeel Terry, Building Services
Kobe Althaus, Building Services
Marcus Dupee, Building Services
Ron McCloud, Building Services
Devrund Cleveland, Building Services

I would like to recognize the following individuals for stepping up and going above and beyond this morning.

With regard to helping move supplies and coordinating so everything was handle as smoothly as possible.

Thank you

Sibley Wong
Building Service Deep Nights Weekend ForePerson
Building Services

—

Jay Santos, Shared Administrative Services

Since taking on ordering responsibilities in his role, Jay has worked very closely with Procurement to ensure that orders are being submitted correctly and that vendors are shipping by university guidelines.  He also worked diligently to get a vendor to complete vendor forms so that their vendor ID could be updated, and specialty items needed for the water station could be ordered.  We had been trying to get this vendor to complete forms since April 2023.  When Jay got involved, he would not take no for an answer.  Jay always has a positive attitude and is a team player.  His efforts have not gone unnoticed by the Procurement Office.Leslie Miller
Procurement Officer Specialist

June 28, 2024

Willis Thomas, Grounds

Hello, my name is Mitch McPhee and I’ve been a Grounds Worker for a little over 12 years now. I’m writing you today in hopes to get one of my colleagues noted in the weekly newsletter under the ‘Pat on the Back’ category toward the end of the dispatch.

His name is Willis Thomas and he’s been absolutely the most sound seasonal worker, truly worthy of a full time position, I’ve worked with in the entirety of my career here at Grounds. I’d love to give him more of an official shout out than the verbal ones I give him on a daily basis. He certainly deserves all the recognition… and then some.

Thank you for your time,

Mitch McPhee
Grounds

—

Jake Reynolds, Building Services

A big thank you to everyone that helped get these restrooms cleaned!

We greatly appreciate the quick response as well as all the hard work from the F&S team!!

Thanks again!

JOSHUA K WHITSON
Director of Facilities
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

—

Tamarra Chandler, Building Services

I don’t get to do this very often, telling you good news, but here you go 😊.

The School of Chemical Sciences wishes to send a thank you to Tamarra Chandler, the BSW that is currently working in Noyes lab.

Tamarra has been a dedicated, hardworking individual that we in SCS have seen her go the extra mile to make sure that our building is serviced.

Last week, SCS had a symposium that took place (June 17-21). This brought about thousands of visitors to campus that occupied multiple buildings on campus. Specifically Noyes lab were the main events/check-in took place. Tamarra made sure to empty all trash, clean areas that the event took place all week. This year, not once did we have trash sitting out for our team to deal with the following morning. This alone is I wish to thank her for this help.

On Friday June 21, the last day of the event and when all areas were to have a final cleaning, Tamarra was not feeling well, but came into work anyway knowing this event was going on. That we are short staffed in the building and she didn’t want to have all this left for us to take care of, so she came to work. The extra mile, hard work and dedication that Tamarra has shown here in Noyes and her past work in Chem Annex, she deserves a big thank you from our SCS team. We greatly appreciate her and willingness to go the extra mile to make sure our building is taken care of.

Please pass along our sincerely thank you for a job well done.

Thanks,

Karla Southern
School of Chemical Sciences
Assistant Director of Facilities and Safety

June 21, 2024

Grounds

Hi, our marketing and communications team takes breaks by taking a stroll around the Main Quad and we have been amazed how quickly F&S restored the lawn. We also noticed how the lawn crews seemed respectful. 

DAVID A EVENSEN
LEAD EDITORIAL SPEC
Office of Communications and Marketing
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

—

Tim Garrison, Building Services
Bob McGath, Building Services
Sean O’Donnell, Building Services

For going above and beyond and getting floors while also doing the job.

Please Advise.

Thank you.

Sibley Wong
Building Service Deep Nights Weekend Foreperson

—

Capital Programs
Steve Breitwieser, Customer Relations & Communications

Pat on the Back to Steve Breitwieser and everyone at Capital Programs who helped get that Summer Construction list up. It’s great to have a history of all the construction that’s happened on campus the last 10 years or so, including this year.

TRAVIS BENJAMIN TATEAssistant Director, Digital Strategy & Development

—

Steve Breitwieser, Customer Relations & Communications
Rebecca Bigelow, Customer Relations & Communications
Katie Balch, Customer Relations & Communications
Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

POB for Katie Balch, Rebecca Bigelow, Steve Breitwieser and Travis Tate for their work on the IDEA project. Throughout the project, there was a continual need for extensive data collection, significant writing and editing efforts, and the critical task of selecting the most relevant data for use. Both Travis and Rebecca made this item a priority understanding the quick turnaround for this project while Steve was on vacation. Katie assisted with all of the graphic design efforts throughout, sometimes with less than an hour turnaround.

Steve, as the lead communicator on this project, demonstrated unwavering dedication from beginning to end, meticulously tying up all loose ends. He maintained daily communication with everyone involved, ensuring tasks were on track and deadlines were met. His commitment to excellence never wavered, setting a high standard for the final outcome of the project.

Saludos,

Malikah Gordon
Associate Director of Customer Relations & Communications

June 7, 2024

Katie Balch, Customer Relations & Communications
Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

Great seeing you today! Just wanted to share how much our StratCom team has enjoyed the latest edition of INSIDER. We currently have a couple copies sitting in our front office for campus visitors to look at when they pick up Illinois in a Box orders.

The main highlight for us has been the impact of the braille story (cool design!) and learning about how many folks played a hand in that project. Pretty cool to see students, accessibility and facilities highlighted all in one piece. Also, we loved the Commencement story and couldn’t believe how quick you all turned to get the printed magazine out. Seeing the recent pictures after just being at the event was super neat.

Shoutout to you and your team!

KATIE WATSONAssociate Director of Institutional CommunicationsOffice of the Chancellor

—

Plumbers
Terry Bagwell
Bobby Fowler
Brett Lewis
Terry Paris
Doug Wiese

Laborers
Austin Eichelberger
Reece Klaudt
Al Munoz
Ethan Thorne

Electricians
Blake Withers
Larry Lustfeldt

Water Station
Jeff Reinhold

Plumbers
Bobby Fowler
Randy Harshbarger
JB Henning
Brett Lewis
Dan Milburn
Terry Paris

Steam Distribution
Chris Corzine
Justin Griest
Deran Huss
Brett Likens
Mason Ray
Robert Park
Jeff Thompson 

ER BSWs 
Rocio Arroyave-Jamison
Mike Benko
Marc Hollett
Jack Humphrey
Luke Panbacker
Carla Ogle

Thank you very much for the manner in which F&S responded to our water leak issues due to the rains over Memorial Day weekend. From your callback to me while on the road, to the work of each and every crew member, the responses were rapid, extensive, highly professional, and effective. Thanks to the superb work of F&S staff, the physical damage to the IGB was minimal, and there was no loss of multi-million dollar instrumentation and no loss of priceless research data.

As you may have heard, the problem was diagnosed as broken cast iron roof drainpipes–rated for 90 years, but with major failures after less than 20. Your crews diagnosed the problem, started to replace the pipes, and set up backup hydraulic pumps to prevent flooding.

IGB Facilities Director Jesse Southern is working with Bobby Fowler, the sub-foreman for the Plumber shop, on a plan to replace the rest of the pipes as soon as possible, as they are all vulnerable in light of what was seen last weekend. We were fortunate to avoid major damages and losses this time, and very much need to work quickly to eliminate this vulnerability going forward.

We truly appreciate you, your staff and their exceptional service during our time of need, and we greatly value our partnership with F&S.

If you wish to recognize the contributions of all the individuals who helped us during the long weekend and continue to offer their support, I include below their names. If this note of thanks is a bit delayed, it’s only because because we wanted to make sure to record each and every name for you, and it’s a long list!

Thanks again, and let’s hope we all have a quiet weekend this time.

Best,

GENE E. ROBINSON 
Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

May 31, 2024

Rocío Arroyave-Jamison, Building Service Worker

I wanted to share an e-mail I received earlier today regarding one of your daytime BSW’s.  Please see below and express are appreciation that was recently received regarding cleaning after the second phase of the Dean’s suite remodel:

“On behalf of the BSC staff, I wanted to let you know that the BSW worker who cleaned the BSC space over the weekend did a great job. She paid attention to every little detail and got the space cleaned and ready on time for 8:30 AM on Monday. We are truly grateful for her hard work and dedication. Please convey our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to her.”

Thanks,

Mike McGill
Assistant Director of Facilities
College of Veterinary Medicine

—

Adam Bituin, BSW/Mover 
Brian Carter, BSW/Mover 
Dave “Nightwing” Drish, BSW/Mover
Mike Hauserman, BSW/Mover
James Head, BSW/Mover
Duane Jackson, Transportation
Paul Jensen, Public Functions (supervisor)
Delbert Ketteman, BSW/Mover
Rodney “Dragon” Larkin, BSW/Mover
Saensuk Mokaphan, BSW/Mover
John Morris, BSW/Mover
Malik Ouziane, Transportation
Turhan Peacock, BSW/Mover
Joe Perkins, Movers (foreperson)
Ashley Wheatley, BSW/Mover 

I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the exceptional work you and the entire moving crew provided leading up to and over Commencement Weekend. Your dedication, efficiency, and professionalism were instrumental in ensuring the success of these important events!

The smooth execution of the set-up and breakdown processes did not go unnoticed. Your attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond truly made a significant difference. These events are crucial milestones for our university community, and your efforts helped create a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Please pass on our heartfelt thanks for everyone’s hard work and commitment. We could not have such wonderful ceremonies without the help of your amazing team and look forward to working with you on future events.

Kindest regards,

Laura Wilhelm-Barr
Senior Director of Special Events
Office of the Chancellor – Special Events / Commencement

May 24, 2024

Steve Nelligan, Information Technology Services
Michelle Costantino, Information Technology Services
Sangeetha Satyam, Information Technology Services
Brian Lewis, Information Technology Services

I am absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude for the extraordinary dedication and tireless efforts of the ITS team. Your unwavering commitment to excellence, working into the early hours of the morning, and then turning around to face the challenges of the day, is nothing short of remarkable. The past two weeks have been a testament to your exceptional commitment to your customers. You’ve not only deployed a new system, but you’ve also solved problems with a level of expertise and patience that is truly commendable. Your work ethic is unparalleled, and your dedication goes beyond the call of duty. I am truly appreciative of your efforts and the sacrifices you’ve made. Thank you for your exceptional service! You are the unsung heroes of our organization. Keep up the fantastic work!

Patrick Duda
F&S Information Technology Services

—

Kimberly McLaughlin-Garrison, Facilities Information Resources

I wanted to drop a note and let you know how great it is to work with Kimberly McLaughlin-Garrison. No matter what question(s) I have for her about Archibus or print/layout related she always seems to have the answer and if she doesn’t she’s happy to connect me with the correct person. She’s always patient and kind and just a real joy to work with. Thank you for staffing F&S with people like Kimberly.

Thanks,

Luke Prunkard
Facility Operations Coordinator
Department of Physics

May 17, 2024

OUTSTANDING PURCHASE ORDER SUPPORT
Karen Johnson, Procurement Services

I’d like to give a Pat on the Back to Karen.  On Tuesday, May 14, I created a PO that had errors.  She reached out to me directly in an email and assisted me in getting the PO created to keep our project going.  I feel this extra step I apricate most.  Karen could have just declined the PO request and I would of just created a new request.  When Karen reached out to me, I feel she went the extra mile to ensure I am taken care of so our work can continue in a timely manner.  Thanks, Karen!!!

Will Corum
Electrician Sub-Foreperson

May 10, 2024

Adam Bituin, Building Services
Brian Carter, Building Services
Dave Drish, Building Services
Mike Hauserman, Building Services
James Head, Building Services
Delbert Ketteman, Building Services
Rodney “Dragon” Larkin, Building Services
Saensuk Mokaphan, Building Services
John Morris, Building Services
Turhan “T” Peacock, Building Services
Ashley Wheatley, Building Services

I wanted to send out a Pat on the Back to all the members of the BSW-Moving Crew-Public Function & Window Washing Crew. They ALL have been an amazing team working very hard at completing work orders leading up the final weeks of school before Graduation. Graduation season is a very busy time for our Shop and they “Knocked it out of the Park” this year. No matter how much work was given each day, they completed and returned to get more. The TEAM not only handled the heavy schedule of Public Functions, but still took care of multiple building to building department moves, over 40 large surplus work orders and a few buildings windows washed.   

Thank you all for the outstanding work.JOSEPH E PERKINS
BSW-MOVING CREW-PUBLIC FUNCTION-WINDOW WASHING FOREMAN

May 3, 2024

Paul Jensen, Public Functions

A quick note on the excellent support I have received from Public Functions Paul Jensen. Over the last couple of years specifically I have this experience of contacting Paul and he has always been helpful and extremely responsive. I really appreciate the support/service from him.

Regards,

David H. Boehm MPA, CEM, CEFPDirector, Building Maintenance & Grounds

—

Julie O’Mahoney, Energy Services

Thank you, Julie, for everything you’ve done in pulling together materials for the Energy Management Systems Controls showcases! You arranged for group photos and sought out dynamic images of past projects. You consolidated multiple bits of text into streamlined Word files. You reviewed PDFs and pointed out changes that make the content stronger. All of this on top of everything else you handle. I appreciate your time and resourcefulness!

Thank you,

Karen Hawk
Program Coordinator, F&S Utilities Distribution

—

Cliff Busby, Building Services

I wanted to pass along some positive feedback from one of the labs your folks worked on for 318 RAL. Dr. Kai Zhang was extremely pleased with the job you all did. We don’t get enough positive feedback so when we do, it’s important to make sure everyone knows about it. So please let your guys know that this extra effort is appreciated by not only DRS but the faculty you are serving.

Best,

Linda

Associate Director/Biosafety Officer
Division of Research SafetyOffice of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

—

Mary Mathiews, Building Services

I would like to send out a Pat on the Back for one of my BSW’s, Mary Mathiews. I had a request from one of my buildings to go in and sweep and wet mop quite a few offices/labs at the Nuclear Physics Lab facility. This was not something that could be done with my weekend shift. So, when Mary came in I gave her the list of rooms and a few additional room that they added. Mary went over to the building, and I wanted to pass along their praises for Mary: I wanted to pass on that the F&S staff member who did them(the floors), Mary, was absolutely wonderful and accommodating and did a great job! 🙂

Mary is a very good BSW and loves to keep busy, she was the right person for this job 😊 Thank you Mary

Thank you,

Carla Marie Ogle
BUILDING SERVICE SUPERVISOR, F&S

—

Ron Johnson, Building Services

I would like to send out a Pat on the Back for BSW Ron Johnson. I had a building that needed a little TLC, so I called Ron, and he was willing and ready to go over to this building SMFS. And get it cleaned up for me. Here is what the building contact said about Ron as well “The very kind gentleman arrived at Noon and has been hard at work, including mopping, since arriving. We really appreciate the lightning-fast service call.” Thank you Ron for all of your hard work, we appreciate all you do!!

Thank you,

Carla Marie Ogle
BUILDING SERVICE SUPERVISOR, F&S

—

Jamison Weber, Information Technology Services
Dustin Hasty, Information Technology Services
Nikkole Duda, Information Technology Services

Big shout out for the quick response from the IT department Jamison Weber, Dustin Hasty, and Nikkole Duda. In the past few weeks there have been several time where either computer, programs, or printer have been messed up and all three responded and were able to fix our concerns so we can continue to do our part to maintain campus. Great Job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Al York
Steam Distribution Foreman

April 26, 2024

Kayla Miller, Building Services

On Friday, April 19, 2024, I was having a meeting with Mr. Hasty, He expressed how well Kayla takes care of the 3rd floor areas which make the College look very well presented.

Thank you for taking the initiative to keep you job assignment as clean as you can and taking the extra initiative. I really appreciate everything you do, and I know I can count on you!

Sincerely,

Jayson Oskard
Building Service Supervisor

—

Steve Kucera, Building Services
Jayson Oskard, Building Services

I would like to put in a PoB for both Building Service Supervisor Jayson Oskard and Building Service Worker Steve Kucera.

We appreciate and commend Jayson’s leadership and Steve’s quick action and service at the Henry Administration Building yesterday.

Thank you,

MACIE SINN
Office Manager

—

James Scherer, Service Office

I would like to submit a POB for James Scherer, for his outstanding facilitation at our recent Facility Liaison meeting! His skilled leadership, teamwork, and commitment to service excellence ensured seamless discussions on critical topics like outages, personnel updates, and other Service Office operational tasks. James’ dedication to transparency and clarity greatly impressed both our team and the facility contacts in attendance.

Malikah A. Gordon
Associate Director of Customer Relations & Communications

—

Laborers Shop

I wanted to extend a “Pat on the Back” to the Laborers Shop for recently cleaning up the mechanical spaces at the Engineering Sciences Building. We have a significant amount of maintenance/recommissioning work we are completing in the mechanical spaces at ESB and were having difficulty working around some of the debris that had accumulated over the years. The Laborers went above and beyond to make the space cleaner and safer for us to work in. Thank you to those that helped over at ESB – your hard work is appreciated!

Thanks

JOHN R. SUMMERS, PE, LEED AP
Management Engineer

—

Many thanks to the F&S folks who aided the Boneyard Creek Cleanup. Not only did they participate last weekend, but many of them brought at least one friend or family member to help as well. Thank you to everyone who represented F&S well, including these staff members:

Jeremy Neighbors, Safety & Compliance
Sarthak Prasad, Transportation
Amber Perfetti, Utilities & Energy Services
Betsy Richardson, Safety & Compliance
Colleen Ruhter, Safety & Compliance
Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

April 19, 2024

Nico Vandeveer, Building Maintenance
Matt Walsh, Building Maintenance
Chris Harpst, Building Maintenance

Jaw dropping service and a spirit of excellence!

I want to give a shout-out to three amazing Facilities & Services employees who removed tracks and old bulleting board from my wall (thank you Matt & Chris) and Nico who came yesterday and patched all the holes in the wall and then painted my office (amazing job). And then Matt Walsh again who came early this morning and hung my new bulleting board and left a “have a great day!” note for me.

I was so impressed by their promptness (this got done so much quicker than I expected), their friendliness and professionalism, and their spirit of excellence they put into their work. My office looks amazing! Thank you, thank you! You should be proud to have such an excellent team at F&S!

BRENDA WILLIAMS
Marketing & Web Specialist
Tax School Program

—

Ryan Logsdon, Building Maintenance

On April 9, I submitted the below work order at 1:55p. By 3pm the same day, Ryan with the Systems & Controls shop had stopped by my office and let me know that he had it fixed and back to working order. I couldn’t believe how quick of a turnaround this was and even had the courtesy to stop by the DPW office and give us the update. Thank you for doing all you do. The hard work and attention to detail (for all F&S shops) do not go unnoticed.

Nicole L. Griffin
Facilities Specialist
Department of Public Works

—

Jim Sims, Engineering & Construction Services

I want to thank Jim for taking the time to meet with the deep night shift. They often feel a bit “detached” from F&S and to have another Director step up and meet with them is notable. Jim deserves a PotB for getting up way before before the crack of dawn to facilitate this discussion with the Deep Night supervisory team.

Pete Varney
Director of Transportation & Building Services

April 12, 2024

Judy Sleeth, Building Services

I was walking through the first floor of IGB this morning and noticed how clean it was and I wanted to express my gratitude for your efforts to keep our building looking so good.  You consistently keep us looking great and I wanted to pass along my thanks!

With much appreciation,

Jesse Southern

Director of Operations and Facilities

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology 

April 5, 2024

The Daily Illini (DI) recently announced its 2024 Best of CU Award winners. The winners were chosen by DI readers and covered such categories as Best Dining Hall, Best Park, Best Pizza, and Best Grocery Store. This year, the DI also asked for the best place to go, when you have to go. Readers chose the CIF basement restrooms as their top choice for this activity. The bathrooms in the basement of the Campus Instructional Facility earned accolades for clean facilities. The DI noted full soap dispensers and stocked paper towels and toilet paper dispensersas key to the bathroom’s win. Readers also appreciated the clean stalls and sparkling mirrors near the sinks, as well as “no trash on the floor with little to no overflow in the trash can.” Congratulations to the building service workers and supervisors responsible for the CIF basement restrooms (listed below) for a job well done. Also, kudos to those who service the second- and third-place bathroom winners: the Siebel Center for Design and Business Instructional Facility, respectively.

Amber Ali
Anthony Barber
Ruslan Buravlev
Reginald Carr
Nia Diaz
Christopher Clayborn
Arthur Eaton
Joelee Obregon
Julie O’Donnell
Troy Rippon
Sharice Ruth
Roy Specht
Michael West

For more on the 2024 Best of CU Awards, see https://dailyillini.com/buzz-stories/2024/03/28/best-of-cu-2024-results/.

March 29, 2024

Matt Flaningam, Building Services
Ray Cook, Building Services
Markius McCartney, Building Services
James Hudson, Building Services
Joe Green, Building Services

Can you pass along my sincere gratitude to the flooring crew responsible for the recent work in MSEB? They are currently working on the floors in the 1st floor and have a couple more layers to go. It already looks amazing and better than I have ever seen it!!

I am very thankful and impressed! I am appreciative of their hard work. Thanks for everything

Nicole Robards
Associate Director of Facilities and Operations
Materials Science and Engineering
Ceramics Building

—

Bryan Allen, Building Services
Keyanah Carter, Building Services
Deontae Winfrey, Building Services

We appreciate your sincere efforts to keep Lincoln Hall clean. A staff member wanted to compliment the BSWs on doing a fantastic job cleaning the bathroom areas.

We appreciate all your hard work!

All the best,BRITTANY JONES
Office of the Dean
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

March 22, 2024

Ralph Nevils, Building Services

I want to thank Ralph who I was told washed and waxed the women’s locker room floor at the police department.  He did an excellent job. The floor had not been done in years and was very dirty and stained. He did a great job and I think him for all his hard work on the floor. He took the time to do it right. I appreciate his hard work. Thank You. Barb

AC. Barbara Robbins
University of Illinois Police Department

March 15, 2024

Greg Moen, Building Maintenance

Thank you to Greg Moen for his quick response in adjusting the lighting in my office.  Within minutes of my request, Greg was in my office with a ladder.  I appreciated the speed in which he responded and his various suggestions on how to solve the issue.  I can tell a noticeable difference and my workspace is already much more comfortable!

Fran Bell
HR Coordinator, F&S

March 7, 2024

Rocio Arroyave-Jamison, Building Services
Kyle Jones, Building Services
Jayson Oskard, Building Services
Troy Rippon, Building Services
John Stultz, Jr., Building Services

We arrived today to a beautiful, sparkling newly-waxed floor….it is truly like diamonds in the sun! We are deeply appreciative for your care and hard work. THANK YOU!!! We will be reminded of this special treatment for a long time to come.

Best,

Martha Gillette
Professor
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology

—

Bob Bryant, Design Services
Mike Halm, Design ServicesJason Reynolds, Construction Services

I am grateful for your team executing this for us! I would have loved to send this to you much sooner, but unfortunately the details surrounding this project did not become fully known until 2/12/2024. Up until that point, the research team was simply wanting to install a piece of equipment that required some fume hood demo/install that we had engaged Engineering Design for originally, but then turned into a much larger project necessitating more scope for Engineering Design… and their time frame can’t change because of grant dollars being impacted by this project. Mike and Bob have been very accommodating given the short notice, and I am very grateful for their flexibility! Also, we have been collaborating with Jason about the execution of this project and we have come up with a plan that we believe limits the impact to other campus commitments… and as I expected, Jason has been great to work with.

Thanks again and I do appreciate your team’s hard work on this!JOSHUA K WHITSON
Director of Facilities
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

March 1, 2024

Karl Helmink, Utilities & Energy Services
Andy Robinson, Utilities & Energy Services
Rob Roman, Utilities & Energy Services

You guys did a great job on the conference this week. It had a good cross section of speakers, a lot of active and engaged sponsors, and you were able to draw in the audience. I’m impressed, and I hope to attend again in the future. 

Thanks!

Morgan White (she/her)
Interim Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of Facilities & Services Designate 

February 23, 2024

Ray Cook, Building Services

Matt Flaningam, Building Services

James Gillen, Building Services

Joe Green, Building Services

Markius McCartney, Building Services

James Hudson, Building Services

Roger Treakle, Building Services

We cannot thank you enough for the work at the Music Building!!! The floors are beautiful.

Miranda Molina

Music Facilities

—

Jeffrey Deem, Building Services

Thank you for taking care of this so quickly! Holy cow! The desks in CSL 139 look great! 

Your diligence and dependability help make my job much easier – you rock!

Clint D. Harper

Facility Operations Coordinator

Coordinated Science Laboratory

—

Delbert Ketteman, Building Services

Saensuk Mokaphan, Building Services

The beams in DCL are looking so much better. I appreciate Delbert and Saensuk’s hard work. Thanks again for making them available while the lift is in DCL.

Lori Beeson

Senior Facilities Planner Technology Services, Digital Computer Laboratory

February 16, 2024

OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER KEY SERVICE

Cynthia Burnett, Locksmiths
Kelly Hutcherson, Locksmiths

Thanks to the Locksmiths for always being there to assist Customer Relations & Communications projects and initiatives quickly and sublimely. Your help, know-how, and collaboration are greatly appreciated!

Steve Breitwieser
Manager of Communications & External Relations

February 9, 2024

DJ McFarland, Building Maintenance

Just a quick note of a job well done on this work order to prevent people climbing on top of the Talbot roof via the CIF generator enclosure. Looks great and will make it much harder for someone to grab the top of the door to pull themselves up.

Thanks

ERIC VETTER
CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITY MANAGER

—

Ron Johnson, Building Services

On Sunday I was called out to Illinois Sustainable Research for a glycol leak in the building. The fan in the attic had a leak in the coil. The attic was flooded with glycol and was leaking down to the floor below. Ron Johnson was the only person available for the job. Ron worked very hard making multiple trips with equipment, up and down the two flights of stairs to the attic to clean it up. He should recognized for his effort.

Kevin Karnes
F&S Steam Distribution Operator

February 2, 2024

Dee Carr, Building Maintenance

Thank you for sending your team out to Turner Student Services Building!  We really appreciate how quickly you responded to our needs. One of your team members was at Swanlund removing two fluorescent bulbs for my colleague on the 1st floor. Your staff person was very friendly. He was very kind and said to just let him know if taking out 2 bulbs made it too dark for the person in that room. My colleague was very pleased with the outcome.  The lights were giving her a headache.

Thanks,
Julie Shaffer
Director of Budgeting and Finance

—

Mike Brown, Engineering Services
Kelly Jo Hoffmann, Energy Services
Jake Jakobsson, Engineering Services
Dave Lancaster, Engineering Services

I wanted to send my thanks to you and your inspection team for their diligence, thoroughness and cooperation as we navigate construction completion and our impending move. I know this project is a new endeavor for us all, with F&S as AHJ, but it not being an F&S project, and we’ve all had some adjustments to make, but in the end, it’s been a successful project (just a bit late!). We look forward to achieving full occupancy and hosting you all this spring sometime after our staff get settled in and operational.

Best,

Christy Devocelle, COO/CFO
U of I Foundation

I too would like to add my thanks to Christy’s comments.  After a quick walk through the building yesterday, I have a much greater appreciation for the process and the work the inspectors still need to complete.  I was there during the lunch hour and said hello to Dave, who was clearly working through the noon hour to get us to the finish line. While we are indeed excited to move into our new Center, the inspection work is important and is also helpful to us as we wrap things up with our Design/Build partners. Many thanks again for your continued support and partnership!

Best,

James H. Moore, Jr.
President/CEO
University of Illinois Foundation

—

Al Munoz, Building Maintenance
Steve Griswold, Building Maintenance

For the last few weeks, I have had Steve Griswold, and Al Munoz working with me on cleaning mechanical rooms in my area. I can’t believe the difference this has made. Over time, this has become a clear safety hazard in some areas. Steve and Al have cleaned and removed large amounts of debris in the rooms they’ve completed. They have cleaned two mechanical rooms at Burrill hall, mechanical rooms at Noyes lab, Davenport Hall, and Medical Sciences. It makes it so much easier to get to things like pressure gauges to monitor system operation, or repairing a leak without obstructions all around us. I would like to thank the Labor shop for sending us two hard workers that communicate well, and have such great attention to detail. They’re making a huge difference in these areas. This type of work ethic deserves to be noticed.

Les Siefert
Shop 23
Pipefitters

January 26, 2024

Luis Michel, Building Maintenance

This is Rose from the University of Illinois extension. I’m just calling to commend Luis. He was out back in Mumford today by his truck and the walkway from the back parking lot up to the building was a sheet of ice. And I’m handicapped. And he walked me up to the doors. He didn’t have to do that, but he saw I was struggling and he did. So I really want to commend him for that. Thank you! Bye.

Rose Sisco
Illinois Extension

—

Utilities Distribution:

Robbie Bauer

Frank Colacicco

Shop 25:

Jeff Isaacs

CITES:

Ryan Mills

Steam Shop:

Justin Schmidt

Cory Kappes

Al York

Jason Gramlich

Jeff Thompson

Water Station:

Adam Pannbacker

Brian Barto

Jeff Ingold

Jeff Reinhold

Labor Shop:

Rube King

Brad Eichelberger

Ethan Thorne

Steve Griswald

Shane English

Kenny Carter

Driver’s

Gary Cole

Montez Harris

Roy Dunaway

Trey Coleman

Operating Engineers 

Mark Stine

Andrew Moore

I wanted to extend a thank you to your team for the fast and effective responses to the broken pipes that caused flooding and impacted the Technology Services nodes Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The one last night was particularly challenging and impactful, and the reports I have received praised the F&S team response. Our teams working together prevented any equipment loss or downtime.

Drew MacGregor
Deputy CIO for IT Operations

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Office of the Chief Information Officer

—

Ryan Hardwick, Building Services
John Miller, Building Services
Roger Treakle, Building Services

Thank you so much!!!  We appreciate all you and your team did for us last night.

We were able to clear the lambs tongue outside and hopefully the drain on the roof will

free up as well as the day goes on. We have fans and dehumidifiers going and will most

likely go through tomorrow.  We are also having the HVAC run continuously to keep air

movement going.

Thanks again!

Carol

I wanted to take a quick minute to thank the night team for the great work they did last night regarding the leak in

the Deloitte Auditorium.  Roger and his team called in the leak, got brutes under the leak as much as possible and were mopping

up water all night.  They saved the day, as the damage could have been much worse if not for them.  Please give them our thanks!!

Joe,

John Miller took over after the night team left and did a great job as well.  He continued to mop up water, monitored the brutes and got fans to help dry the

We appreciate all of his efforts.  Please give him our thanks!

Carol Young
Gies College of Business

January 19, 2024

Erika Lee, Capital Programs
Joe Perkins, Transportation & Building Services
Mark Roessler, Capital Programs

The movers finished yesterday, and I thought you’d like an update. First off, a huge than you to Joe and Erika. Because of all your assistance and prep work, the entire move went quickly and smoothly. We were able to provide the move crew with floor plans showing exactly what needed to move, where it came from, and where it was supposed to go. Everything fit!

Joe, The moving team was efficient, self-sufficient, and full of good humor. They were a pleasure to work with and we are grateful for their help and problem-solving skills. They found room for everything and stored them in a manner that should mean moving back into the offices will be smooth. Please extend my thanks to them.

Erika, we couldn’t have done this without you, the floor plans were clear, and everything has a place. In fact, we even have unused space, which is not a bad thing! I think this will facilitate moving back into the offices next year and I’m eternally grateful for your space planning insight.

Mark, we have those two pesky tables, but we also left file cabinets and bookcases in offices, so I’m not overly concerned. The tables are out of the skylight room, and they shouldn’t be much of a hinderance to the sprinkler/lighting installation.

Again, Thanks to all of you for your work on this part of our big project.

Regards,

Diane Gutenkauf
Senior Assistant Director, Operations & Strategy
Krannert Art Museum

—

Tony Battaglia, Capital Programs

Thank you so much. Jesse shared the design plans for the proposal and they look great. Thank you, Tony! It is excellent having you on our team, not to mention a big relief.

We are chugging along with the scientific part. All the pieces are coming together.

SUBHA SRINIVASAN, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Research and Operations
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB)

—

Susan Zich, Customer Relations & Communications

I want to express my gratitude for your recent communication and for keeping everyone informed.

My parent and I had the opportunity to call you earlier, Susan, today regarding the concern for ice/snow, particularly inquiring about the clearing of my parking space in E20 that’s near the signage of Weston Hall – the last parking spot accessible area. Given the recent heavy snowfall and -30 degree weather here at home and my returning to campus tomorrow early morning around 7am, we wanted to ensure that my parking spot would be cleared of snow and/or ice, with some salt applied to melt any accumulated snow/ice.

As I rely on crutches to access my wheelchair in the car, it is crucial for me to have a cleared and safe parking space. Your confirmation on this matter would be greatly appreciated. I believe in the past I saw some folks spreading salt on to parking spaces, and the handicap accessible spaces, as well, during last Winter, or so, and wasn’t sure if this is done so for this time around too. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I appreciate your assistance in ensuring the accessibility of my parking space. I understand the challenges posed by the inclement weather, and I want to thank you in advance for your efforts. And in the morning, I’ll be sure to complete a removal request form, as well, just in case it cannot be looked at until tomorrow morning. 

Wishing you and everyone else a warm and safe time during these winter conditions.

Thank you,

Alyx Bibbs
College of Applied Health Sciences, Class of 2025

—

Jeff Deem, Building Maintenance
Jacob Reynolds, Building Services
Raymond Roy, Building Services
Roy Specht, Building Services
Mason Boyd, Building Services
Mary Mathiews, Building Services
William Navas, Building Services
Carla Ogle, Building Services
Patrick Reynolds, Building Services
Brad Stevenson, Building Services
Sherry Tanner, Building Services

Just wanted to say thank you to you guys for all you do! You have all had your hands full recently with all of campus and I am very appreciative of your response to take care of us here at Beckman! It is appreciated by many people here… so thank you!

Keep up the great work and thanks again!

JOSHUA K WHITSON
Director of Facilities
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

—

Todd Woods, Building Maintenance
Anthony Hubbard, Building Maintenance
Matt Dalton, Building Maintenance
Adam Pannbacker, Building Maintenance
Jeff Reinhold, Building Maintenance
Jeff Ingold, Building Maintenance
JOSEPH RUDICIL, Building Maintenance
TERRY PARIS, Building Maintenance
MATTHEW FAULKNER, Building Maintenance
Dan Hiser, Transportation
Montez Harris, Transportation
Trawick Coleman, Transportation
Andrew Moore, Building Maintenance
Mark Stine, Building Maintenance

I wanted to extend a thank you to your team for the fast and effective responses to the broken pipes that caused flooding and impacted the Technology Services nodes Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The one last night was particularly challenging and impactful, and the reports I have received praised the F&S team response. Our teams working together prevented any equipment loss or downtime.

Drew MacGregor
Deputy CIO for IT Operations
Technology Services

 —

Travis Huls, Building Maintenance 
Kyler Gorman, Building Maintenance 
Paul Barton, Building Maintenance 
Frank Boland, Building Maintenance 
Eric Hall, Building Maintenance 
Rob Jamison, Building Maintenance 
Craig Wittig, Building Maintenance 
Bruce Frerichs, Building Maintenance 
Bill Heinz, Building Maintenance 
Bill Buesing, Building Maintenance 
Doug Dahl, Building Maintenance 
Jeff Revell, Building Maintenance 
Ted Burgin, Building Maintenance 
Ryan Logsdon, Building Maintenance 
RJ Hettinger, Building Maintenance 

I would like to give the following employees “Pats on the Back” for coming in during the extremely cold weather and working long hours to keep the campus comfortable.

Mike Voorhees
Management Engineer Shops 41 & 55, F&S

January 12, 2024

PPSB ELECTRICAL OUTAGE RESPONSE
Greg Moen, Building Maintenance & Grounds

During a scheduled electrical outage for PPSB, it was discovered that some of the egress lighting was not operational, when members of the Capital Programs were still working, power was turned off, and it became too dark to be able to exit the work area. The next morning, when I learned of the issue, I spoke to Greg Moen about getting someone from Shop 1 to assist in getting the lamps replaced, that were burnt out. That same day, he took it upon himself to go through and replace the lamps, and set up a WO for shop 3 electricians to work on the fixtures requiring a new ballast. His prompt response, on a matter of safety for the occupants of the space, is just another of example of how Greg goes about his day to day, making the university a better place than how he found it. Thanks Greg Moen.

 Josh Pellum
ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENT, Facilities & Services

January 5, 2024

SUPPORTING THE STEAM DISTRIBUTION OPERATORS

Jerry Dinnin, Service Office
Fran Bell, Human Resources, Diversity & Strategy

I want to nominate Jerry Dinnin, and Fran Bell for Pats on the Back.  

Both Jerry and Fran have gone out of their way to help keep our steam shop going and deserve a pat on the back.

Thanks,

Al York
Steam Distribution Foreperson

2023

December 21, 2023

Cliff Busby, Building Services

I wanted to send you and whoever is the head of the BSW workers in RAL about Cliff.  

Last week he approached me about cleaning our floors in 219/221 (since they were pretty gross). He finished the job in 2 hours that day and did an excellent job. He has also asked to do the floors in our office (222 today). I am very appreciative of his initiative and excellent work. Thank you!

TERESA ANNE MARTIN, PHD
COORD OF RES PRGMChemical and Biomolecular EngineeringCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences Administration

December 15, 2023

Jordyn Brock, Building Maintenance

Mary McElvain presented at the 8th grade career conference today to discuss EHS careers. Completely unsolicited she said that Jordyn from the fitters shop was an excellent presenter. Just wanted to pass along the compliment on what a great ambassador Jordyn was today.

Jeremy Neighbors
Director of Safety & Compliance

—

Leslie Miller, Shared Administrative Services

Thanks for the great support from Procurement Leslie Miller helping us!

Dave Boehm
Building Maintenance

—

Allyson Andres, Building Services
Reggie Carr, Building Services
Gerald Kocher, Building Services
Owen Lindsey, Building Services
Doug Robertson, Building Services
Markell White, Building Services

Thank you for the due diligence and alertness!!  Let me follow up with the Head of Grainger regarding the homeless man and what she’s put out as any operational practice.

Separately, Reggie and his crew have been doing an amazing job at Grainger.  Patrons and staff are taking note and have been very complimentary.

Thank you

Tim Newman
Assistant Dean, University Library

—


Iron Workers

I wanted to send you the email below from one of our new Faculty members in the Chemistry dept. We had the Iron workers out yesterday to assist with moving equipment. The Iron worker shop in whole is a phenomenal group of individuals and I greatly appreciate their help. Thought you should see the email I received yesterday, this is wonder.

Thanks,

Karla Southern

School of Chemical Sciences

Assistant Director of Facilities and Safety

December 8, 2023

Jerry Dinnin
Molly Mitsdarfer
Melissa Price
Susan Zich
James Scherer
Dustin Hasty
Brad Trankina
Steve Breitwieser
Travis Tate

During the temporary phone line outage, Service Office team stayed late and/or came back into the office and worked with ITS and Technology Services to try and find a quick resolution to the problem.

With guidance from ITS, Steve and Travis updated the website notifying campus customers of the issue. Steve also quickly created a news item detailing the problem and sharing the temporary solution.

Brad and Dustin remained in contact with the team after hours on Monday and provided regular updates until the phones were back online Wednesday morning.

Saludos,

Malikah Gordon
Associate Director, Customer Relations & Communications

—

Kyle Jones, Building Services
Roy Specht, Building Services
Allan Polk, Building Services

Hope your holiday break was relaxing. I wanted to follow up with you from our talk we had when you visited HMNTL.

It’s not often that people take the time to say thank you or you’re doing a good job about your BSW staff. I imagine you get mostly negative emails regarding cleaning. As you walked the building this evening, I was glad that I had the opportunity to try and let you know how happy we are to have them. Even with me saying were not always fully staffed which would be nice you could tell how clean the facility is. We have seen both in here when not feeling good and they still work just as if they were healthy.

What you don’t see from walking the building is how many times they have been on top of things prior to us getting to the building. Couple months ago, we had a sink break and leaking water from Bio lab on 3rd floor to 2nd floor. They contacted Roy to let him know what was going on and then sent out a text to let me and the facilities know. I would like to say that the building runs, but things break and having the crew has helped in so many ways. Roy is always fast to come follow up on any trouble that comes up in the building. Facility, staff, and students know them by name due to the customer service that they provide daily. We have truly lucked out having them in this building.

Please let know if you have any questions. Have a great day.

Respectfully,

Corinna Funkhouser, Facility Operations Specialist
Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory

November 22, 2023

Randy Bachert, Engineering & Construction Services
Cheryl Bicknell, Capital Programs
Quinn Connolly, Sustainability
Bryan Elliott, Engineering & Construction Services
Brian Finet, Engineering & Construction Services
Jon Hasselbring, Capital Programs
Brian Huckstep, Engineering & Construction Services
Jake Jakobsson, Engineering & Construction Services
Sanja Koric, Engineering & Construction Services
Dave Lancaster, Engineering & Construction Services
Donna McClure, Engineering & Construction Services
Lisa Peacock, Engineering & Construction Services
Josh Pellum, Engineering & Construction Services
Kevin Price, Capital Programs
Mark Roessler, Capital Programs
Tony Spurlock, Utilities & Energy Services
Joe Villanti, Capital Programs
Morgan White, Sustainability
Joseph Youakim, Engineering & Construction Services

The Demirjian Soccer/Track Project is now LEED Silver Certified. Thanks for all your work to help the project achieve this goal. Attached is the updated list of LEED projects and the LEED certification report. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign currently features 32 LEED® certified projects, with several more projects in the active certification process.

Thanks,

Brian D Huckstep, LEED AP
Lead Inspector, Construction Superintendent
Engineering Services, Commissioning & Inspection

November 17, 2023

Brendin Davey, Building Services
Mel Kocher, Building Services
Doug Robertson, Building Services

I meant to tell you that last week for our high-end event the BSW’s had the building looking spectacular! Please thank them on behalf of BioE!!

Thank you,

Aaron Wilken
Facilities Operations Coordinator 
Department of Bioengineering | The Grainger College of Engineering 

—

Mary Jane Gilly, Safety & Compliance

I want to thank Mary Jane Gilly for seamlessly taking over the billing for our fire extinguisher program and our food service program. She made a big difference in our office.  

Thanks

Brenda Houy

Sr. Field Safety SpecialistFacilities & Services

November 10, 2023

SUPERB GAS ODOR RESPONSE
Jennifer Howard, Building Services
Carla Ogle, Building Services

I write with great appreciation for the BSW crew in MSEB who quite literally saved the building this morning.

Jennifer noted a strong gas smell coming from one of the labs this morning and called campus police after quickly consulting with Carla Ogle.  They alerted the fire department who was quickly on site to discover a natural gas valve that had been not completely closed in the lab. They were able to get it shut off an the room aired out.  Carla was able to call me before campus police got in touch with me so I met with the fire department. 

A huge shout out to this team.  Had this gone unaddressed – this could have been catastrophic! SO THANKFUL FOR THIS GREAT TEAM.

Nicole Robards
Associate Director of Facilities and Operations
Materials Science and Engineering

F&S INSIDER FEATURE STORY ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS AT THE HARDING BAND BUILDING
Priyanna Shah, Customer Relations & Communications

Hello, Priyanna!

Thanks so much and what a wonderful story. My goodness…you are too kind and really good at what you do. Appreciate this very awesome story. 

 Barry Houser
Director of Marching Illini

GREAT MAINTENANCE SUPPORT FOR ONGOING RADIATOR ISSUES
David Smithenry, Pipefitters
Doug Winkler, Pipefitters

Each year we have some issues with the radiators and some of the valves that are in 1207 Oregon as cooler weather hits. Doug Winkler is aware of these issues.

I emailed Doug and he returned my email right away. He then said he would be out the next morning to address the issue.

The next morning he contacted me and said that he and David Smithenry were on their way. I took them around to the rooms with issues and they noted each issue. They stopped to answer questions of the administration in the building.

I feel like Doug and David went above and beyond. They were great and it was noticed by the LLS administration. I was hoping you could share with whomever appropriate to send my gratitude on their exceptional customer service.

Thanks,

NATHAN PAYNE
Facilities Operations Coordinator

School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics and LAS Administration 

November 3, 2023

Marcus Albert, Building Maintenance
Chris Doxtator, Building MaintenanceI would like to have Marcus Albert and Chris Doxtator recognized for their work at Ag Engineering room 158 light fixtures. The customer emailed “They look amazing!” and “We appreciate everyone’s assistance”. I would like them recognized for their hard work and efforts.

 Thanks,

Todd Woods
Electrician Foreperson

—

Cliff Busby, Building ServicesDemeka Poke, Building Services

Side note, I’m very pleased with the crew that did this work. I believe Chris was one of them that worked on the room, he really tried to get that carpet cleaned. I spoke with him directly when I saw them entering the work to get started and he was excited to show me how it turned out. The room was pretty bad and looks great for the shape that it was in. So please pass along my thank you to them both.

Thank you,

Karla Southern
School of Chemical Sciences
Assistant Director of Facilities and Safety

—

Tammara Greer, Building Services

We so appreciate Tammara Greer’s dedication, professionalism, and willingness to help everyone at any given time.  Tammara is always looking for ways to improve whatever she comes across and the pride she takes in her work shows!

Recently, Tammara gave me some words of wisdom which I really needed that day.  She’s like a big, warm hug and exemplifies our commitment to each other and our customers. 

Thank you, Tammara!!! Stephanie Landess
Executive Assistant
Office of the Executive Director, Facilities & Services

October 27, 2023

Rene Algiene, Building Maintenance
Todd Hawkins, Building Maintenance
Mike Paris, Building Maintenance

Wanted to pass on some positive feedback for the Ironworkers and their effort to install 7 door bollards at CIF this past Saturday, 10/21. Todd Hawkins, Erik Davis, and Mike Paris were the guys on site. The door bollards are to serve as door stops on the exterior entrances to prevent the wind (or students) from opening doors beyond 90 degrees which has been stressing the door hardware since CIF opening. Joe Villanti and I had marked the locations on Friday, Todd visited Friday afternoon to confirm logistics, and performed the install Saturday morning. I was concerned with the core drilling making a mess at the entries, but they did such a good job cleaning up after themselves it doesn’t even look like the door bollards were just installed. The posts are in nice and straight so the doors are making contact with both bumpers at the same time.

I appreciate the talented trades we have on campus and this job performed by the Ironworkers is a testament to that. Thank you!

ERIC VETTER
CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITY MANAGER

—

Scott Johnson, Building Services

I hope you’re having a great week so far! I work for Strategic Marketing and Communications (formerly known as Public Affairs) under Robin Kaler’s leadership, and I wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know how exceptional your team is! Scott Johnson has been our BSW over at 507 E Green Street and our entire office notices how hard he works to create a clean and enjoyable environment for us. He is always cheerful when doing his work and goes above and beyond in his attention to detail – inside and outside of the building. He’s awesome to work with, and he represents Facilities and Services in such a wonderful way that deserves some recognition.

Thanks for all you and your team do to serve our campus! It doesn’t go unseen and is SO appreciated by many of us!!!

MICHELLE HASSEL
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Office of the Chancellor
Public Affairs

—

Melody Decker, Building Services

I just want to give a shout out to our newest BSW for our airport facilities. I only know her as Melody. But the airport has never looked better in the last 20 years than it does now.  She is obviously a hard worker.

Mike Schlosser
Retired Director
University of Illinois Police Training Institute

October 20, 2023

Leslie Miller, Shared Administrative Services

While I was on a work Trip in New York, there was a snafu with payment of my hotel. I contacted Leslie for help, not realizing she was home sick at the time, she went right at it and worked tirelessly until it was fixed, giving me updates the whole time. She was amazing. Thank you, Leslie!

KATIE BALCH
Graphic Design AssociateCustomer Relations & Communications

October 13, 2023

Ray Cook, Building Services
Matt Flaningam, Building Services

Thanks for getting the Floors Cleaned and Waxed they look nice again.

Roger Treakle
Building Services

—

Chad Franks, Building Services
Ryan Hardwick, Building Services
Dean Le, Building Services

I just wanted to let you know that when I got to BIF this morning, I noticed how nice the building looked.
The east stairwell looked really good and the chairs were all pushed in to the desks in the classrooms.  

Please give Ryan, Chad and Dean our thanks! We would love to keep them all in BIF if it’s possible.

Have a great weekend!
Carol Young
Facility Operations Coordinator
Gies College of Business

October 6, 2023

Ironworkers
Sheet Metal Workers

I wanted to send a note of special appreciation for your facilities teams, and in particular the UIUC Ironworkers. I run Skeuomorph Press on campus (https://skeuomorph.ischool.illinois.edu/), where we teach students traditional printmaking and book arts using historical equipment, including several very heavy iron hand presses.

Over the past two years we’ve had to bring lots of equipment into the press, get it set up, and often repair it as some of these machines are well over 100 years old. This would have been impossible without the collaboration of Tad Schroeder, the iSchool’s Facilities director, and the iron workers, who have helped us with several truly challenging problems. They’ve moved presses that weigh a few thousand pounds, gotten them set up in the FabLab, and helped us ensure they are fully operational. The pictures and videos of them moving a 140-year old press are impressive in their own right! I’ve also worked with the sheet metal shop to fabricate replacement parts that cannot be ordered any more.

It’s been truly remarkable being able to work with such expert colleagues in facilities. I honestly cannot imagine we would be operational and thriving without the aid of your departments. I just wanted to express to you how much I have appreciated your work on behalf of our lab and our students.

All best,

Ryan Cordell
Information Science and English 

—

Nick Cobb, Building Services
Matt Flaningam, Building Services
Markius McCartney, Building Services
Bret Pourchot, Building Services

Thank you very much for cleaning at Henry Admin – truly appreciate the Great service!

Have a Wonderful rest of your week ~ Jill

Jill C. Odom
Office of VP/CFO & Comptroller
University of Illinois System

September 29, 2023

Anthony Barber, Building Services
Julie O’Donnell, Building Services

I’d like to share positive feedback about the day shift BSWs in CIF, Julie O’Donnell and Anthony Barber. They are extremely cooperative working as a pair, take break together in the conference room, are always friendly and welcoming, hold their work to a high standard, and have rolled with the punches since they started in CIF with the pilot program. To give a specific example of their performance, I have a key hidden in the building for emergencies and they found it. I had it hidden in an area that likely hasn’t been cleaned since the paint was applied during construction. I never expected someone to find it much less find it while cleaning. They are doing an excellent job and are the type of building service staff we need to find more of to hire.

Thanks.

ERIC VETTER
CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITY MANAGER

—

Robert Ackerman, Building Services
Jessical Huddle Frederick, Building Services

My name is Laura Davies Brenier, and I’m faculty in the FLB/LCLB. I just wanted to say that last year and this year both, the FLB/LCLB has never looked better. It’s so crisp and clean. The bathrooms are remarkably better and it makes a huge difference. The floors are shiny and immaculate, the elevators as well. The glass doors and all the windows are pristine. I haven’t seen a single dead bug in two years. I am just really impressed by the hard work that goes into keeping such a big building so clean. And all of this of course added to the fact that Bob Ackerman and Jessie Huddle are so helpful and pleasant to talk to. They are always working so hard, and it really shows.

I just wanted to say how appreciative I am to work in such a well-kept building.

Thank you so much.

Dr. Laura Davies Brenier
Teaching Assistant Professor
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures

—

Gareth Boyd, Building Maintenance

I would like to have Gareth Boyd recognized for his work on a project at Native American House. The customer at Native American House contacted me. She said Gareth did a great job mounting her monitor and was very impressed with how he kept the job site clean. I would like to have him recognized for his hard work and efforts.

Thanks,

Todd Woods
Electrician Foreperson

—

Monique Settles, Transportation
Roxy Strayn, Transportation

I would like to thank you (& your staff) for everything you did to help make our September 2023 Board of Trustees Meeting a success. This meeting was more challenging than normal, so we really appreciate all the assistance and extra effort that was given. Thanks again.

Staci Lomax
Special Assistant to the Secretary
Board of Trustees
University of Illinois System

September 22, 2023

Marcus Albert, Building Maintenance
Will Corum, Building Maintenance 
Chris Doxtator, Building Maintenance

Wow – thank you for your electrical efforts team!  We went over for an inspection this morning, and the exit signs were brightly obvious – it looked great!

I am attaching a link to their schedule if you are interested in the performance.

Deke Weaver: CETACEAN | Krannert Center for the Performing Arts | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

KATIE SPERL
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR CODE COMPLIANCE

—

Katie Balch, Customer Relations & CommunicationsTravis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

Thank for doing such a great job putting together the F&S Insider publication. We enjoy seeing each new issue and making it available to students, colleagues, and guests in our front office.

With all best wishes,

Prof. David L. Hays, Brenton H. and Jean B. Wadsworth Head
Department of Landscape Architecture

—

Aaron Brunkhorst, Building Services
Amy Chitwood, Building Services

I already let Aaron know but I would like to make sure you know that we are so appreciative of all the hard work that Amy, Aaron and the BSW staff have done to get Beckman ready for the event today. We know your staff is very busy and short on manpower, but we can’t thank everyone enough for accomplishing this goal. Thank you. 

Kristy Arnett
Assistant Director of Facilities
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

—

Deja Tims, Building Services

I would like to recognize and thank Deja for his quick actions regarding an injured student.  On 9/6/23, a student crashed their bike at the south entrance of Grainger Library around 10AM.  The student hit his head on the pavement outside, came inside for assistance and then passed out and hit his head hard on the floor in Grainger Library.  Deja was the first to respond to provide some aide to the student and stayed with the student until police and Urbana fire district EMTs responded.  Deja definitely went above and beyond ensuring the safety and welfare of the student.  The Grainger Library staff and myself would like to thank him for his actions.

Thank you,TIMOTHY J. NEWMAN, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, EFP
ASST DEAN OF LIBRARY FOR FACILITIES
 University Library

September 15, 2023

Yhara Boxley, Building Services
Johnnie Campbell, Building Services
Johnny Jones, Building Services

Johnna Krutsinger, Building Services
Jaylen McCullough, Building Services
Demeka Poke, Building Services
Ryan Waters, Building Services

F&S has started to provide BSW for the VIP seating areas, suites, etc. Toledo was the first game and based on that we have been asked to continue. Things went well week 1 per all accounts. Please share with your staff!

Thanks,

Brett Stillwell
Department of Intercollegiate Athletics

—

Delbert Ketteman, Building Services
John Morris, Building Services

I wanted to thank you for your support in getting the University owned equipment picked up from our former employees’ residence last Friday. We weren’t able to give you any notice at all and I greatly appreciate your willingness to pick the items up with very little time for planning on your end. The staff of the moving crew did a great job and I wanted to thank you and them for the help in getting the items returned.

Thanks again for your help,

Jesse Southern
Director of Operations and Facilities
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

September 1, 2023

BSW Team at Talbot Laboratory
Michael West
Armani Saddler
Robert King
Arthur Eaton
Mason Boyd

My apologies for not getting this out sooner, but I just wanted to let everyone know that Barb from Talbot had nothing but good things to say about the way that Talbot is looking. She stated she has been there for years, and it has never looked this good. I am sure having all shifts in there daily is a big help, so please pass this along to all the BSWs that are in Talbot, that the building occupants are definitely noticing a huge difference. Kudos to you all.

Barb Russell
Nuclear-Plasma Engineering Department

August 25, 2023

Mike Gadbury, Building Maintenance

Thank you for taking my call earlier today. Mike, who worked on our cooling unit, popped in just now to check on everything. He explained to me that the unit (which is about 40 years old) that cools 239A and 239B Morrill Hall is indeed separate from the building system. He labelled the AC Drain Pipe in 239A and put a note behind the thermostat in 239A noting that the condenser is in the East Penthouse and the Air Filter is in the drop ceiling above our ‘World Globe’.

Mike has been super helpful, thanks!

Deborah Katz-Downie
Department of Plant Biology
Senior Research Scientist

—

Dave Lancaster, Engineering Services
Josh Pellum, Engineering Services

A pat on the back is given to Dave Lancaster and Josh Pellum for figuring out a way to use Microsoft Teams for the benefit of the team.  This is a great tool that will help others stay in tune with a project during construction and to have a written log of a projects for the future.

KATIE SPERL
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR CODE COMPLIANCE
F&S Engineering & Construction Services

 —

Michelle Busch, Building Services

I’m just sharing some nice words about your BSW Michelle from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation:

Also, on another subject, I wanted to share that our new BSW, Michelle, has done an outstanding job in our office. She has gone above and beyond, and we are all grateful for her hard work. I understand that John has returned to Swanlund through the end of August, but I also wanted to let you know how much we have appreciated Michelle.

Sincerely,KATHY STALTER
Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Associate Chancellor for Administration and PreK-12 Initiatives
Office of the Chancellor

—

Stacey DeLorenzo, Capital Programs
Rick Gallivan, Capital Programs
Sarthak Prasad, Capital Programs
Josh Rubin, Capital Programs

Just wanted to mention that the brickwork and new sidewalks outside DRES look fantastic – nice work! The brickwork really give it that special campus feel.

Thank you,HEATHER GILLETT
Senior Graphic Design Specialist
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

August 18, 2023

ROGER ADAMS LABORATORY – RECOVERY WHEEL
Matt Althaus, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Mike Bishop, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Greg Davis, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Mike Francisco, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Guy Grant, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Joe George, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Ryan Goulding, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Jake Lietz, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Chris McCartney, Building Maintenance & Grounds
DJ Mcfarland, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Brian McKnight, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Mike Nelson, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Tamdu Reomjart, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Jake Terven, Building Maintenance & Grounds

This POB was for a tremendous team effort to replace the energy recovery wheels at Roger Adams Laboratory. Proper operation, maintenance, and periodic renewal of this equipment in facilities is across campus is essential to optimizing campus energy conservation strategies at the building level.

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING LABORATORY BUILDING INFORMATION ACCESS
Beth Leitz, Facilities Information Resources

Since Design Services regularly does work at CERL, I knew we did not have the color coded RCx or OMA plans for the various CERL buildings.  Instead, I had found myself regularly referencing some similar plans contained in the 2014 HVAC Systems Study report.  This morning I found myself thinking that if I find those plans helpful others would too, and that we should post them in the same spot as the color coded RCx and OMA plans.  I just checked that folder again, and it appears you already had the same idea about a year ago.  The relevant plans have already been extracted from the report and put in the various CERL Building folders for everyone to reference.  Thanks for having a good idea and implementing it, even if I am just now noticing.

Thanks,
MICHAEL HALM, P.E., LEED AP

July 28, 2023

Craig Harris, Building Maintenance
Todd Hawking, Building Maintenance
Robert King, Building Maintenance
Casey Reisner, Building Maintenance

I am not sure how much you know about the generator arriving today for Advanced Computation, but I am confident that it likely would not have happened today without Casey and his team’s work. Tech Services ordered the generator in May 2022 and the delivery date had slipped several times since May 2023 and when we found out a week or so ago that it was definitely arriving today we prepared accordingly. Or at least we thought, we were thrown a curveball fairly late last night. The vendor emailed the project team with a list of items that needed to happen in order to get the generator into the parking lot (B21) this morning, including stopping any parking on Gregory between Green and Springfield (a City of Urbana street), a parking lot sign needed to be pulled, and some trees may need to be trimmed. Apparently the construction work on the west end of B21 prompted this change in the route for getting the generator into the B21 lot and that meant coming up Gregory. Casey and his team had already planned to be on site today, but with this change they sprang into action helping with traffic and parking control (very courteous in telling drivers and pedestrians what was going on and what they needed to do) and Casey was able to get an operator on-site to remove the sign. With the crane arriving at 9am and the generator at 10am, he was able to get things in motion and completed in time. I’m convinced that I would not have been able to successfully react in time.

This is the largest generator on campus and as you can imagine, there was probably $50,000-$75,000 in just the shipping and logistics of getting it from Wisconsin to campus, so turning it away was hardly an option.

I left around 2pm and they had it in place on the concrete pad. Quite a relief for the team as a lot of effort went into getting it to this point.

On that note, I should commend Rube, Craig H., and Todd H. and their teams also. They certainly jumped into action and got the pad poured in June (when we thought the generator was going to arrive) and I appreciate they way they handled it.

I thought you should know.

Thanks.

Mark Roessler
F&S Project Manager

July 21, 2023

Grounds Department

I wanted to pass along some compliments regarding the grounds that I received last week. People, including our media/marketing team members, commented about how nice the area by BIF looked, especially the courtyard area. We haven’t received those in quite a while so I wanted to share with you and ask that you share the positive feedback with your team.

Thank you!

Kari Cooperider
Director of Facility Management
Gies College of Business

July 7, 2023

Dave Lancaster, Building Maintenance

Good afternoon,

Thanks for the quick response. Your thorough investigation and research resulted in a detailed explanation deficiencies in the original installation. Like I should be surprised, in my experience this is how you execute your work on a daily basis. Commissioning & Inspection is fortunate to have you as a valued member of the team.

As always, thanks for doing your due diligence supporting BM&G.

Greatly appreciated by our entire team.

Have a great weekend.

Best

Greg Moen
F&S Building Maintenance

—

Brad Stevenson, Building Services
Jake Reynolds, Building Services
Tom Pagel, Building Service

You all are simply incredible! You all pulled together an outstanding coordination effort among the chaos this morning that was truly inspirational. Not only did you quicky bring the situation under control, you all jumped in to help wherever needed—teamwork at its very finest! I just cannot thank you enough for your commitment to excellence.

Please share my gratitude with the entire Facilities and Operations team and our F&S partner staff members. You made a difference today and kept everyone safe.

It’s a true honor to work alongside each and every one of you. Thank you!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July holiday!!!BECKI SALZMAN
Director – Illini Union

June 30, 2023

Ricci Cesario, Information Technology Services

I would like to give IT Tech, Ricci Cesario a “Pat on the Back.”

He has been super helpful to me and my department with all our technical issues. His prompt responses and actions have been very appreciated. Ricci’s friendly demeanor and easy-going attitude make him very easy to work with. Thanks for all you do, Ricci! 

Mary Jane Gilly
F&S Office Manager

—

Dave Drish, Building Services
Adam Bituin, Building Services

Please know that your crew was exceptional in helping us out in Astronomy!  Their professionalism and efficiency with clearing out the items to move was impressive. 

If you could tell them all thanks from us, I would appreciate it (you too!).

They helped us clean out many years of clutter, and the positive attitude kept us all on task.  What a great reflection on the excellence we try to achieve as part of the University of Illinois. 

Susie Zukosky
Assistant to the Chair
Department of Astronomy

—

Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

I would like to give a POB to Travis for attending the Service Awards banquet. There was a last minute conflict that came up and Travis, without hesitation, stepped up to cover this event. Travis, thank you for consistently being a team player and making sure events such as this one is covered.

Saludos,

Malikah Gordon
Associate Director of Customer Relations & Communications

—

Louiza Durant, Building Services

I am writing to share that our BSW here in Noyes Laboratory, Louiza, is outstanding! She is personable, thorough, and always is helpful. BSW’s often do not get the recognition they deserve, so I wanted to be sure to acknowledge her contributions to the University and to our building. Please share with her that she is appreciated!

Have a great rest of the week!

Regards,
SUSAN ELIZABETH FORSYTH
Recruiting Coordinator
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
School of Chemical Sciences

June 23, 2023

Greg Moen, Building Maintenance

Dave and Pete,  super great thank you for allowing our group to tour your facility and get some hands-on experience with your trades and shops.

Special thanks to Greg Moen who worked diligently to coordinate this with all of the shops involved in making this happen.

Please pass along our thanks and appreciation to the many shops and tradespeople who also shared their time, talent, and journey into their respective trade for this event.

We value and appreciate the partnership between EFE and F&S as we continue to spark an interest in our local future workforce.

Ken BuentingEducation for Employment System #330
Early College and Career Academy

—

Jeff Ingold, Building Maintenance

Thank you so much for thinking to capture footage of that deer in a campus building. Seeing the video really helped tell a story. Our first tweet of the video got a huge response and made a bunch of news outlets. Obviously, there’s no story without the video, so thank you!

Travis Tate
F&S Communications

June 16, 2023

Louiza Durant, Building Services

I am writing to share that our BSW here in Noyes Laboratory, Louiza, is outstanding! She is personable, thorough, and always is helpful. BSW’s often do not get the recognition they deserve, so I wanted to be sure to acknowledge her contributions to the University and to our building. Please share with her that she is appreciated!

Have a great rest of the week!

Regards,

SUSAN ELIZABETH FORSYTH
School of Chemical Sciences

—

James King Jr., Building Maintenance
Dustin Pierson, Utilities & Energy Services
Jeffrey  Revell, Utilities & Energy Services
Michael Voorhees, Utilities & Energy Services

Many thanks for working so fast to replace the thermostat and for your help in making our offices/lab temperature-comfortable during the process.

Regards

Sandra Rodriguez Zas, Ph.D.
Associate Head and Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Animal Sciences

—

Adam Pannbacker, Water Station
Casey Reisner, Electrician
Jeff Ingold, Water Station

Oh, Deer!
Friday morning, an unexpected visitor broke a window entering the Engineering Sciences Building: a deer. F&S, UIPD, and Grainger College of Engineering staff safely secured and released the animal back onto campus grounds. The deer had some minor abrasions and cuts from glass, but otherwise is expected to be okay.

To see the video, see the F&S Instagram and Twitter pages.

June 2, 2023

Joe Perkins, Building ServicesAdam Bituin, Building ServicesDelbert Ketteman, Building ServicesJames Head, Building ServicesDave Drish, Building ServicesRodney Larkin, Building ServicesJohn Morris, Building ServicesJustin Brown, TransportationRichard Mullens, TransportationJeff Snodgrass, Building MaintenanceKevin Westray, Building MaintenanceDerek Dubson, Building Maintenance

Another note of thanks for the work being done by the BSW’s, floor crew, and moving crew at CIF. This was a challenging week with a flood, the large RSO event production, and everything in between. I look forward to the changes coming to building services this summer. Thanks to everyone involved!ERIC VETTER
CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITY MANAGER

May 26, 2023

Al Holt, Building Maintenance
Dustin Rhodes, Building Maintenance
Jerry Knight, Building Maintenance
Tim Abrahamson, Building Maintenance
Chad Dunn, Building Maintenance
Ryan Jones, Building Maintenance
Dawn Rambole, Building Maintenance
Mike Bane, Building Maintenance
JD Smith, Building Maintenance
Justin Griest, Building Maintenance
Vinh Nguyen, Building Maintenance

I want to send a note of thanks to all the F&S shops I am getting to work with at CIF. I’m building new relationships and continuing former relationships. One of my concerns when I started the job at CIF was getting to know the F&S staff assigned to this part of campus compared to who I was used to working with at DIA. That is no longer a thought of mine. I greatly appreciate the efforts from everyone to take care of things especially as we go through the challenges with the ceiling panel leak.

To name names on who I can recall from this week alone:

  • Refrigeration with the ceiling panels
  • Plumbers working with a water fountain issue
  • Electricians involved in both of those work orders
  • Sheetmetal replacing broken coat hooks in restrooms
  • Steam Distribution changing filters
  • Water Station treating the café
  • And the 3 of you as I know you are involved in the background helping navigate our challenges.

Thanks and hope you have a good Memorial Day weekend.

ERIC VETTER
CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITY MANAGER
Campus Instructional Facility

—

Guadalupe Lopez, Transportation

Just wanted to drop you a note of thanks.  Two colleagues and I took our first UI Ride trip to DPI yesterday and Guadalupe Lopez (our driver) did a great job of getting us situated.  Apparently, I missed registering my colleague’s vehicles for parking and he was able to instruct them on how to enter their information into the kiosk so they wouldn’t get a ticket.  We also had an issue with the Wi-Fi on the way up which he made sure was resolved before our trip home.  It sounded like he was fairly new to driving the UI Ride shuttle and I just wanted to share with you that he’s doing a great job and made sure we were all comfortable for the trip.

Hope all is well on your end sir!

Thanks,

Daniel Szajna
Director, System Purchasing & Support ServicesUniversity of Illinois System

May 19, 2023

Dan Hiser, Transportation & Building Services

Dan is great at always remaining calm and professional during any situation. Dan continues to display the traits necessary for transportation to support F&S mission vision and values. Dan continues to be a valuable member of the TBS and F&S leadership team.

SHAWN L. PATTERSON, CAFM
F&S TRANSPORTATION & AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES MANAGER

—

Daphne Hulse, Transportation & Building Services
Customer Relations & Communications

I think we should pat Daphne Hulse on the back this week for the success of Dump and Run. I think the CRC team should be patted on the back as well for their help with all the projects, especially for Dump and Run. But CRC does so much more, and we really appreciate you all.

Thank you,

Sarthak Prasad
F&S Sustainable Transportation Assistant

—

Josue (Jay) Santos Escorcia, Shared Administrative Services

I would like to give J Santos a Pat on the Back. He came to help out in central stores today because we were extremely short staffed. He did a great job and was a huge help!

Thanks,

Nate Cremeens
F&S Central Stores and Receiving

May 12, 2023

Nick Parks, Building Services
Josh Potts, Building Services

I want to say that Josh Potts is great! He’s doing really well – especially for covering so many vacant shifts. It has made a big difference in the MRL facilities. Nick Parks is also such a hard worker and we appreciate his work.

BETSY LANCASTER
Office Administrator
Materials Research Laboratory

—

Overnight Maintenance Crew at Vet Med

We received this statement from someone at the hospital and I wanted to share it with you. We appreciate you and your staff’s efforts.

“Thank you to all our overnight maintenance crew for keeping the hospital clean. We appreciate everything you do!”

Thanks again,

Brandon Boyd
Director of Facilities/Operations
College of Veterinary Medicine

—

Everyone from Facilities & Services who helped with Matsuri
Matsuri would not be possible without the many workers and volunteers who manage the behind-the-scenes logistics of a major festival to ensure everything runs smoothly. We want to thank and applaud the following for their efforts for making Matsuri possible:

👏 University of Illinois Facilities & Services

👏 University of Illinois Arboretum

👏 MMS Productions 

👏 Herriott’s Rents Tents Events

👏 Kemper Industrial Equipment/Midwest Pottyhouse

👏 Prairie Land Golf & Utility Cars LLC

👏 University of Illinois Police

👏 Illini Emergency Medical Services

👏 Matsuri volunteers who helped manage vendors/performers, garbage duty, parking, set-up, and clean-up!

from the Japan House Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/JapanHouseUofI

May 5, 2023

GIRL SCOUTS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH EVENT AT ABBOTT POWER PLANT
Andrew Moore, Operating Engineers

I wanted to let you know how much we appreciated Andy Moore assisting with our Girl Scout STEM event this past weekend.  Andy went out of his way to be helpful, filling in wherever we needed help.  He represented himself, his department, and the University of Illinois  in a “first class” manner, and he was a hit with the girl scouts and their chaperones.  The heavy equipment he brought to Abbott for the event and his knowledge of the heavy equipment was one of the most talked about STEM stations in our event.    

Regards, 

Russell R Reynolds
Chief Utility Plant Operating Engineering, Facilities and Services

WYMER HALL NOTICE TO PROCEED
Engineering Services, Design Review and Code Compliance & Fire Safety
Capital Programs 

F&S Team,

I wanted to thank you and your team for your work on Wymer and E15. We closed on the bonds this morning and attached is the Notice to Proceed to Turner Clayco to begin construction on Wymer Hall on Monday.

It is a great milestone for the project, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration throughout the construction process.

Kerry Dickson
Vermillion Development

FANTATSIC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES SUPPORT
Ricci Cesario, Information Technology Services
Dustin Hasty, Information Technology Services

I want to recognize Ricci Cesario and Dustin Hasty for outstanding customer service to support the on-boarding of new Utilities Distribution employee, Karen Hawk, on 5/1/23. Ricci and Dustin responded to our request to provide office IT equipment to our new staff member in less than one day notice. Our failure to provide them with reasonable prior notice did not stop them from being truly outstanding in providing a great customer experience. Thanks very much Ricci and Dustin, I really appreciate both of you.  

Frank Colacicco, PE
Associate Director, Utilities Distribution, Facilities & Services

SAFETY PROCEDURES AND INFORMATION
Patrick Wood, Building Maintenance & Grounds

I gave Patrick Wood a lunch ticket for the great job he is doing with keeping us informed with safety procedures and the nice job he did this morning with leading our safety meeting. I will be joining him as well. Thanks

Randy Reinhart
U of I Sheet Metal Shop 06, Facilities & Services

April 28, 2023

John Miller, Building Services

I had to tell you that John Miller who cleaned the office of Don Fullerton, Gutgsell Professor of Finance and Associate Academic Director for the Center for Professional Responsibility in Business and Society, did an outstanding job. Thank you and him for getting the job done so fast. We appreciate it and it looks brand new.

Carol Young
Facilities Manager
Gies College of Business

April 21, 2023

Brad Etchison, Building Maintenance

I received a prompt response at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The team was excellent and came faster than I expected. The whole process exceeded my expectations.

Jared Painter
College of Fine and Applied Arts
Facility/Building Manager

—

Rebecca Bigelow, Customer Relations & Communications
Cindy Carlson, Customer Relations & Communications

Double digits (and still counting) the number of compliments that have been shared on the Tornado (taco) poster. Creativity such as this one has caused people to stop in their tracks, read and take pictures of the poster. One person even took a selfie. Great conversation starter as well.

Very nice work (as always 🙂 Cindy!)Malikah A. Gordon
Associate Director of Customer Relations & Communications

—

Dustin Hasty, Information Technology Services

I would like to give a huge POB to Dusty Hasty for his assistance with the Facility Liaison Meetings we held for Campus Customers earlier this week. He came up the day before and walked us thru how to get the room set up to ensure we could use the equipment in 128 for screen sharing of my PC for the Customers to see and follow along. Then the day of the meetings he came up 20 minutes beforehand and again just made sure we were all set up and ready to go!!!

Again, this was a huge help for the meetings to start on time and made everything more efficient in the process. He seems to always go above and beyond with other issues as well when the Service Office is in need. Jerry Dinnin
Service Office Supervisor

April 14, 2023

Paul Jensen, Public Functions
Joseph Perkins, Building Services
John Miller, Building Services

Thank you so much for your help cleaning the atrium floor this morning.  We definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it all by ourselves in a timely manner and really appreciate your help!

Thanks again!

Carol Young
Facility Operations Coordinator
Business Instructional Facility

April 7, 2023

Fran Bell, Human Resources

We are currently executing the interviews for the electricians hire and I’m the committee chair. There is an unbelievable amount of candidates, which is a good thing. That also means there is a large volume of work for Fran. Just providing the required paperwork required for committee members to conduct interviews is a lot. Being these started with 15 minute  phone interviews a great amount of scheduling is required. Fran did an outstanding job scheduling with both the perspective candidates and our interview team. I personally have never had 15 back-to back interviews for multiple days, all day long. Fran is terrific keeping the team on schedule and allowed just enough time to collaborate before the next interview started.

Additionally, Fran is not only proficient at her job, she is very kind and incredibly easy to work with. Make sure you keep her happy, I definitely don’t want to see her moving on! 

I really appreciate the service Fran is providing. It makes my job and the entire experience so much easier.

Sincerely,Gregory A Moen
SUPVR OF BUILDING CRAFTSMEN

—

Amy Chitwood, Building Services

Thank you for your extra efforts to get Lincoln Hall Theater ready for a high-profile event last night. Terry and I appreciate your team’s work. The space looked great, and the client was very pleased.

I am grateful for how easy it is to work with you! Please share our appreciation with your team.

Best,
Kristin McMurray
Assistant Vice Chancellor

March 31, 2023

FANTASTIC HELP!
Amber Perfetti, Utilities & Energy Services

I’d like to give a shout out (POB) to Amber Perfetti. Amber has been very helpful to all of us here in UES with project information, and is always willing to dig into things to get information out to us when we need help figuring things out, or getting details on projects that are in process, have been completed, etc. A great resource to us and helpful as all get out!

Best regards,

William A. Buesing
Foreman Systems and Controls Electrical Shop 55
Staff Advisory Council EEO6 Crafts and Trades Representative.

March 24, 2023

Dusty Rhodes, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Cory Roseman, Building Maintenance & Grounds

On Friday, December 23, 2022 Champaign CERL along with most of the country was hit with extremely cold weather (-13 degrees) as well as snow and very high winds 45-50 mph gust bringing the wind chill down to around -40 degrees with white out conditions most of the day due to the high wind and snow. Despite these dangerous conditions Cory Roseman & Dustin Rhodes from UI Refrigeration Shop 35 made it into CERL that day. They knew it was important to make it into work to assure that CERL was safe. They checked all HVAC Units & Boilers were working, and went to all CERL out-buildings and made sure all were maintaining safe temperatures. At 0900 CERL lost power for approximately an hour and the backup generator failed to start, thus we lost all heating to all buildings. Once power was restored, they went thru every building to make sure everything was working properly (heating units, fan drives, back-up power units for ACET-IT, lab equipment, and freezers). This required many trips out into very cold and potentially dangers weather conditions that day. Their dedication to being here and quick thinking helped save the lab from what could have been a very costly situation. As Facility Manager for CERL, I am recommending both an award.

Gary Davis
CERL Facilities Specialist

—

Katie Sperl, Campus Code Compliance & Fire Safety

Myself and others just sat through a first draft of Katie Sperl’s IBC/IFC and NFPA 45 in regards to lab design. For a first test presentation, we were all wonderfully informed to the point it spurred on great questions and conversations among the group. I have no doubt that Katie’s future presentation to campus departments will arm them better with both practical and technical information. The ultimate goal is to have safe facilities and involve the right people in early discussions for renovations & new construction.

KELLY JO HOFFMANN, P.E., S.E.
Associate Director of Engineering Services

March 10, 2023

Guadalupe Lopez, Transportation

I wanted to let you know that Guadalupe was such a wonderful driver for our tours yesterday!  He was so friendly, knowledgeable and he was very proactive in anticipating their next stops.

Please pass along our thanks and appreciation.  Your service made our VIP tours so smooth and easy.

Best,DARCI EDMONSON
Administrative Manager
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

++

I also wanted to add my note of appreciation and thanks. Guadalupe was very professional, anticipated our needs and was patient as our tour and dinner took longer than expected. Thanks to all of you for creating this wonderful resource for campus.

Have a good weekend.

Best regards,

SUBHA SRINIVASAN, PHD 
Associate Director for Research and Operations
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB)

—

Donna McClure, Engineering Services

I want to get kudos to Donna as she goes above and beyond keeping me in the loop on projects that impact my operations. When I first assumed this role we encountered several “less than ideal” situations. Donna consistently brings me in on projects early to prevent long term challenges.

I’m hoping we can continue this cooperative effort.

Thank you,

Pete Varney
Director of Transportation & Building Services

—

Markus Caparoon, Information Technology Services

I have to give a huge Pat on the Back for Marcus Caparoon. As you know I was struggling with PC issues and he set up my new machine. There were some phone/sound issues that stayed on top of and assisted till the issue was resolved (He came up to my office numerous times). Yesterday in passing I he followed up with me to ensure everything was still good and It reminded me that I needed connected to the Color Printer in the S/O. Early this morning he jumped right in and had it set up within a matter of minutes. He and Jamison went above and beyond the past 2 weeks to get my issues resolved and I truly appreciate the hard work of both. 

Jerry Dinnin
Service Office

—

Julie O’Mahoney, Utilities & Energy Services

I’d like to offer a pat on the back to one of our team members. Day in and day out Julie O’Mahoney is an invaluable resource to us here in Utilities & Energy Services. She’s quick to help with tools, asset management, workflow, disbursement of PMs for a more even workload approach, using AiM for keeping our schedules intact, and helping us all with getting notes and details into a recordkeeping format for us to use. And that only scratches the surface. She is always friendly, helpful, and observant. She asks questions  in a constructive way about things she observes and which presents opportunities for improvement. Her consistent approach to operational excellence is uncompromising, and WE are by far better because of her efforts.

Best regards,

William A. Buesing
Foreman Systems and Controls Electrical Shop 55

March 3, 2023

Jamison Weber, Information Technology Services

I have to give a huge shout out to Jamison. My PC was absolutely struggling and taking 50 min to just restart after an update. He came up to my office, listened to my issues and made corrections to my PC after I left for the day. The next morning everything was updated and he got me on a refresh list due to the PC I have not being up to par with what is needed for our operation. I noticed 2 days later that my phone/headset was not working properly so he remoted in to my PC and made the correction after troubleshooting for a few minutes. Had it back up to 100% very quickly.

We seldomly hear about the good things and I want him to know how appreciative I was of him taking care of this for me!!!

Jerry Dinnin
Service Office Supervisor

February 24, 2023

GREAT SUPPORT FROM A COLLEAGUE
Leslie Miller, Purchasing

I would like to submit Leslie Miller for a Pat on the Back. Despite having a lot on her own plate, Leslie has always been helpful to me- whether it was helping with the refreshments for the Strategic Plan meetings or totally bailing me out today when it was discovered that my T-Card was hacked and I had associates checking into a hotel today. I asked if she could help out since my card was now cancelled and she made time to do so. Her helpful attitude towards all the departments (and her yummy snacks!) are always appreciated!Kirsten Leigh Snyder
OFFICE MANAGER, Facilities and Services

February 17, 2023

Amy Chitwood, Building Services

Amy was the responding superintendent to the BSW assault on Monday. Amy took the lead in communicating not only with the other BSWs on the shift and in the building, but also TBS leadership as well as UIPD. Even days after the incident, Amy has continued to listen and check on each employee on her shift, showing a genuine interest for their safety and well-being. Malikah Gordon
F&S Associate Director of Customer Relations & Communications

—

James Scherer, Service Office

F&S COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT
A big thank you to James for consistently supporting various CRC communications initiatives. This week, he provided feedback that helped the department make improvements to the West Hallway digital display and brought media inquiries to the immediate attention of staff so that the organization could respond promptly.Steve Breitwieser
F&S Manager of Communications and External Relations

February 10, 2023

Richard Dillingham, Construction Services

I wanted to write you all to let you know that it is an absolute joy to work with Richard Dillingham on any project that he is charged with leading. We ran into multiple snafus through this particular project, most notably the 7-week setback to fix the doorway that was structurally unsafe, mind you no fault of Richard’s. After this, he still managed to complete the work on time and on budget. I just really wanted you to know that the Physics Department is very happy with the working relationship we have with Richard and you should be pleased with the level of commitment and ownership he has over a project.

Thank you,

Luke Prunkard
Facilities Manager
Department of Physics

—

Crystal Young, Building Services

I just wanted to pass along my sincere appreciation for the work that Crystal Young has performed in our building, 0110, Nuclear Physics Lab. I understand she will be moving on to a different position and we are really sad to lose her. She is positive, pleasant and diligent in performing her work. Our building has quirks (an alarm system) and she has navigated all our idiosyncrasies beautifully. I’ve been in this building for almost 20 years and we have had a series of BSW workers during that time. Crystal is truly a standout and I felt it was important to let her supervisor know of our appreciation.

We wish her well, but selfishly hope that maybe someday she can come back to our building 😊.

Sincerely,

Cathy Cunningham
ISAS Business Office
Illinois State Archaeological Survey
Prairie Research Institute

—

Bob Weeks, Building Maintenance
Josh Somers, Building Maintenance
Jean Marc Fontaine, Building Maintenance
Dave Middleton, Building Maintenance
Doug Barger, Building Maintenance
Bob Tieman, Building Maintenance
Rich Griffet, Building Maintenance
Nico Vandeveer, Building Maintenance
Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

I wanted to reach out to say hello and thank Travis for the article, https://fs.web.illinois.edu/Insider/2023/01/30/carpenters-painters-laborers-take-the-stage/. It was great working with Bob (Carpenters) & Doug (Painters) and their teams. I joined NCSA as their Facility Operations Coordinator less than a year ago, back in June, and the project was well underway when I started. My boss, Tedra, handled most of the communication with Bob and Doug, but I had the privilege of working with the carpenters (Josh Somers & Fontaine) and painters (Bob, Rich, & Nico) daily for about 6 months. Everybody from F&S was fantastic to work with and very accommodating to our sporadic (and often odd and/or particular) requests. I can’t heap enough praise on the crew facilitating this project – they worked hard and had a good attitude whenever a setback occurred.

When the Josh, Fontaine, Rich, and Nico [Bob had already been pulled away to another assignment] finally had to leave to move on to their next projects, I was a little sad. They had become my new friends and colleagues in NCSA – over 6 months we had plotted, planned, and adjusted the day-to-day plans almost daily – and there was much laughter and fun through it all. They bent over backwards to take care of NCSA, and they are always welcome back!

I’m always happy to see the contributions of an old friend or colleague making the University of Illinois the great place that it is; whether you are a student, staff, or faculty member, this is a tremendous place to be. I feel very fortunate to call this my professional home.

Best,

Clint D. Harper
Facility Operations Coordinator
National Center for Supercomputing Applications

January 27, 2023

Elizabeth Nava, Building Services

POB- Elizabeth Nava, Serving as a committee chairperson, Elizabeth prepared applicant packets for each committee member and communicated effectively with the committee to ensure each person was prepared prior to the start of the interview. Malikah Gordon
Associate Director, Customer Relations & Communications

—

Jessica Huddle, Building Maintenance
John Miller, Building Maintenance
Dale Ramert, Building Maintenance
Kyle Jones, Building MaintenanceMy name is Scott Schwartz, director of the University’s Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, a unit of the University Library. I want to express my sincere gratitude for the exceptional work done by your floor crew who stripped and waxed the Center’s floors the weekend of January 7 and 8. Jessica Huddle, John Miller, Dale Ramert, and Kyle Jones were a delight to work with throughout that weekend. They had a tight deadline to work under because we needed to have the work completed in two days to we could move our large museum exhibit and library collection back into our archives and museum spaces that Monday morning.

Jessica, John, Dale, and Kyle worked tirelessly to complete this work and were especially helpful moving with my assistance our Sal-Mar Construction music instrument. This historical computer instrument was built at the University in the 1960s and is the only one like it in the world. They showed great patience and care with this effort and helped ensure the instrument always remained safe as they worked on the floors.

This simple letter of thanks seems quite inadequate for their exceptional work, but I feel it is important to acknowledge them for their work on our floors. Their attention to detail and care reflects the very best serve the University provides to our students, staff, faculty, and the public. If I could wave a financial wand, I would give them a raise immediately for their fine efforts.

Please extend to them and their supervisor, Joe, my deepest thanks for their work on our floors.

Sincerely,
Scott W. Schwartz
Director and Archivist for Music and Fine Arts

January 20, 2023

OUTSTANDING AND RESPONSIVE TECH SUPPORT
Dustin Hasty, Information Technology Services

Thanks to Dustin for his constant help resolving various computer software update issues following university updates. I appreciate his willingness to find solutions that quickly address these situations and lead to future improvements in work processes, connectivity, and performance. 

Steve Breitwieser
Manager of Communications & External Relations
Facilities & Services

ILLINI ALERT RESPONSE*
Jerry Dinnin, Service Office

Jerry started work 1.5 hours earlier than his scheduled time when the first Illini Alert for Davenport Hall came in on Friday, January 13.  He served as a liaison between F&S and Public Safety to make sure crews delivered the requested materials as well as avoided the area unless directly assisting. 

STORES & RECEIVING CONFERENCE ROOM HELP*
Kirsten Snyder, Building Maintenance
Kirsten took care of purchasing, set up (8:00 am) and clean up (12:00) every morning this week at the Stores, conference room location.

Malikah Gordon
Director of Customer Relations & Communications
Facilities & Services
(*multiple submissions)

January 6, 2023

Joshua Healy, Building Services

BSW Joshua Healey cleaned 1203 Nevada location 195 on 12-21-22. The BSW reported that the building was so cold that he had to wear his coat. I contacted the Service Office. I received an email stating that Energy Services had completed the work order. I had the BSW check this location again this morning 12-22-22, and the BSW reported that it was still very cold in parts of the building. The BSW then checked the boiler in the basement, and it was leaking water into a drain. I contacted UIPD, and requested that Steam go to the building. Steam reported that one of the pumps was not working. The BSW is not in the building currently. I think this deserves a Merit Mug, as the BSW stopped this situation from getting worse, and costing the U of I more time and money.

Thank You

Roy Specht 
F&S Building Service Supervisor

—

Laura Reitmeier, Building Services

Tracy,

I am writing to commend Laura Reitmeier the BSW that services our area in PPSB room 157. She does a very thorough job cleaning the office. The paper towel dispenser has never been empty, trash has been empty regularly.

Thanks,

Tom Auth
F&S Building Maintenance Coordinator

2022

December 16, 2022

William Coyne, Building Services
Jacob Martin, Building Services

William and Jacob were working at the Krannert Art Museum and dealt with a non-emergency issue. Joe I would recommend we give recognition to Jake and Bill for handling this situation professionally and remaining calm the entire time. It’s great to see that we as BSW’s are the eyes and ears for the campus.

Tracy L. OsbyAssistant Superintendent of Building Services

December 9, 2022

Gareth Boyd, Building Maintenance
Craig Wise, Building Maintenance

I wanted to send a pat on the back to both Gareth and Craig for the work they did adding extra outlets to our cubical area in 145. The area setup presented plenty of challenges along the way, but the guys were able to work together to find solutions to each of the challenges and get the job done. Thanks!MARY C. MC ELVAIN
Occupational Safety & Health Advisor
F&S

—

Katie Sperl, Engineering & Construction Services

Thanks for adding a pop of cheer by dusting off the old supply of holiday decorations.  It was quite lovely to see a bit of décor at work in the Design Services, C&I, Design Review, and Capital spaces. It’s really appreciated!

KELLY JO HOFFMANN, P.E., S.E.
Associate Director of Engineering Services
F&S

January 2015

LIBRARY BANNERS LOOK WONDERFUL

Todd Hearn (graphic designer), Customer Relations & Communications
Tim Aden (manager of customer relations), Customer Relations & Communications
Dee Dee Caneva (director), Customer Relations & Communications

I just wanted to say thank you for all your collective efforts getting our exterior banners up here at the Library. You each had a hand in the process and the banners look wonderful! I GREATLY appreciate all of Todd’s hard work. He really did an exceptional job when it came to the design of the banners and walking me through the entire process through to installation. If only every colleague here at Illinois was as easy and pleasant to work with!

Heather Murphy, assoc. director of advancement for Publications and Public Affairs

UI Library 

CUSTODIAL WORK IS EXCELLENT

Charlene Farney (BSW), Building Services

The Library Business Office would like to thank and recognize the excellent job that Charlene does for us. It’s very obvious the great job Charlene does and she is always working with a smile when we see her. Her hard work and efforts are very much appreciated!

Greg Knott, assistant dean of university libraries

Main Library

BSW FLEXIBLE

Thomas Moss (BSW), Building Services

We want to tell you how much we like Thomas’ work. He does a great job on everything and is so open to any adjustments we need to make.

Julie A. Dyar, administrative aide

Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

PROACTIVE BSW APPRECIATED

Joe Donahue (BSW), Building Services

I have noticed a great improvement in the looks and care that Joe has been doing at the Tactical Training Center. He is very pleasant and concerned about doing a good job. Our schedule here is quite varied, and he is able to work around our various classes in the earlier part of the day. He also is proactive in keeping up on our future weather needs. If this is bonus time, he should get one. Thanks.

Dale Miholic, manager

Police Training Institute Tactical Training Center

ARMORY STAFF FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL

Jan Reifsteck (BSW), Building Services

Laura Reitmeier (BSW), Building Services

Ashley Jones (BSW), Building Services

Lamar Adams (BSW), Building Services

I have worked at the university for 21 years in three different buildings, and I have never had a group of workers who are so friendly and professional at the same time. Every morning Jan Reifsteck stops to say “hi” and ask if there is anything that I need. She checks on our room cleanliness as well as the hallways and the elevator. She is, by far, the bright spot walking into the building every morning. Jan noticed an upset look on my face one morning and asked if there was anything she could do to help. I explained that my mother had been diagnosed with an illness, and I was just upset. She has asked about my mother and how things are going since that day. I want to thank her and her team for working so hard to make our days comfortable at work and for their outgoing and friendly personalities.

Darcy Derr, business and finance specialist

Study Abroad Business Office

STAFF VERY COURTEOUS

Damon McFall (engineer), Engineering & Transportation Services

Sheet Metal shop

Temperature Control shop

All the guys working on the temperature in Room 317A did a very good job. They were all very pleasant and courteous in working around us in the office. A big thanks to all of you.

Liz Schleef, chief clerk

Office of Technology Management

ART-EAST ANNEX LOOKS NICE

Tishia Sutton (BSW), Building Services

Glenn Cler (BSW), Building Services

I’d like to give high marks to Tishia. The building is really looking nice! Some of the grungiest places are getting cleaned up, and it’s amazing the influence that a clean building has on the mood of our staff. Tishia also checks in with me from time to time to ask questions, give a heads-up about an area she will be working on, or to give me updates on what she’s done. I really like her work and her work ethic, and her no-nonsense approach to things. She gets the job done and is pleasant to work with. Glenn’s work has given an amazing transformation to our building as well. The floors and cabinets are not only clean, but also clean-looking, and shiny! I really appreciate their hard work, and the communication they provide when they need something from us for a job/project.

D.J. Cronkhite, assistant to the director

Fine and Applied Arts IT

–

Josh Murphy, Building Services

Pete,

I keep forgetting to email you. So here we go. I have been meeting with Josh Murphy fairly often. I’m so very pleased with the progress that has taken place in my buildings. Its night and day how things are around here. So thank you. Not that things are perfect, but its amazing how much better things are. I had to tell you, so thank you for putting people in place to assist!!!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Karla Southern
School of Chemical Sciences 

+

Josh – I wanted to share the email below with you.

I greatly appreciate the work you are doing with your team. You can’t slack off now, but I want you to know that your efforts are being noticed. Keep getting out there, walking your jobs, talking with your team and most of the other things will take care of themselves.

Ehab – Josh is the newly appointed Assistant Superintendent for the Afternoon Shift. Having these additional shift supervisors (Amy Chitwood – Deep Nights) has been a big step forward in our team’s transformation.

Thank you,

Pete Varney
Director of Transportation & Building Services

November 23, 2022

ORGANIZERS OF THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE – BROWN BAG EVENTS

Julie O’Mahoney, Utilities & Energy Services
Cheryl Bicknell, Capital Programs
Jeremy Neighbors, Safety & Compliance
Brad Klein, Capital Programs
Ben Kuhlman, Safety & Compliance

I would like to give a Pat on the Back to the D&I engagement committee -organizers of the brown bag events. They are doing an outstanding job of organizing these events to keep F&S employees engaged and informed of crucial topics. Thank you!

Sanja Koric
Mechanichal Controls Engineer, LEED A.P.
Facilities & Services

November 18, 2022

INSTITUTE FOR GENOMIC BIOLOGY CONFERENCE ROOM CLEANLINESS AND GREAT SNOW/ICE REMOVAL SUPPORT

(Building Services)
David Bramlett
Heather Farmer
James Thompson
Judy Sleeth
Rocio Arroyave-Jamison

I wanted to pass along my thanks to you and your crew.  The extra attention your staff provided to rooms 2614 & 1619 was much appreciated. The rooms looked great and were all ready for our visitors.  Additionally, your crew really did a great job on the snow on the plaza.  I know that many people are unaware, but because the plaza is actually a raised roof system, it freezes first (much like a bridge on the roads) and becomes very slick if there is any moisture and temps below 32(even a hard frost).  Because of these efforts, our visitors were able to safely enter the building and get the day started. 

Thanks again for the support of you and your staff. It is greatly valued!

Jesse Southern
Director of Operations and Facilities 
Institute for Genomic Biology 

GIES COLLEGE OF BUSINESS THANKS

(Building Services)
Dean Le
Roger Treakle

Could you please give our thanks to the Business Instructional Facility night crew.  They found a glycol leak in one of the classrooms last night/ this morning and called it in.  Because of the night team and our day BSW, we were told about the leak right away this morning and were able to get the valve isolated before classes started.

 Thanks again!

Carol Young
Facilities Manager
Business Instructional Facility

November 11, 2022

OUTSTANDING RESTROOM CLEANLINESS AT TURNER HALL
Building Service Workers

Derin Scott- Basement and First Floor
James Patton- Second Floor
Dana Miller- Third and Fourth Floors

I wanted to let you know how impressed I was by the incredibly clean restroom in Turner Hall yesterday!  Thanks to you and F&S for all you do.

Melanie J. Loots, Ph.D.”
Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

November 4, 2022

MOVING CREW KUDOS

David Drish
Mike Hauserman
James Head
Delbert Ketteman
Rodney Larkin
Saensuk Mokaphan
John Morris
Turhan Peacock
Joe Perkins
Brian Schue
Ashley Wheatley

Joe and his crew are always super responsive to our needs- or the needs of other departments when they wait until the 11th hour to do a WO…… They always show up, get the job done and have a good attitude when doing it and it is appreciated by us. 

Kirsten Leigh Snyder
OFFICE MANAGER, Facilities & Services
Building Maintenance and Grounds

LOCKSMITHS
Richard Lacy
I have had very good experience with the locksmiths. They usually fix the problem promptly. Richard Lacy email me and told me he replaced the lock cylinder, and the lock worked the same afternoon.

Meii Chan
Business Associate, Department of Crop Sciences 

October 28, 2022

Carpenters
Paint Shop
Tim Mininger, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Mark Barcus, Building Maintenance & Grounds

Please share my thanks to all involved!

Greg Anderson
Assistant Dean of Budgeting and Resource Administration
Fine and Applied Arts

Background there was a fire on a Saturday. We had them back in holding classes by Wednesday. And completed repairs over the next few weeks as their schedule allowed. This includes smoke and odor remediation.

—

Matt Dalton, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Rube King, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Construction Laborers
Water Station

Matt/Rube, I wanted to extend my thanks to both of you for having the Allen circle drive repaired ahead of winter. I appreciate you making this a priority.

Aaron M Lewis (he, him, his)Assistant Director for Housing Maintenance Operations
University Housing
Student Affairs 

October 21, 2022

Schuyler Drewes, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Chad Garrett, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Tom Kellogg, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Dustin Reifsteck, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Lathan Tillman, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Chuck Zech, Building Maintenance & Grounds

Many thanks to you and your staff for transforming Uni High’s grounds into a much better place. We are very proud of how Uni looks now! Your time and hard work are much appreciated.

Thank you,

Sheree L. Denham
Office Manager
University of Illinois Laboratory High School

October 14, 2022

Faustina (Josie) Lazcares-Morales, Building Services
Roy Specht, Building Services

Although my request for extra cleaning in offices 340H and 340P arrived as a last-minute request, Josie stepped up to the challenge of adding to her work schedule and did a fantastic job. My request was made as we were preparing for a new hire, and a relocation of a current staff member to a different working space. Josie didn’t miss a beat in taking care of her usual work responsibilities plus adding these responsibilities to her workday. She is very thorough in all she does. Our office appreciates her very much!

Thank you, also to Roy, for overseeing the care of IUB. Roy has always listened and responded to our requests.

Thank you both!

Denise Rowe
Illinois Real Estate Services

—

Carpenters, Building Services

Just wanted to extend a special Thank You to Bob Weeks and his crew for making these modifications to the cabinets and desk so quickly. 

Much appreciated!

Best,

Darren Gentzler
Facilities Planning and Management
College of ACES 

October 7, 2022

Dustin Hasty – Information Technology Services

Amazing service. Took care of a couple of other questions I had. Very nice person to talk to. I wish all communications at F&S were like this one.

Anna Staneva
HR Specialist
Facilities & Services

September 30, 2022

Ebony Murray, Transportation & Building Services

I want to commend Ebony for her work since recently taking the Car Pool/Chiller job on Days’ South. You have performed incredibly from day one and I’ve seen you address areas that haven’t been touched in a long time. You work ethic is remarkable and your cheerful presence is a bonus. I had to thank you publicly for all of your efforts.Pete W Varney
DIRECTOR
Transportation & Building Services

—

Mike Brewer, Utilities & Energy Services
Beth Leitz, Facilities Information Resources

Mike and Beth helped me quickly find a huge assortment of historic Abbott Power Plant photos, which will help as we celebrate another “birthday” for Abbott (9/23/1940) in some social media posts and other messaging. Said Mike: “Abbott was online sending steam to campus on Sept. 23, 1940.  About 6 months after breaking ground in early spring 1940…. those crafts, trades and engineers were amazing. Only strong arms, sharp minds and creative solutions. No cell phone, no email, no high powered hydraulics, no computers… muscle, minds, teamwork, sweat, pencil, paper and patience.” That’s great content, Mike! Thank you.

Travis Tate
Customer Relations & Communications—

Katie Balch, Customer Relations & Communications
Paul Jensen, Transportation & Building Services
Rube King, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Dave Middleton, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Sinead Soltis, Sustainability
Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications
Matt Verplaetse, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Gayle Vincent, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Isaac Williams, Building Maintenance & Grounds

Each person played an important role when the solar farm university of Illinois innovation tour was moved to PPSB instead of Solar Farm 2.0.

Mark Barcus
Superintendent of Building Maintenance

and

Malikah Gordon
Director, Customer Relations & Communications

September 23, 2022

Markus Caparoon, F&S Information Technology Services
Dustin Hasty, F&S Information Technology Services

I have to give another shout out to your crew downstairs, I put in a ticket regarding our Printers up here in the SO(the main printer as well as the one in my office were not functioning at all) and Markus & Dusty came to the rescue very quickly. Markus took care of the SO printer while Dusty did a timely repair on the one in my office, it was all messed up somehow.

They are always very timely and don’t leave until the issue is resolved, they both deserve a pat on the back for their efforts.  

Jerry Dinnin
Service Office

—

Rocio Arroyave-Jamison, Building Services
Shawn Beyers, Building Services
Dave Bramlett, Building Services
Ray Cook, Building Services
Heather Farmer, Building Services
Kyle Henson, Building Services
Mike Jamison, Building Services
Nate Ounkham, Building Services
Jerry Watzlawick, Building Services
Keegan West, Building Services

While I fully intended to send this email to you earlier this week, hopefully it is still better late than never. On behalf of the Aerospace Engineering & Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering departments, I want to genuinely thank all of you for your hard work and efforts you put forth to ensure all of Talbot Lab was clean and readied for the open house celebration last Friday. Your work did not go unnoticed and it is greatly appreciated! Thank you very much for providing us with a clean building on the inside, as well as the well groomed grounds on the exterior. We appreciate every single person that helped take care of us. Please be sure to share this message with anyone else that I may have overlooked/failed to list in the recipient lines above.

Again, many thanks to all of you!

Scott Dalbey
Facility Operations Coordinator
Aerospace Engineering

September 9, 2022

Adam Bituin, Building Services
Brad Etchison, Building Maintenance
Josh Hale, Building Maintenance
Chris Harrison, Building Maintenance
Dave Odenweller, Building Services
Jayson Oskard, Building Services
Terry Paris, Building Maintenance
Joe Rudicil, Building Maintenance
James Scherer, Customer Relations & Communications – Service Office

I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the timely response and excellent workmanship that IGB experienced from F&S Staff when a roof drainpipe failed and flooded our computer server and poster printing rooms during the storm of Wednesday, August 3.

When the pipe failed, it caused catastrophic flooding in and on top of our computer servers. These servers are crucial to the research of hundreds of researchers at the IGB and around campus, and support several high-profile projects funded by federal agencies and private foundations such as the one that is developing an entirely new way to improve crop yield funded by the Gates Foundation. Our staff worked to divert the water away from important parts of the computer infrastructure, but we needed F&S support to address the root cause of the issue. The following individuals played significant roles in helping us avert a major loss of data by quickly identifying the source of the leak and repairing it.

James Scherer, Service
Jayson Oskard, Adam Bituin, Dave Odenweller, BSW
Chris Harrison, Roofer
Brad Etchison, Josh Hale, Joe Rudicil, Terry Paris, Plumbers

We know F&S was under tremendous pressure with situations like ours (and worse) all across campus during that massive storm and we very much appreciate the quick and effective response. Thanks to the superb efforts of these individuals, delivered in timely fashion, we were able to manage this crisis without a catastrophic loss of data, which would have impacted many scientists and the careers of their students.

We are using this opportunity to take proactive measures to stress-test our building for other vulnerabilities and F&S is assisting us with a pipe audit. I greatly appreciate the support from F&S and our continued partnership to support the campus research enterprise.

Best,

GENE E. ROBINSON Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
Swanlund Chair
Center for Advanced Study Professor in Entomology and Neuroscience
Director, Bee Research Facility
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

—

Dave Middleton, Building MaintenanceSign Shop

I wanted to give Dave Middleton and the Sign Shop a POB for their work on the Krannert Museum building signs. As we realized some information was missing after the initial installation, they were able to very quickly fix the sign on short notice. I appreciate their work here and their ability to help us meet our clients needs. They were already being praised by the client in the first place, and their continued quick response really makes us all look good.

Thanks,  

BRENT C. LEWIS, PLA, CA
Capital Programs, University Landscape Architect

September 2, 2022

Tom Szymanski, Building Maintenance
David “Paul” Weisman, Building Maintenance

Tom Szymanski Shop 01. Tom picks up so much slack to provide coverage were we are short of staff. He doesn’t complain one bit about the additional work load. Tom primary focus is doing work and taking care of our customers. He is the type of employee you can always rely on not only on a daily base, but when you are in a pinch.

David “Paul” Weisman. Paul has taken over the recycle of lamps/ ballast since Patty retired and is still providing coverage for his normal zone due to be shorthanded. Paul is a natural problem solver and is a go-to-guy for coworkers in need of assistance.–

Trent Beane, Capital Programs

Friday is a great day to celebrate good news. I just heard about great news that should be shared about Trent Beane’s project, (U21055) TRELEASE HALL – WINDOW REPLACEMENT – PHASE II.

This was Trent’s 2nd project to manage window replacements at the Florida Avenue Residence Halls. In both cases, he worked with the JLK (consultants), Felmley Dickerson Company (Contractors), F&S Design Reviewers; F&S Commissioning & Inspection; and Housing.

Air horns should be cued to celebrate that Trent’s leadership of this team and the great construction documents by JLK resulted in an on-time and on budget project with a rarely seen:

  • ZERO Requests for Information
  • ZERO Change Orders

A big congratulations goes out to all team members that helped make this a very successful project!

Best,

KELLY JO HOFFMANN, P.E., S.E.
Associate Director of Engineering Services

—

Kyle Henson, Building Services
Sibley Wong, Building Services

I wanted to send my appreciation to Building Service Workers Kyle Henson and Sibley Wong. Last week I helped cover a clock station for the Building Services Deep Night shift. It was my first time there and Kyle and Sibley both stepped in to help me out. They were patient, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. They assisted me in making sure specific buildings were covered so our customers are kept happy. Thank you both for your help!

Macie Sinn
Office Manager
Transportation & Building Services

August 26, 2022

Joe Ash, Building Services
Greg Krepps, Building Services
Brandon Finefield, Building Services
Jim Atkins, Building Services
Tim Watson, Building Services
Jessica Huddle, Building Services
Dan Bernard, Building Services
Bob Ackerman, Building Services

Earlier this month I requested some floors to be striped and waxed in some offices. There were a few obstacles, but Joe came out and fixed the issues. His team worked to fix the floors and everything was completed and looks good. Joe continued to follow up with me and made sure everything was completed. This enabled new faculty and staff to be able to move in on time which was great news for several departments.

Please send my appreciation to all involved!

This would include: Joe Ash, Greg Krepps, Brandon Finefield, Jim Atkins, Tim Watson, Jessica Huddle, Dan Bernard, and Bob Ackerman.

Thanks again for all the hard work of this crew and everyone else in Building Services during these busy times.

It’s greatly appreciated!

NATHAN PAYNEFacilities Operations Coordinator
School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics and LAS Administration
Foreign Language Building

—

Curtis Burgard, Building Services
David Bramlett, Building Services
Rocio Arroyave-Jamison, Building Services
Stacey Sanchez, Building Services
Raymond Cook, Building Services
Matthew Flaningam, Building Services
Darlene Sallee, Building Services
Bret Pourchot, Building Services
Kyle Henson, Building Services
Matt Steele, Building Services
Virginia Hall, Building Services
Sean O’Donnell, Building Services

Just wanted to reach out to you regarding the floors in the CDL and ECDL buildings. I walked in this morning after being away for a week, and I was truly impressed on the great job your crew is doing on getting the floors cleaned. Please let your crew know how much we appreciate their hard work as we prepare for the return of children and their parents next week. 

Thanks.

Brent A. McBride, PhD
Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences
Director, Child Development Laboratory

—

Denver Piatt, Transportation
Roxy Strayn, Transportation
Joe Lewis, Transportation
Mike Katterhenry, Transportation
Guadalupe Lopez, Transportation
Gary Cole, Transportation
Rod Gum, Transportation

I would like to thank you and your staff for an outstanding job they did keeping up with all of our areas, all was very much appreciated.

Rebecca S. Tromley
Building Service SupervisorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign│ Student Affairs │ University Housing 

—David Vesely, Building Maintenance
John Vinton, Building Maintenance

August 19, 2022

Rebecca Bigelow, Customer Relations & Communications

Dennis Craig stopped in to say Rebecca did an awesome job on the last Dispatch write-up – Ramping up Accessibility. He was very impressed with her writing style and the level of detailed information she included. Very informative even to those who were not able to attend the talk.Dennis Craig
F&S Capital Programs
Campus Historic Preservation Officer

—

Paul Jensen, Building Maintenance
Amy Chitwood, Building Services
Bruce Brown, Building Services
Chad Hopkins, Building Services
Brad Stevenson, Building Services

I wanted to take a moment to send a note of thanks to some of your crew members. I have moving crews here quite often helping me set up for events but today was totally different. . .

This morning I had to call Paul Jensen and request a very urgent special cleaning for our law library. We hosted an incoming student event last night and this morning found that the library was not in the condition with which it should be. I called Paul and he jumped on it – without so much as a complaint, he went straight to work and helped me get a crew over here in less than 30 minutes.

Amy Chitwood arrived with her crew: Bruce Brown, Chad Hopkins and Brad Stevenson. They were SO professional, courteous and quick to help me get the library in tip top shape.

I cannot thank all of them enough – seriously. I would like you to please give them some major accolades and maybe even a day off! 😉

Please let them know how much I appreciate them.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

All my best,

HEATHER K. BALL
Director of Events and Alumni Programming
Director, Women Lead WITH Illinois Law

—
Gary Cole, Transportation
Shawn Hadler, Transportation
Andrew Moore, Transportation
Mark Stine, Transportation
Josh Strawbridge, Transportation

Lot-31 had numerous potentially hazardous trees that were requested to be dropped ahead of students and football fans recreating in the area.  Priority was placed on the clean-up of all brush and logs as a result of having the trees dropped just ahead of setup beginning for the 2022 New Student Convocation. Drivers and Operators loaded truck after truck of brush and logs in a sweeping effort to return the grounds to functional once again for setup to begin. I am proud to see these departments willingness to stay over and be flexible to achieve this result for the overall good of the incoming students

Thank you,

Dan Hiser
F&S Fleet Operations

August 12, 2022

Associate Director of Inclusion and Organizational Development Doni Walker sent a note extending her sincere appreciation to the following individuals, teams/crews for helping to make the Employee Appreciation Lunches a success:

We could not have pulled it off without the hard work and dedication of each and every employee that showed up and went right to work! While I don’t have every person’s name, please know that I am truly grateful for you. Thank you for being so easy to work with and accommodating for some last-minute changes and/or challenges.

BSW Crew led by Joe Perkins – Helped with setting up and breaking down tables, chairs, recycling receptacles, floor fans, and anything else we needed. 😊

Bill Buesing – Our resident DJ! Thank you for providing sound for all three lunches!

The Grounds Crew – Thank you for providing trash cans and picking up all the trash and recycling after the event!

CRC & the sign shop crew for the design and creation of our awesome banner!

Electricians Matt and Chad for ensuring that we had all of the electrical cords needed (even though we were in a different location) 😊

The Stores Receiving team for ensuring our beverages were received and delivered to the picnic.

Special thanks to the Transportation Crew and Movers that mastered logistics and were willing to pick up and deliver items at the last minute on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thank you for having such a positive attitude!

I’d also like to thank all of the volunteers that helped with serving at all three lunches: Frank Colacicco, Rob Roman, Dave Boehm, Eric Smith, Brad Klein, Jim Sims, Donghwa Kim, Mark Barcus, Neil Franzen, Sushanth Girini, Sarthak Prasad, Steve Bainbridge, Greg Moen, Jon Hasselbring, Tony Spurlock, Pete Varney, Malikah Gordon, Katie Sperl, Kelly Jo Hoffmann, and Macie Sinn.

Finally, I would like to extend a huge thank you to the Events Committee Members that really stepped up in a short amount of time to contribute in one way or another.

Brad Trankina – Thank you for making the initial call to connect me with the committee, then showing up and putting in the work to make the event a success.

Mary McElvain – My Right & Left Hand! – There’s no way we would have done this without you!

Paul Jensen – Mr. Work Order!

Leslie Miller – The Financial Process Guru!

Colleen Ruhter – The Queen of Diagrams!

Again, thank you so much to everyone involved.

August 5, 2022

Bill Coyne, Building Services
Faustino Lopez, Building Services

Please tell your crew a big thank you for the weekend office cleanings of rooms 103 and 107 at the Chem Annex. They did such a good job—it’s a boost to my morale to have my office look so nice.

Thank you for your help with it!  Please put in Pat on your Back Letter

Amy Dickinson
Assistant Research Scientist, Ecotoxicology
Illinois Natural History Survey
Prairie Research Institute 

—

Roger Treakle, Building Services
Keegan West, Building Services
Auggie Torres, Building Services
Jeff Burton, Building Maintenance

See emailed “Pats on the Back” in email chain below

Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2022 3:52 AM

Late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning I was called to the Talbot Building Location(13) at 12:00am with a report of BSW smelling smoke.

I went immediately there to investigate and we found room 220 filled with smoke. I yelled out to make sure no one was in the room then went and pulled the fire alarm.

I then made sure all my BSWs were out of the building. I did notice a few students come out of the building after the fire alarm sounded.

Firemen found a student’s project with a high-intensity heating element came into contact with the table and started to smoke and burn through the table.

The firemen also noticed that there were no smoke detectors or fire sensors in the lab, that’s why I had to pull the alarm instead of the building system going off.

The Steam Distribution shop was called and they contacted the building contact Scott Dalby, who arrived at 12:47 a.m.

The Fire Department gave the “all-clear” at 12:45 a.m. so I had all BSWs go back to work.

Roger Treakle
Upgrade Foreperson
Deep Nights DCL Clock Station

\\\\////\\\\////—-\\\\////\\\\////

Great job, Roger, and handled perfectly. I appreciate your calmness and ensuring the safety of our staff and the security of our facilities.

F&S Building Services is more than just cleaning our facilities. We are the eyes on campus at all times.

Thank you,

Pete Varney
Director, Transportation & Building Services

\\\\////\\\\////—-\\\\////\\\\////

Good morning,

Great job, Roger. I concur with Pete, as we (BSWs) are the eyes and ears of our campus. Thanks

Tracy Osby
Assistant Superintendent of Building Services

\\\\////\\\\////—-\\\\////\\\\////

Thank you, Roger, for the outstanding work you are doing and literally saving the students and the building from what could have turned into a disaster.

Pete, you are absolutely correct. F&S Building Services is not only our arms that ensure our campus is clean, functional, and pleasant, but also safe and protected.

Can’t thank you all enough. Please keep up the great work and continue to make us all proud.

Regards,

Dr. Ehab Kamarah
Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director

July 29, 2022

Amy Chitwood, Building Services
Kham Phanrana, Building Services
Roy Specht, Building Services
Brad Stevenson, Building Services

Greg 215 is locked! 

I’m not sure if this is the correct place to write but we have a class in Greg 215 at 1pm and the room is locked. I was hoping someone could go unlock it. I’m writing now because our students usually go in the room before the class to study and it is usually open. I wasn’t sure if the plan was to unlock it at 1pm, but either way, could you let us know?

Thanks!

Best,

KRISTIN BOUTONSenior Instructor
Academic Director
Intensive English Institute
Illinois International Programs

—

Gary Cole, Transportation
Mike Katterhenry, Transportation
Marlo Wax, Transportation

I would like to express my appreciation for arranging travel for our conference on short notice. Our guests were well taken care of, and our keynote speaker texted to say that his driver, Mike, was great. Again, thank you so much for making this happen.

Mike Katterhenry – Driver
Marlo Wax – Driver
Gary Cole – Driver

Best,

ROBIN WOODALL
Assistant to Director of Community and Government Relations
Office of the Chancellor

—

Scott Johnson, Building Services

I wanted to send you a note regarding Scott Johnson. I can’t tell you how happy our unit is with Scott Johnson. In all my years here at the university, I have to say he is by far the best one I have had. He is definitely a keeper and has cleaned things that I don’t think have ever been cleaned. If we need, he is there to take care of it. We are so blessed to have him in our building and glad he chose us. 😊

Pam Steele
Executive Assistant to the Associate Chancellor
Public Affairs | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

July 22, 2022

Jonathan Canii, Transportation
Neil Franzen, Transportation
Sharice Ruth, Transportation
Melissa Zimmerman, Transportation

Please share this with your team who did so much to support our Illini Solar Car student trip. A safe return of the individuals and the UI property is always our goal. Stay in touch! We always are grateful for your unit’s cooperation with ECE!

Catherine Somers

—

It is a student initiated, planned, managed, and accomplished endeavor but we are able to have department and campus requirements for the use of our resources (vehicles, funds, etc.) 

Great “Safe Return” like Apollo 13 mission! We learn from everything if we do we if we iterate each time and incorporate the data/results.

You did a spectacular job in your role. You have set a very high bar for the future.

Catherine Somers

—

I am happy to say that the team had finally reached Champaign as of approximately 10 PM on July 19. There were no incidents regarding the health of the team, although we did run into trouble with paying for gas and some issues with the trailer which need to be resolved by the team. I will ask the relevant students to complete the injury + accident forms that we have discussed in the past, and then I will email them to you. Thank you for the amazing support you both have shown for the team and myself during the race! 

Thank you and best regards,

Avinash Subramaniam

July 15, 2022

Brad Ellison, Engineering Services
F&S ITS
Payroll

I’m giving all the credit to Brad Ellison for pushing the issue of Mobile Timekeeping not accepting AP’s 8 hour floating holidays. Brad is the man!

Kudos also go out to F&S IT and HR/Payroll for making it happen.

The glitch the matrix has been fixed. Less blue timecard for everyone!

KELLY JO HOFFMANN, P.E., S.E.
F&S, Associate Director of Engineering Services

—

Erik “Cable” Davis, Building Maintenance
Mike Paris, Building Maintenance
Brett Balsamello, Building Maintenance

Hi Cable,Thank you for help yesterday. The way the table arrived in the shipping crate from the trip from overseas caused us some very real concern. I greatly appreciate the skill at which you, Mike, & Brett addressed the table, especially since it was not at all oriented the correct direction. I have told several folks that we work with, when the ironworkers show up our problems disappear and this was another fine example! 
Thanks again for all of your help!Jesse Southern
Facilities, Institute for Genomic Biology

—

Dusty Paris, Building Services

I wanted to reach out to you and let you know that Dusty Paris does an amazing job in Kiln House and Ceramics buildings. She continually amazes me with her abilities and dedication and I consider her the most valuable team member that we have in those buildings. She is proactive and responsible in all areas of her job. Even though she works second shift, she is also a great communicator. I have spent a lot of time complaining about other buildings, but I wanted to let you know how much Dusty’s work is highly valued and appreciated!

Thanks!!

Nicole Robards
Associate Director of Facilities and Operations
Materials Science and Engineering
Ceramics Building

July 8, 2022

Brian Lewis, Information Technology Services
Steve Nelligan, Information Technology Services

I would like to offer up a quick ‘Pat on the Back’ to both Steve Nelligan and Brian Lewis.  A system that is critical to our year-end close process went down on 6/30 and both Steve and Brian took time away from their vacations to log in, troubleshoot, and help get us back up and running. Their dedication and extra efforts were very much appreciated by Fin Ops during this especially busy time for us!! Thank you!Michael R Alsip
F&S Financial Operations Coordinator

July 1, 2022

Delbert Ketteman, Building Service Worker
John Morris, Building Service Worker
Mike Hauserman, Building Service Worker
Turhan Peacock, Building Service Worker
James Head, Building Service Worker
Rodney Larkin, Building Service Worker
Richard Mullins, Transportation
Justin Brown, Transportation

Wanted to reach out not only say thanks for the great job you have been doing since you stepped into a leadership role with the moving crew. I’ve seen a change in the team morale and effectiveness.

In addition, I wanted to again highlight the great service I received today from both an internal team and a transportation supported team.

Great effort! Great demeanor! and Great communication!

Appreciated on a warm day and a lot of heavy rocks to move.

Thank you!!!

Best,

Kevin D. Armstrong
Facility Operations Coordinator
Dept. of Mathematics

—

Mitch McPhee, Grounds
Tom Kellogg, Grounds
Jason Waller, Grounds
Rodney Wood, Grounds

—

Jerry Dinnin, Service Office
Molly Mitsdarfer, Service Office
James Scherer, Service Office
Susan Zich, Service Office

I wanted to reach out to commend you on your team and the great service they provide.

The whole team, you included, and specifically Molly, Susan, and James do such an outstanding job in supporting me.

I so very appreciative of the value received by me and this university by such positive and knowledgeable support.

Thank you !!!!!!

Best,

Kevin D. Armstrong
Facility Operations Coordinator
Dept. of Mathematics

June 24, 2022

Thongpath Boonyang, Building Services
Scott Johnson, Building Services
Tim Rash, Building Services
Tina Wang, Building Services
Jayson Oskard, Building Services

“We had two simultaneous large events and needed the spectacular ECE building looking its best.  We are very grateful for the hard work and extra effort of our F&S BSW crew to support our events and give all our guests a great impression of Illinois ECE!  It would be an extremely unpleasant place to work if not for their hard work every day and we all learned in Covid the vital health and safety aspect of their role.  They are essential to the smooth operation of this premier department on campus.”

Bruce Hajek
Department Head
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

—

Ben Kuhlman, Safety & Compliance
Brenda Houy, Safety & Compliance
Greg Kaiser, Building Maintenance
Deran Huss, Building Maintenance
For their quick response to a dangerous automobile accident near Kirby Ave. and Oak Ave. on June 23. 

Everyone within view sprung to action and I am so proud to be a part of Facility and Services. The immediate response time was incredible. I would like to make a shout out to Ben Kulman for promptly calling 911, Brenda Houy for checking on the driver who was trapped in the truck, and Greg Kaiser and Deran Huss from Steam directing traffic while we waited for the emergency responders. There are other people who were also at the scene, but I could not make out everyone there so I apologize if I missed more heroic F&S staff. Both drivers are alive and glad to see everyone stepping up to help.

Susan Zich
F&S Service Office

June 16, 2022

Patrick Duda, Information Technology
Andres Fradkin, Information Technology
Steve Nelligan, Information Technology

I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for Patrick Duda, Andre Fradkin, Steve Nelligan, and the entire ITS team for their hard work and dedication assisting me with the implementation and development of the new BEP Contractor Vendor Tool. This was a collaborative effort between Purchasing and ITS that started in 2019. Through all of the countless meetings, and even a pandemic, their efforts never fell short. Thank you for all/everything that you do to support Purchasing and our entire organization.

Thank You

MARIA THOMPSON, MBAF&S Procurement Manager

—

Malikah Gordon, Customer Relations & Communications

I think what you have laid out for the pre-apprentice program is a great plan. Thank you for thinking through and proposing this. I appreciate you thinking of getting the message out like this.

A great plan and a great team to work with.

Thank you,

David H. Boehm MPA, CEM, CEFP
Director, Building Maintenance & Grounds

June 10, 2022

Jonathan Canii, Motor Pool
Neil Franzen, Motor Pool
Sharice Ruth, Motor Pool
Melissa Zimmerman, Motor Pool

Great progress yesterday.  It is such a pleasure working with your team.  Year in, year out, you make this stuff possible.  Thanks to you and please than your whole team!

Catherine Somers
Assistant Head for Administration
Electrical and Computer Engineering

—

Ron Johnson, Building Services
Leonard McFarland, Building Services

I wanted to compliment you on two BSW’s that are standing out at ISWS, Ron and Leonard. I know Ron came by to deal with all of the bugs and it was a mess. Leonard was eagerly getting around building 1 and mopped the restroom floors.

We really appreciate them!

DAVID PERRYN
Assistant to the Director
Illinois State Water Survey

June 3, 2022

Ray Cook Transportation & Building Services
David Bramlett, Transportation & Building Services
Scott McCartney, Transportation & Building Services
Jerold Watzlawick, Transportation & Building Services

I have an office in Wohlers that the floors are needing to be refinished and was wondering if that is something that can be scheduled for completion. Thank you for getting this office completed this weekend. It is truly, truly appreciated.

This was part of a larger work order for furniture replacement and other work.

Thanks

Kipling P Mecum II
Gies College of Business
Department of Business Administration

—

Mike Siems, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Craig Wise, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Aafreen Merchant, Building Maintenance & Grounds Intern
I want to recognize Mike Siems (temporary Sub-Foreperson) and Craig Wise for the work they performed at Agricultural and Biological Engineering Storage Building 0974.

Mike and Craig worked off hours so Technology Services can get fiber to the customer. We have been waiting on material and run into our summer work schedule. We couldn’t take care of the work during normal work hours. Mike and Craig worked diligently to ensure the work was completed. 

Will Corum
Electrician Sub-Foreperson

—

Aaron Brunkhorst, Building Services
Mallory Summers, Building Services
Mike Hauserman, Building Services
James Head, Building Services

I just want to thank Aaron Brunkhorst and Mallory Summers for coming in yesterday evening and doing the work- a “Pat on the Back”, if you will. Aaron was super responsive when I sent the email- and when I sent it, I did not have same day expectations I was just trying to get a time estimate – but they went above and beyond and got it done same day for me. I also liked Aaron’s team player attitude as I heard him talking to Mallory and say he would do some of his work and then come back and help him, I thought that was very nice and a good example of part of our teamwork values. To reward them for their hard work we are going to be setting up a reoccurring WO to have the area cleaned quarterly since it is now housing the uniforms 🙂 I do want to add that the moving crew, Mike Hauserman and James Head were great too!!

Thank you,

KIRSTEN LEIGH SNYDER
OFFICE MANAGER, BUILDING MAINTENANCE & GROUNDS

—

Layton Steel, Building Services

It’s so nice to have a clean office. Layton Steel, who cleaned the director’s office, did a fantastic job and I really would like to express my appreciation.

Jeff Moore
Director of the Beckman Institute

May 27, 2022

Anthony Merritt, Building Maintenance & Grounds

I was able to work with Anthony the 2 days prior and it was a great experience. I was impressed by Anthony’s skillset as well as his work ethic. Anthony takes pride in a quality installation and his craftsmanship reflects that pride. It was great to get out there to see the work in progress, start to finish.Gregory A Moen
SUPVR OF BUILDING CRAFTSMEN

—

Ryan Waters, Transportation & Building Services

I am not sure if you are aware of the water leak that we had at Q7 last week. The water fountain had a broken pipe that openly flowed onto the floor for several days. It was a mess out there to say the least. Ryan Waters responded to Q7 shortly after I called F&S. I am sure he had other responsibilities planned out for the day, however he made PTI a priority after he observed the standing water. He did a fantastic job getting the water cleaned up and airing the place out to avoid further water damage.

I wanted to take a moment to bring this to your attention, and to let him know that we appreciated the extra time he spent helping PTI. Please pass along our gratitude for his quick response and the steps he took to help clean up the mess.

Thanks,

Joe Gallo
Assistant Director
University of Illinois Police Training Institute

May 20, 2022

Dan Hiser, Transportation & Building Services

I am happy to tell you that isolation housing in Bousfield is now completely vacant!

Thank you again so much for all you have done this year to serve students with transportation needs! Another wonderful example of a collaborative effort in response to COVID. On behalf of Student Affairs and especially University Housing, we appreciate your partnership and perseverance. Please share our gratitude with everyone who contributed!

MATTHEW M. BROWNDirector of Facilities for University Housing

+

Thanks to all of you for your hard work making this happen.

Lowa Mwilambwe
Associate Vice Chancellor for Auxiliary, Health & Wellbeing
Student Affairs

—

Josh Somers, Building Maintenance & Grounds
JM Fontaine, Building Maintenance & Grounds

Josh Somers & JM Fontaine deserve recognition for the work they have been doing on the NCSA flooring replacement, their work ethic and quality is amazing. NCSA Facility Director Tedra Tuttle recently referred to Josh and Fontaine as machines that don’t stop.

Thank you,

BOB WEEKS
Carpenter Shop Foreman—

Chris Corzine, Building Maintenance & Grounds

This Pat on the Back is in response to Operator Chris Corzine finding and initiating the response to the natural gas leak on 5/4/2022 at the Ice Arena.

Thank You,

Greg Kaiser
Steam Distribution foreperson—

Elizabeth Nava, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Kirsten Snyder, Building Maintenance & Grounds

Elizabeth and Kirsten have both been asked to do multiple projects with several midstream changes. They both were gracious and immediately provided the work that was requested such as Org charts and Fire Protection program asset information.

An example of what Elizabeth compiled is the updated spreadsheet located in the Q drive in the Fire Suppression folder – Fire System Information by Building 2022.

Dave Boehm
Director Building Maintenance & Grounds—

May 13, 2022

Jim Atkins, Building Service Worker

We have a BSW in the building today that has never been in this building before, and I just noticed his name is Jim.
We need to keep this man, I have seen things done today that have not been touched for many moons. Wow….just wow

Have a good day, and while you’re at it, make it good for someone else

Marla Frisby
Small Animal Clinic

May 6, 2022

Nick Cobb, Building Service Worker

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your help with getting RAL basement and ground floor cleaned up and up to university standards. Your work has not gone unnoticed from Management as well as the building occupants. With your assistance, this job is looking great. Job well done. Keep up the great work.

Sincerely,

Carla M. Ogle
Building Service Supervisor

—

I wanted to write you all a quick email to let you all know what a great job Nick Cobb has been doing in RAL. I was told yesterday by some students again to make sure that he is kept in RAL. They think he’s fantastic. So thank you for a great hire and having him in RAL.

Thank you,

Karla Southern
School of Chemical Sciences

—

Ryan Asbury, Building Service Worker

Just wanted you to know our office is looking so much better with Ryan as our BSW. He is doing a great job.

LISA KEATINGAssistant to Eric Minor

—

Chad Kupferschmid, Facilities Information Resources
Beth Leitz, Facilities Information Resources
Justin Pinnel, Facilities Information Resources
Kimberly McLaughlin-Garrison, Facilities Information Resources

On behalf of so many we say “thank you” for your daily help with “locating things”… and much more.  We would literally be lost without you.

David Green, PE, LEED AP
Utilities and Energy Services Division

April 29, 2022

Bob Weeks, Building Maintenance & Grounds
David Middleton, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Eric Hasselbring, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Will Corum, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Joseph Perkins, Transportation & Building Services
Frank McCurry, Building Maintenance & Grounds
Craig Wise, Building Maintenance & Grounds

I wanted to take the time to say thank you to all of you! I would also like you to forward our appreciation to all of the men who worked with us on the IHR Administration area, reception area, conference rooms,  rooms 121, 159 and especially 108! The ladies and gentlemen that work in that room feel as though they have been given a Christmas present in April!

A special thank you goes out to those who made the funding of these projects possible! Some of us has worked in this building for a long time, others have not. But ALL of us are very grateful.

Personally, I have loved working with all of you and look forward to our future endeavors!

All my best,Jenny Dye
Human Resource Representative
Illinois Human Resources

April 22, 2022

Markus Caparoon, Shared Administrative Services

He has been extremely helpful and responsive to the setup and adjustments needed for IT support in Room 147. 

Malikah Gordon
Associate Director
Customer Relations & Communications

April 15, 2022

Virginia Hall, Building Service Worker
Agustin Torres, Building Service Worker

Please pass along a big thanks to the building maintenance staff or whoever cleaned and polished the floor in my office in DCL. It looks amazing!

I haven’t been in since Oct, so I have no idea how long ago it was cleaned.

Thanks, 

Hannah Christensen 
Data & Technology Innovation
Office of the CIO – Technology Services

—

Zachary Daniel, Building Services & Grounds
Luis Rojas, Building Services & Grounds
Patrick Spitz, Building Services & Grounds

April 8, 2022

Tresa Dian Covington, Building Service Worker

We are sorry to see Dian go.  She has been nothing but fantastic!  She is a great person and a great worker and will definitely be missed.

Thanks!

Carol Young
Facilities Manager
Business Instructional Facility

—

Mike Alsip, Capital Programs

I wanted to pass along sincere thanks to your staff, most notably, Mike Alsip. Months ago, I was able to pick thoughts on better ways to ensure all WO’s related to FCPWeb projects and former staff could be more easily reviewed and accessed. Mike used his excel prowess and customized a beta version of a WO query spreadsheet with AiM and FCPWeb as sources in addition to all his regular duties. He has provided updates upon request.

As months have passed, Capital is now seeking to use this query in our closeout process and for project internal audits. Mike was able to perfect the sheet for these uses per the requests of Jon Hasselbring and Kim Hubbard’s. As of this morning, Mike is now regularly publishing these query reports in an accessible location for Capital Programs and we couldn’t be happier! 

Thanks again!

KELLY JO HOFFMANN, P.E., S.E.F&S Capital Programs

—

Yhara Boxley, Building Service Worker

Thank you so much for all your help and work for our ACRC meeting last week!

Everything looked perfect, we appreciate all your efforts!

All the best!

Ljubica Milutinovic
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration CenterCoordinator
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering

April 1, 2022

CUSTODIAL SERVICE FOR AN INSTITUTE FOR GENOMIC BIOLOGY NEWS CONFERENCE
Judy Sleeth – Buidling Service Worker

Thank you for your crews help in getting IGB ready for the news conference & meeting on Monday.  The building looked great  and we appreciate your help.

Thank you,

Jesse Southern
Director of Operations and Facilities
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Initial request and background information:
IGB is having a high profile visit with VIP’s & press on Monday March 28 starting at 9am.   There will be a press conference and other media here especially in the café space, 612/614, 607, 1619,  the main gatehouse entrances & the gatehouse atrium.  Would your staff be able to ensure that these spaces look as good as they can for this event.

March 25, 2022

Jennifer Howard, Building Service Worker

I would like to formally give praise for Jennifer. She takes care of the 4th floor in Engineering Hall. I have been here for 3 years and I must say she is the best worker that we have ever had, and we really appreciate the things she does for us. I wanted to make sure her efforts do not go unnoticed. Please take this email and give her the proper praise she deserves for her file.

Thank you,

Liz and the whole 4th floor at EH.

Liz Johnson
Administrative Aide
The Grainger College of Engineering—

Stacey DeLorenzo, Capital Programs
Maria Thompson, Shared Administrative Services

I want to send a Pat on the Back for Maria and Stacey, as they have completely executed the contract for the Obama Energy smart light poles. This took diligence, perseverance, and a lot of focused respect to resolve complicated technical problems. I look forward to seeing this project completed in the fall semester.

Please join me in congratulating these two on achieving this important milestone before the IPHEC contract expires next month.

Thanks, 

MORGAN B. WHITE
Acting Director of Capital Programs
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

—

Gary Cole, Transportation & Building Services
Neil Franzen, Transportation & Building Services

I want to thank all of you for the amazing teamwork that you supplied to the Board of Trustees Office to make our March Board of Trustees meeting so successful.  We certainly appreciate all the extra efforts and owe a great deal of gratitude to all of you. Please share with anyone I may have missed, and we look forward to working with you in the future!

Thanks again!

Staci Lomax
Special Assistant to the Secretary
Board of Trustees
University of Illinois System

—

Leslie Miller, Shared Administrative Services

During the FY21-22 transition F&S Procurement had an employee retire. Leslie took the initiative to train the new employee on top of keeping the process flowing smoothly for the Procurement Office. Even though she has so much going on, she remains thorough in her work and ensures that the correct processes are followed every time. Her politeness and understanding with every requestor and vendor is amazing. She has been so selfless in making sure things are taken care of for everyone or any task that crosses her path. I shadow her every day, and learning from her in these times has been nothing but amazing. I am so grateful to have her as a guide to learn from. 

Sadie Herold

March 18, 2022

Thanks to all those individuals at F&S that allow for the continued success of our operations through purchasing, acquisition, procurement, and material management. Governor Pritzker declared March “Public Procurement Month,” in recognition of purchasing professionals and their role and influence in helping to run organizations while maintaining efficient and effective operations. See the full proclamation here: https://go.fs.illinois.edu/MarchProcurement 

March 4, 2022

Plumbers
Pipefitters
Sheet Metal Workers
Electricians
Roofers

Three Navien NPE-240A2 tankless water heaters feed an emergency shower and the building, NRB Garage. Two Leonard mixing valves, one for the building and one for the emergency shower. All installation was done by U of I tradespeople. Plumbers Bobby Fowler and Anthony Austin did an excellent job on the water heater installation. Other trades include Pipefitters, Sheetmetal, Electricians, Roofers.

The other trades involved did a great installation also.  Great craftsmanship by highly skilled people.

The second photo is piping for a water heater at NRB on the west end. A Thrush horizontal, steam fed, on demand water heater and an Armstrong “the Brain” mixing valve. Plumbers Bobby Fowler and Anthony Austin, Pipefitters and Electricians were also involved with this installation.  Again, great craftsmanship by highly skilled people. 

Thanks, 

MATT FAULKNER
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
PLUMBING SHOP SUPERVISOR

February 25, 2022

Locksmiths Shop

I want to publicly thank the lock shop for a great job they did rekeying Turner Student Services Building. Richard Lacy and his team were amazing to work with. They were patient with me as I coordinated this project with different units housed in our building. They also worked around the normal business hours of our units which was really important to the staff. The lock shop is very professional and customer service oriented. 

This was my first rekey project, and I would not be afraid to embark on another one because the lock shop made it easy for me!

Thank you,Julie Shaffer, MS CPA
DIRECTOR BUDGET & FINANCE
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

—

Brian Hollis, Building Services & Transportation
Jerold Watzlawick, Building Services & Transportation 
Jack Humphrey, Building Services & Transportation 
John Miller, Building Services & Transportation 

I wanted to take a moment to thank your crew for their help in keeping the IGB plaza and entrances free from snow & ice.  As you know, we have had a significant amount of snow & ice this year  and your crew has worked hard to help our researchers gain access to the building and keep the IGB plaza & entrances free from snow & ice. 

Their efforts are  greatly appreciated and I wanted to pass along our thanks and sincere appreciation.

Thank you

Jesse Southern
Director of Operations and Facilities
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology 

February 18, 2022

Michael Jamison, Building Services
Jerold Dale Watzlawick, Building Services
Joe Ash, Building Services
Roy Specht, Building Services
Amy Chitwood, Building Services

Stan Adkisson
Ben Baker
Phuong Bui
Amy Chitwood
Rynell Frazier
Mike Hauserman
James Head
Mike Hill
Michael Jamison
Scott McCartney
Leonard McFarland
John Morris
Ralph Nevils
Joe Perkins
Tom Pagel
Kham Phanrana
Jake Reynolds
Roy Specht
Brad Stevenson
Dorothy (Rhen) Uphoff
Sibley Wong

I want to thank everyone for all their help getting the building cleaned up and set up for the Governor’s press conference today; the event was a success and everyone really enjoyed being in the fantastic-looking building! I especially appreciate the extra time everyone put in, after what was a very busy week and weekend maintaining the campus. Everything went so well today, the Governor and his group are excited to come back to see SCD again!

Thanks!

Nicholas Puddicombe, MBA, CVPAssociate Director of Operations & Experience
Siebel Center for Design

—

Brent Lewis, Capital Programs

Was ranked as “excellent” in teacher evaluations for last fall and will be included on the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent. “I feel I represented F&S well in that endeavor as a resident expert in the field,” said Lewis. “The Department Head of Landscape Architecture also noted he knew I was a good teacher because those who didn’t do well in my class were quick to fault themselves and never faulted my teaching or the class itself. Evidently that is a reliable metric for teacher performance. I am happy to have heard this.”–

Machine Shop
Laborers Shop

I would like to thank all involved from the Machine Shop and Labor Shop for the speedy repairs and quick reaction to some important equipment at the State Farm Center ahead of the IHSA State Wrestling Tournament.

Thank you,

Dan Hiser
F&S Fleet Operations

February 11, 2022

Rebecca Bigelow, Customer Relations & Communications

I read e-updates all the time and think Wow, Wow, Wow!! How cool is this to be part of this team. All of the amazing communications your team provides Wow!

Great Job!

Dave Boehm
Director of Building Maintenance and Grounds

—
Iron Workers Shop
Paint/Glass Shop
Dave Middleton
Jeff Snodgrass
Rich Griffet
South Garage & Carpool
Derrick Drake
Kelly Swanson
Rob Pereznegron
Michael Harmon
James Butler
Anthony Minor

Hello,

I would like to give thanks to the shops and trades people who assisted the Grounds department during our snow removal operation last week and through the weekend. These shops helped with repairs that allowed our fleet to remain up and running during the three day event. Thank you all, for you eagerness to collaborate with us to insure safe passage for our pedestrians with disabilities throughout our campus community.

Thank you,

Isaac Williams
Grounds Foreperson

January 28, 2022

Jeremy Neighbors, Safety and Compliance
Ben Kuhlman, Safety and Compliance

Just wanted to pop in and say that the face coverings safety resource document was the#2 most-clicked link in Friday’s COVID update message to students, faculty and staff.

These are big emails with lots of links, so it’s so great to see that people are utilizing the safety resources!

Have a great day,

Katie Watson
Sr. Assistant Director of Content Strategy
University of Illinois Public Affairs

January 21, 2022

David Drish, Building Services
Delbert Ketteman, Building Services
Ron McCloud, Building Services

Just a quick email to thank you so much for all of the hard work and attention to detail last week. Both the Spitze and Sims rooms look wonderful! I almost could cry standing there and seeing it all together again! Just so relieved and grateful for you and your team and all you did to get these two rooms back together again!

GREAT GUYS!

Another truly good one is Ron McCloud. He has been working hard to get these room super cleaned. After almost 2 years of “classroom use” they were BEYOND needing cleaned. He has done extensive carpet cleaning, under windows, etc… Between Ron and these moving crew guys: ALL godsends!

Kendra Courson
ACES Library

2021

November 19, 2021

Troy Geisinger, Building Service Worker

Thanks for the beautiful floors! The floors are lovely.

Thank you for this “pick me up” during this dreary time of the year.

Best, 

Stephanie Ceman
Professor, Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology

Thank you! We are beginning to see (and hear) a difference. The floor cleanings are very much needed. It’s good to hear this positive feedback from the faculty about this work. We truly appreciate it.

Dennis Dalby
Business/Administrative Associate
Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology

—

Kayla Miller, Building Service Worker

I want to put a word in for Kayla who works in the Medical Sciences Building. Whenever she is working on the 5th floor we can tell — the space is consistently brighter and cleaner! She goes above and beyond by thoroughly cleaning and restocking. There is never a trash can that she doesn’t empty (even though we have a crazy number of bins for such a small lab). She double checks each of the paper towel holders so we never run out and today she cleaned out each of the individual office spaces, which I know was not in practice for several years. I hope that this info can go to her manager or supervisor, so they know that she has a great deal of kindness and initiative in her work.

Thank you!

Maureen McCoy
Senior in Biochemistry | Class of 2022
Undergraduate Research Assistant | Professor Lin-Feng Chen Lab

—

Andres Fradkin, Information Technology Services

I would like to give Andres Fradkin a pat on the back for helping me set up a fairly complicated tracking spreadsheet needed to support several other units’ ANCRA offline training. His quick turnaround and excel expertise really helped me a lot in expediting this important part (the tracking of the training). We worked well as a team and finished this part in a timely manner so that the offline training can begin in time. Good job, Dre! Thanks so much for your help!

Thank you,

Linh QuachOFFICE MANAGER

November 5, 2021

Linh Quach, Human Resources, Diversity & Strategy

I would like to give Linh Quach a pat on the back for excellent customer focus, and for her willingness to help out in a unique situation.

One of our contractor’s young children died last Sunday, with services to take place tomorrow (10/30). After learning about this tragic loss on Wednesday, our project manager and Capital Programs leadership asked if we could send flowers to express our condolences to the family. This is outside of my usual P-Card activities, so I did not know the answer and I didn’t have time to do research without jeopardizing the delivery date, so I asked Linh. She quickly found the information that I needed, and I was able to make the purchase in time while following all applicable policies and documentation requirements. The flowers from F&S will be displayed at the funeral, a powerful symbol of compassion for the human beings who deliver our projects.

Your good health,

Corey Leslie, CPPB
Assistant Director for Contract Administration
Capital Programs

—

Steve Breitwieser, Customer Relations & Communications
Nikki Hemrich, Customer Relations & Communications

Thanks to all who contributed on the memorial picture of John Rhoades ( I’m guessing Steve & Nikki). The picture is “spot on”. That is the smile I will always remember when I think of John. The verbiage is “spot on”. The last paragraph describes John to the tee.

It is nice to have a friendly reminder when I walk past his cage.

Greatly appreciated!

Best-
Gregory A Moen
SUPVR OF BUILDING CRAFTSMEN, Facilities and Services
Building Maintenance Crafts and Trades

—

Randy Reinhart, Greg Davis, Chris McCartney and Georges LeFaivre, Sheet Metal
Doug Winkler, David Smithenry and Les Siefert, Pipefitters
Travis Huls and Paul Barton, Temperature Control

I wanted to write to you today and let you both know how much we appreciate ALL the hard work that many of your F&S Staff have and are doing for us here in the School of Chemical Sciences (SCS). There are many individuals, but I wish to mention the exceptional to you and with out all their hard work and communication, we would not be able to prevail in this most difficult times. With the low numbers of trades staff on campus, it has been most frustrating and difficult to navigate the high level of research support that is needed. As you know we have had many challenges this past year. Without their hard work and dedication, we would not be in the shape that we are in now in getting our long list of challenges meet.

I would like to mention the few exceptional dedicated individuals that come to mind that go up and beyond in their duties. With each challenge that is put before them, they find a way to successfully work with SCS. They all try and communicate those challenges with reasonable expectations in completing each task.

I thank each and every one of them for ALL of their hard work. We are never successful solely as individuals, it takes a village to run this University. Without their work, we would not have near the success that we have.

Thank you,

Karla Southern
School of Chemical Sciences
Project Maintenance Specialist

October 29, 2021

Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

I just want to thank you so much for attending the Campus Sustainability Celebration, for photographing the event, and for all of the hard work you did leading up to it. I am so happy with how it went and hope you had a good time too. Thanks again and have a great weekend!
MEREDITH MOORESustainability Programs Manager 
Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

October 22, 2021

Kenny Blazek, Building Services and Transportation
Marlo Wax, Building Services and Transportation

Thanks again for your help with the shuttles for the LIFE Home Dedication on 10/7/21! The drivers were fantastic and hope we can work with you/them again!

DANIELLE RUNYON
Associate Director of External Engagement
College of Applied Health Sciences

October 15, 2021

Laborer-Electricians
Electricians
Painters
Laborers
Building Service Workers
Grounds

I would like to take an opportunity to acknowledge and thank the crews at Facilities and Services and the Employees within the CS Facilities and Operations who helped prepare for Mr. Siebel’s visit back to the Illinois campus.  For a little over a month now there has been a sizeable effort by many and I want to make sure it doesn’t go unrecognized.

The Laborer Electricians dedication to replacing faulty light bulbs, damaged string lighting, and keeping in touch with our department has been thoroughly appreciated. They also made sure to bring over a specific scissor lift to replace faulty hanging bulbs in the 2nd floor atrium.  While the scissor lift was here they also assisted us by fixing some rubber stripping on the 2nd floor atrium wall that has been an eyesore for a few months.

The Electricians teamed up with the laborer electricians on the second floor atrium as well Fixing ballasts on some of the hanging fixtures, and helped with making sure the donor board lights were working properly and at its peak illumination.

The Painters and the Laborers were able to complete and refinish all of the outdoor second floor patio furniture, this task was not a small order and has been a culmination of all parties to accomplish. Without the laborers being able to coordinate the furniture moving around the painters schedule this wouldn’t have been accomplished and our department appreciates their help. The Painters also helped by power washing the second floor and lower level patios making the outdoor areas look new again. The “House of Imagination” statue was also cleaned and waxed helping make the outdoor areas look even better for the visit. 

The BSW overnight crew worked on floors, entrance glass and windows, and bathrooms while still completing their normal work load. An additional BSW was scheduled during the day of Mr. Siebel’s visit to help keep the areas up to par, and all of the extra effort didn’t go unnoticed.

The Grounds Crew helped tremendously on the upkeep of the outside of the facility by sprucing up the flower beds with a higher grade mulch, trimming and pruning trees, and removing of dead trees. The outdoor hillside grass area of our building had been treated, reseeded, and watered making it look the best it has in many years. The previous weeding of the hillside and flower beds vastly made the areas look amazing. The mowing of the grounds the day before and leaf removal in front of all the entrances and walkways the morning of Mr. Siebel’s visit made the facility look noteworthy. We appreciate grounds dedication prior to his visit and appreciate all the help.

Within our own CS Facilities & Operations department I would like to thank the students help that assisted in the weeding efforts outside the building, daily trash removal, and the moving and relocation of furniture within the building furniture. Our staff did daily walks to identify deficiencies, submitted work orders and coordinated between the shops.

From CS Facilities and Operations we greatly appreciate all that took part prepping for this event, and appreciate your hard work.

Jason R. Hatton
Facilities Manager
Siebel Center for Computer Science

CONTINUED:

I would like to echo and add onto Jason’s comments. The building was really looking sharp – inside and out – and I am very appreciative of the hard work and attention that you all put in. And please note your efforts have NOT gone unnoticed!

I can also report that it was noticed by Tom Siebel. He was very impressed by how well the building has been maintained and noted that CS buildings on other prestigious campuses are starting to deteriorate after a few years, while our building is still in very good shape after nearly 20 years. This is due to the care and attention of Jason and all of you.

I am particularly pleased with the outdoor furniture repainting. That was such an eyesore and we have been working to get it repainted for a very long time. I know it was a major effort to get it done so quickly in advance of his visit. I am super excited when it will all be completed.

Thank you again – great job and it was noted and appreciated!

Nancy M. Amato
Head of the Department of Computer Science
Abel Bliss Professor of Engineering

—

Derrick Drake, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to recognize Derrick from your team. I’ve been working with him on an issue. He has excellent customer service and is very friendly, a real pleasure to work with.

Regards,

Ryan TrzaskowskiAssociate Director, Strategic Projects
SHIELD Illinois

—

Roxy Strayn, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Denver Piatt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I just wanted to thank you and your team members, particularly drivers Denver and Roxy, who provided such helpful and professional shuttle service from the time of scheduling to dropping off the last of our alumni guests back in September and again this past weekend. We really appreciated you accommodating us on short notice most recently and will try to connect with you earlier next year. Thank you for all you do to help make the U of I a welcoming place to visit – and so pleasant to work with!

Kind regards,

sheila wenger (she, her, hers)
Board Operations Coordinator

October 8, 2021

Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

Thank you for writing the wonderful INSIDER piece about the RORG bridge! It turned out great and your beautiful photos topped it off perfectly. 

I’m grateful to you and F&S for featuring the collaboration. We’re so lucky to have friends across campus that make us look good. 

Best regards,

C. ELIANA BROWN MSEE LEED AP NGICP(she/her)  
Extension Water Quality Specialist 
Director, Red Oak Rain Garden

September 17, 2021

Montez Harris, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

UI Ride customer feedback: This is an excellent service and my driver Montez Harris was top notch. Well done and thank you for an easy trip.

Michael Cervone
SR APP SERV SPEC, Technology Services

October 1, 2021

Iron Workers, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Thanks to the Ironworkers for getting this done today!  Happy to see some familiar faces from the trades working around ‘my’ new building.

Eric Vetter
Facility Manager, Campus Instructional Facility

September 3, 2021

Mike Carlson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Denver Piatt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Trawick Coleman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to recognize the hard work these employees have been conducting. Throughout the pandemic
consistent changes have been occurring within the Transportation department resulting in the need for
members to step up and challenge themselves. These changes have required learning new things on the
fly and transforming themselves to learn computer and customer service skills one moment and the next
jumping into a truck to get a job done. Their hard work has helped to continue Transportations efforts to
support campus in facilitating COVID-19 related needs.

Dan Hiser
Transportation Sub-Foreperson

—

Scott Schmidt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to give Scott Schmidt a “Pat on the Back” for all of his hard work taking care of COVID shielding on campus.  We have had quite a few work orders for shields come in to prepare for the beginning of the semester and Scott has really done an outstanding job.  He has met with customers, fabricated and installed all shapes and sizes of the polycarbonate panels, all within a day or two turnaround. Thanks be to Scott!  Andy

Andy Burnett
Mill Shop 

—

Deran Huss, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to email you regarding a team member that we have here in the School of Chemical Sciences “SCS”. His name is Deran Huss from Steam Distribution. Deran has been working with us in SCS for a couple years now in our buildings and has been an essential part of our everyday success with managing the buildings under SCS. Everyday Deran provides 200% effort in all he does. His outstanding attitude, customer service and over all team mentality has contributed to the success in our everyday functions with SCS. As you are aware RAL in itself has had numerous challenges over the last couple years including ESCO work and the spring flood in the basement taking out AHU S1. Deran has come to our assistance more than once with after hour emergencies and assisting other Steam Distribution members after hours assistance. The dedication that Deran has shown to SCS, I just can’t thank him enough.

Deran’s efforts shown through again with last Friday’s flooding events in Noyes, Chem Annex, RAL and CLSL-A. We had water coming in many places in these buildings due to the heavy rain Urbana received. It was Deran that helped assist me to make sure all items where looked at, called the appropriate trades, including investigation work due to the nature of the type of water leak we were having. His determination, excellent communication skills and his overall work performance has by far allowed SCS to excel every single day.

I hope I have been able to show just a little to you of what Deran Huss means to SCS and to the University of Illinois. He not only is a highly valued team member to SCS, but to all of the University with his assistance with all of the trades on campus. I thank the University for allowing Deran to work with SCS.

Sincerely,

Karla Southern
School of Chemical Sciences Facilities

August 27, 2021

St. Mary’s Road Construction Success

Just a quick note to say how awesome I think the St. Mary’s Road project is! Especially with the closure of the parking garages near my building, I’m relying on my bicycle more than ever, and the design of the St. Mary’s Road underpass is really thoughtful. I sincerely appreciate having a safe route to avoid Windsor and Kirby and get across Neil St.

Thank you to the F&S team for such a nice finished project.

Cheers,

Melissa Edwards
Executive Director of Strategic Research Communications
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

—

Sound Technicians, Electricians Shop; Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I am temporarily, overseeing the multimedia department here at the Illini Union. I wanted to send a special note to thank you and your staff for helping us with the Governor’s event this morning. This event would not have been successful without you and your team. Your staff were very professional, identified the issues quickly and took the time to direct our staff on the next steps to get the sound working properly. It was great to see the two teams work together like that!

Again thank you very much for assisting us this morning.

Best Regards,

Mr. Kelly L. Foster
Assistant Director for Guest Services
Illini Union

August 20, 2021

Ciarra Harvey, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Leonard McFarland, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Tung Vu, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

room

















Thanks so much for allowing us to use 329 Armory for some temporary storage. The movers were here this morning to move everything into the ICS computer classroom 328. 329 has been returned to its previous layout and condition. I have attached photos. If we need to do anything further, please let me know.

Leonard and his moving crew today were awesome – I appreciate their assistance.

Thanks,

Lori Beeson
Senior Facilities Planner
Technology Services

August 6, 2021

Sydney Trimble, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I’d like to submit Sydney for a Pat on the Back for her recent work. Sydney has been tossed into the deep end of the pool with the recent staff changes within TAS. With very little time in the position she has managed to step up to the task and absorb a very detailed and nuanced process. Providing the billing data to the F&S Finance team would not have occurred in a timely manner without her efforts.

Thank you,

Pete Varney
Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

—

John Morris, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Saensuk Mokaphan, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations 

John and Saensuk came today to clean the glass top on the Interim Sr. Assoc. Chancellor’s desk today. But, John and Saensuk did a well above average job on that glass! Being the size of one of the panes, they were impressive how much they cared about doing a good job without damaging the glass. It is incredibly heavy and difficult but they still did a very good job. Deb will be back in her office tomorrow (I believe) and I think she will really be pleased with the results.

Jenny Dye
Illinois Human Resources
Office of the Chancellor

July 30, 2021

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES HELP
Jorge Solorio, Operations Assistant – Information Technology Services

I just like to send a Well Over Due Pat On The Back to Our F&S IT Department for tall their help, especially Jorge Solorio. Jorge has been extremely helpful in assisting the BSW department Going Above and Beyond during the pandemic on/off campus.

Thanks
Tracy L. Osby
Assistant Superintendent of Building Services

FLAT TIRE SUPPORT
James Butler, Automotive Technician Assistant – Transportation & Automotive Services

Hi Dan,

My co-worker and I found ourselves with a flat tire on Thursday, July 22, around 6:30 p.m. as we left for a bat survey. When we went for gas and hoping to find an air pump, we saw the maintenance shop was open. One of the mechanics stopped eating his dinner to patch our tire for us and was very kind and helpful. We didn’t catch his name, but he had brown hair and a beard and was one of two of the mechanics present. We just wanted to give him a shoutout because we were frustrated with the flat and making contingency plans for our field work, but he was extremely efficient, helpful, and pleasant and enabled us to get our field work done that evening. It was a very positive and excellent experience and we want to give credit where credit is due.

Best,

Sarah Gaulke
Masters Student
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

EXCELLENT COVID-19 TESTING SITE DRIVER ASSISTANCE
Monique Settles, Driver – Transportation & Automotive Services

Dan,

Just wanted to send a compliment. I want to let you know I have had multiple site leads reach out complimenting Mo. It is wonderful to work with someone who does such an exceptional job with a smile.

~Arika Davis Murray
Office of the Chancellor, Special Events

OUTSTANDING ELECTRICAL WORK AT NUCLEAR RADIATION LABORATORY
Craig Wise, Electrician – Building Maintenance 
Larry Lustfeldt, Electrician – Building Maintenance 
Will Corum, Electrician Subforeperson – Building Maintenance 

Hi Will,

Just wanted to let you know that all the work done at NRL looks good. Your guys did quality work and were good to work with. Thanks for the help. 

Best,

Cody Moynihan
Graduate Research Assistant
Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering

July 23, 2021

CIVIL ENGINEERING HYDROSYSTEMS LABORATORY RENOVATION AND EXPANSION
Mike Brown, Engineering & Construction Services

I know you know how good it is to work with the C&I staff, crunch time, and difficulty in managing the specs, standards, codes etc. 

This was my first occupancy inspection with Mr. Brown. Mike as well, was great to work with, professional throughout, took the time to talk to me and our construction team concerning the issues and occupancy of the building.

The construction is not finished, so there are issues, and as busy as Mike and everyone is, it was a pleasure to have Mike part of the team.

Mike Stilger
F&S Project Manager, Capital Programs

July 16, 2021

ENGINEERING SERVICES BUILDING SAFETY IMPROVEMENT
Brandon Ellison and James King, Direct Digital Controls

I would like to submit a ‘pat on the back’ for two employees in Shop 55. Brandon Ellison and James King were working in the Engineering Sciences Building and noticed an unsafe door that exited over stairs. They routed the picture to the appropriate staff and we were able to identify a solution for the door to make it safer for students and staff in that building.

Mary C. Mc Elvain
Occupational Health & Safety Advisor


COVID-19 SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE
Tom Tuttle, Stores & Receiving

I picked up the syringes last week from Tom, I’m pretty sure that’s who it was.  The staff was really nice, I even had one walk me back to through the warehouse since I parked in the wrong lot/dock.  I told the staff “thank you” for their help.

I’m reminded that all of that the Stores staff were essential in assisting not just the University but the community as whole in dealing with COVID-19 over that last year and half.  Thank you for all you and your staff have done and continue to do with getting and distributing all the supplies needed during this pandemic.  I’m grateful for you and your staff’s support to the University and to the Champaign community.

Very Respectfully,

John Dwyer, MPH
Coordinator
Champaign County EMA

July 9, 2021

Michelle Constantino, Shared Administrative Services

I want to offer a “Pat on the Back” to Michelle Constantino for going above and beyond to help me with a payroll concern I had recently. She helped me more than was necessary and I really appreciated her efforts!

Thanks,

Travis Tate
F&S Media Communications Coordinator

July 2, 2021

Montez Harris, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Beth Woodside (UI System Office of Business and Financial Services) called the Service Office to give a shout out to Montez, who handles their recycling. She said he’s a super nice guy and went out of his way to come back to their location to take care of them.

June 25, 2021

Andrew Moore, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Trey Coleman, Driver

“I greatly appreciate you working with our time schedule. Tomorrow is threatening rain (and very hot), and both our major teams return from Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday, so next week would have been a problem. It was all open and empty today, Trey was great, Andrew was available, and you made it all possible. I am forever grateful for your kindness and willingness to help us.”

Sincerest regards,

Mark Pinson
Laboratory Mechanic, MEB

—

Mark Stine, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to give many thanks to OE Mark Stine for dropping his lunch and heading over to help me get a large container delivery unloaded. I never have any issues when asking Mark for help on short notice and it was very kind of him to drop everything and head over.

Thank you,

Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreperson
F&S Fleet Operations

June 18, 2021

Susan Zich, Shared Administrative Services
Service Office 

A chemical spill occurred in RAL on June 3. This triggers a communication chain that can be tricky to follow, particularly under the pressure of a potential emergency situation. However the Service Office and particularly dispatcher Susan Zich, handled this smoothly and efficiently. All interested parties were swiftly notified in priority order, and proper confirmations were made (i.e. fire department was rolling, Public Safety was in the loop, etc). Well done to Susan and everyone at the Service Office.

Bill Walsh
F&S Safety and Compliance

—

Eddie Jones, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I just wanted to pass on how fast and efficient Eddie Jones was in changing our lighting in the kitchen. He is always such a friendly guy. 😊

Kelly Fessler
Dept. of Special Education

—

Facilities Information Resources

I want to thank you for the dedication and quick response time of your people. I know you are all busy doing your normal work and when I request assistance the response, dedication, and quality of work consistently exceed expectations.

I just want to say Thank you!!!

Will Corum
Electrician Sub-Foreperson

June 11, 2021

Ben Kuhlman, Safety and Compliance
Alnisha Franklin, Safety and Compliance

I wanted to reach out to tell you how wonderful it has been working with Ben and Alnisha to get the DAR and AACUP employees trained and fit tested to wear respirators.  Ben has been a great help making sure our staff has completed all of the training requirements and has been available to answer the many questions we have had.  He has also had great communication with the PI we are working with whose project requires the N-95 respirators.  It has been nice for me to have been copied on the emails to the PI so I know how the PI is progressing through this process as well.   

As you know, both DAR and AACUP employees work at different buildings all across campus.  It was really helpful to have Alnisha agree to complete the fit testing at the Observatory since it is a central location for our staff.  I had several employees tell me how grateful they were that they were able to walk over to complete the testing.

Please let them know I really appreciate all of their efforts to help us with this process.    

Thanks, 

Sara Myers
Animal Care and Use Program
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

—

Brad Ward, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hey Rebecca and happy Friday to you. Something that I find noteworthy is the retirement May 31 of one of the Physical Plant’s longtime employees, Brad Ward. Brad has made contributions to the entire Campus as a Mill Worker for the last 30 plus years. One can hardly go into any building without seeing something that he has built. From something as simple as casing for a window in CSL, to as elaborate as the circular desk in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center, Brad has helped beautify the U of I one project at a time. His fingerprints have also reached  the U of I Pharmacy in Chicago and the U of I campus in Rockford, as he built podiums for their classrooms and auditoriums. An All Gender Podium he helped design and build was seen by the University of Connecticut and they subsequently hired the Mill Shop to build two and ship them out to their campus. He has passed on his great work ethic, pride and service the Mill has always stood for onto his coworkers so that it will continue on into the future. Brad will be truly missed here in the Mill Shop and in the hallways of the Physical Plant, but his stamp on the campus will last for a long time into the future.

Andy Burnett
Mill Shop foreperson

June 4, 2021

Matt Faulkner, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Terry Bagwell, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Joe Rudicil, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Josh Hale, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hello,

I would like to give Matt Faulkner, Terry Bagwell, Joe Rudicil, and Josh Hale in the Plumbing Shop a Pat on the back for always doing their jobs without complaint or question. They are very dedicated employees, and an asset to the Plumbing Shop.

Sincerely,

Mark Warner
Plumbing Foreman

—
Dave Boehm, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jim McGuire, Shared Administrative Services
Josue Santos, Shared Administrative Services
Operating Engineers
Morgan White, Sustainability

The Illinois Solar Decathlon team is extremely grateful for all the support that you have provided in the last two years. Your support was extremely valuable for our success and to support and contribute towards University’s sustainability initiatives. We are so much grateful for the Facilities and Services’ decision to allow ISD to store our construction materials in the Physical Plant Services Building and the constant support that the Receiving team (Dave Boehm & Jim McGuire) provided us to access the materials with ease. This was a lifesaver for our project. I look forward to the continued relationship between Illinois Solar Decathlon and Facilities & Services.

Best,

Shashi

Shashikiran DuraisamyM.Eng. Energy Systems Engineering ‘20

May 28, 2021

Dan Milburn, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Terry Paris, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hello,

I would like to give Dan Milburn and Terry Paris in the Plumbing Shop a Pat on the back for always doing their jobs without complaint or question. They are very dedicated employees, and an asset to the Plumbing Shop.

Sincerely,

Mark Warner
Plumbing Foreman

May 21, 2021

Jerry Knight, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
JB Henning, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hello,

I would like to give Jerry Knight and JB Henning in the Plumbing Shop a Pat on the back for always doing his job without complaint or question. He is a very dedicated employee, and an asset to the Plumbing Shop.

Sincerely,

Mark Warner
Plumbing Foreman

—

Kudos and appreciation to the teams tasked with COVID-related ventilation and classroom setup changes during the ongoing pandemic:

  • F&S COVID-19 Health and Safety
  • HVAC Response
  • Classroom Setup and Assessment

May 14, 2021

Matt Fancher, Shared Administrative Services
Cindy Carlson, Customer Relations & Communications
Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

See the email from Todd with Public Affairs below. The story Travis wrote on Solar Farm 2.0 is now on the Illinois homepage https://illinois.edu/. Link goes to the new F&S Insider site with stories from the Special Edition. This is great visibility for F&S.

A huge muchas gracias  to Cindy, Matt, and Travis for the work they put into each Insider. But, recognition is definitely deserved for this one. They worked hard, rearranging other projects in queue to ensure the schedule developed for the Special Edition was met at each phase. No shortcuts were taken, no other project deadlines were missed, and the visibility for this edition will speak not only to their talent but also continue to tell the story of F&S as an active partner.
Malikah A. Gordon
Associate Director of Customer Relations & Communications

Hi Travis,

The Insider story on the solar farm is pretty dang interesting, and that top image is great.
Thanks! Happy summer.

E. TODD WILSONDirector of Special Projects
Public Affairs—

Randy Harshbarger, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Bryan Robinson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hello,

I would like to give Randy Harshbarger and Bryan Robinson in the Plumbing Shop a Pat on the back for always doing his job without complaint or question. He is a very dedicated employee, and an asset to the Plumbing Shop.

Sincerely,

Mark Warner
Plumbing Foreman

May 7, 2021

Chris Kloeppel, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Eric Grayson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hello,

I would like to give Chris Kloeppel and Eric Grayson in the Plumbing Shop a Pat on the back for always doing his job without complaint or question. He is a very dedicated employee, and an asset to the Plumbing Shop.

Sincerely,

Mark Warner
Plumbing Foreman
Facilities & Services

April 30, 2021

Rebecca Bigelow, Customer Relations & Communications

I want to share a Pat on the Back for Rebecca Bigelow in CRC. She was incredibly helpful with translating our Arbor Day plans into a coherent and engaging F&S announcement. I’m so glad to have her as part of our F&S team, and it is great to be able to rely on CRC’s professional staff to communicate about sustainability programs and successes.

Thanks, 

MORGAN B. WHITE
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

—

Roy Specht, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to send a note to express appreciation for Roy Specht, a Supervisor over the BSWs that work in the Advanced Computation Building. As the Director of Faculty/Staff Assistance Services, I am retiring after 20 years of service at the end of the week. I did not want to leave without expressing my sincere gratitude for the sensitivity, responsiveness, and willingness to accommodate the challenging hours and confidential nature of the counseling work we do at FSAS. Roy has worked with us to problem-solve various challenges over the years. He has put customer service at the top of the list of priorities in accomplishing  the tasks of the essential work performed by our BSWs.

With gratitude,

Karie Wolfson, MSW, LCSW, GPCC™
DIRECTOR
Faculty /Staff Assistance Services
Illinois Human Resources

—

F&S sponsored two litter cleanups in April. Kudos to all the volunteers who made a huge difference by helping to protect waterways and beautify the campus. A special shout-out goes to Patrick Wood, Safety and Compliance, who brought his Cub Scout group, Holy Cross Pack 9, to help. Eighteen Cub Scouts and 28 family members cleaned the grassy lot east of PPSB and the parking lot across First Street. 

April 23, 2021

Mike Brown, Engineering & Construction Services
Brian Johnson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Vince Schaub, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Chuck Stiner, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I’d like to give a pat on the back to the following team members for their recent help on a project. The individuals performed critical work to assist the user in achieving beneficial occupancy by the desired date. This included supplying / installing materials and coordinating / performing inspections, all in a short window of time.

Thanks again,

Jon Hasselbring, AIA, LEEDAP Capital Programs, Senior Project Manager

April 16, 2021

Bobby Fowler, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Anthony Austin, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Josh Hale, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Morning,

I would like to give Bobby Fowler, Anthony Austin, and Josh hale in the Plumbing Shop a Pat on the back for always doing his job without complaint or question. They are very dedicated employees, and an asset to the Plumbing Shop.

Sincerely,

Mark Warner
Plumbing Foreman
Facilities & Services

—

Vinh Vu, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I had a good experience at the garage last weekend which I wanted to pass on.

I stopped by to get fuel for my Suburban, and the folks who were supposed to be watching for vehicles and fueling them weren’t around. After a few minutes, I entered the garage and interrupted Vinh who was cleaning a vehicle. He graciously stopped what he was doing to help me when he realized the folks responsible for pumping unleaded weren’t in sight.

I appreciate that he was willing to help me instead of going on a scavenger hunt for the other two employees (who turned out to be test driving a vehicle they were repairing).

Brian R. Brauer,RN, Ed.D.
Associate Director, Illinois Fire Service Institute
EMS Coordinator, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a HEARTSafe Campus
Director, Illini Emergency Medical Services

—

Molly Mitsdarfer, Shared Administrative Services

I just wanted to say what a pleasure it is when Molly Mitsdarfer answers the phone at the F&S service office. All of the reps there are awesome, especially their boss Jerry Dinnin. I do enjoy when Molly answers, she’s the friendliest person you’ll ever meet.

Dave Holzner
Krannert Art Museum

—

Chris Newman-Granadino
Hi all,

Last Thursday, April 8th as Chris Newman-Granadino (Shop 01- Laborer Electrician) was returning to the shop in her service van at the end of the shift, she saw a student who appeared to be in distress. She pulled over and saw that the student wrecked his skateboard and was noticeably bleeding. Chris immediately  called 911 and stayed on-site and assisted until the fire department arrived. As a result Chris was late retuning to the shop, but she was happy she was able to stop  and provide aid.

As Dave and I presented her with a merit mug for going above and beyond to help a student in need, she said everyone would have stopped to assist. I disagree. Many folks maybe focused on a task at hand, not wanting to make themselves late, or just not want to get involved. We all have jobs to do being the stewards of the campus buildings, but it is reassuring to know our F&S employees out and about on campus every day take the initiative to assist  the campus community as a whole and make it a priority to help those in need.

Chris, job well done!

Best- 

Greg Moen
F&S Craftspeople Supervisor

—

Randy Bachert, Engineering & Construction Services
Brian Elliot, Engineering & Construction Services
Brian Huckstep, Engineering & Construction Services
Josh Pellum, Engineering & Construction Services

I’d like to give a pat on the back to the following team members for their recent help on a project: Engineering Quality Assurance – Commissioning & Inspection

  • Brian Huckstep
  • Josh Pellum
  • Brian Elliot
  • Randy Bachert

Thank you,

Jon Hasselbring
Capital Programs, Senior Project Manager

April 9, 2021

Doug Wiese, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Nick Carpenter, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Craig Sailor, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to give these professionals in the Plumbing Shop a Pat on the back for always doing their job without complaint or question. They are very dedicated employees, and an asset to the Plumbing Shop.

Sincerely,

Mark Warner
Plumbing Foreperson
Facilities & Services

April 2, 2021

Garret Mayhall, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Chris Harrison, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Mitch Harris, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

All were involved in the service request (completion) at Building 0126 – MARGARET H. AND WILLIAM E. LEVIS FACULTY CENTER. Customer expressed appreciation to the timely email replies from Bob, Jerome, Frank, Eric and Shane. Garret, Chris and Mitch completed the tasks, demonstrating professionalism, great customer service, all while working safely.

Malikah Gordon
Customer Relations & Communications

—

Mark Stine, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Malik Ouzidane, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to recognize the rapid response of Operating Engineer Mark Stine and Driver Malik Ouzidane. I called Mark to help correct a situation that caused aggregate to spill onto the roadway. At the remarkable speed, he was able to hook up to the broom with a skid-steer and head out on clean-up with a pickup truck on his tail. It is re-assuring to call upon another shop and for the response to remedy a situation be so prompt.

Thank you,

Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreperson

March 26, 2021

Paul Foote, Utilities & Energy Services

I want to share a Pat on the Back for Paul Foote in UES for his consistent support of energy conservation and academic collaborations on campus. Today, he met with me and Catherine Somers at the ECE Building to help her formulate energy conservation messaging to share at the ECE Building, in support of their Net Zero Energy goals.

Paul was very helpful in this conversation, with a lot of impactful suggestions and clear recommendations for improving the energy efficiency through both infrastructure changes and motivational methods for getting behavior change. It was particularly fun to be reminded that Paul had help connect the ECE department with the Net-Zero certification program that they are now pursuing. Catherine said that this meeting was exactly what she needed and she is excited to move forward with several of the ideas that came out of this call. 

Thanks!

MORGAN B. WHITE
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

March 19, 2021

Beth Leitz, Facilities Information Resources

I want to put an explanation point behind Beth Leitz’s Pat on the Back! It is unbelievable how effective, pleasant and eager she is to help.  She will drop everything to help anyone at any time. Her ability to sift through hundreds of thousands of documents to find the one that is needed is beyond me. She can find drawings and specs that were previously misfiled and are in some cases over 100 years old. Truly amazing. Such an asset to everyone at F&S.

Dave Green
Engineer
Utilities & Energy Services

March 12, 2021

Financial Services

Good afternoon!

Just wanted to share some long overdue appreciation to the Financial Services in how they have supported Capital Programs, especially in this last year. With tight financial times, closeouts are ever more important. My fellow PM’s and Planners have sent through a record number of closeout requests and budget reductions. Financial Services has provided thoughtful feedback on the process and supported timely returns of campus customer’s funds. Additionally, your staff went the extra mile to create an excel report to facilitate searching for open AiM workorders on projects. It was fabulous and impressed this fan of spreadsheets.

Thank you! 
Kelly Jo Hoffmann, P.E., S.E.
Capital Programs, Engineer Planner

—

Beth Lietz, Facilities Information Resources

I am writing to give a pat on the back to Beth Leitz! She went above and beyond in getting me the information that we needed for the NRES 285 class, and followed through to make sure all of the information that I requested was accurately provided. We were on a strict timeline to distribute the information to our class and Beth made it happen, even though it may have been beyond her control. I want everyone to know how great of an employee Beth is — she is exemplary, and I am incredibly appreciative!

Thanks,

Meredith Moore
Sustainability Programs Coordinator
Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

March 5, 2021

Shop 03, Electricians
      Will Corum, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
      Larry Lustfeldt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
      Craig Wise, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to give a pat on the back to shop 03, especially Will Corum, Craig Wise and Larry Lustfeldt. They were able to wire in a new electrical line to the temporary fuel tanks within minimal time. We had to shut down the fuel island at the last second for emergency repairs and only had a few days to organize an electrical line to keep the university up and running with fuel. With other priorities going on in their line of work, they were able to get supplies and get the pumps up and running with no down time on our end. This was an outstanding effort to keep the university moving forward in its daily activities for needs with fuel.

SHAWN L. PATTERSON, CAFM
TRANSPORTATION & AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES MANAGER

—

David Drish, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Carla, the floor looks great, that was a lot of work for one shift, please thank David for me and also thanks to you for making it happen so quickly. I am going to try and get that bit of grinding done so please hold that work order for some touch up if possible.

Fantastic job!! and I will be in contact

Richard Dillingham
Construction Project Coordinator ll

—

John Hill, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

The BSW’s do a great job and I understand that with extra COVID protocols and our office not being fully staffed.

LISA A KEATINGAssistant to Eric MinorRon Johnson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Ron Johnson was at Abbott Power Plant today, I wanted to let you know that whoever it was he did a very nice job of performing his duties. He represented himself, you and your department very well.

Regards,
RUSSELL R REYNOLDS
CHIEF UTILITY PLANT OPER ENGR

February 26, 2021

Robert Hall, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to submit a pat on the back for BSW Robert Hall. Bob services the Northeast physical plant. Bob always provides a great level of service and friendly attitude. Bob is a pleasure to work with. 

Adam PannbackerWater Station Operator
Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

February 19, 2021

Halie Collins, Sustainability

I want to give you an official Pat on the Back for your work to improve the Solar Farm 1.0 and 2.0 pages on the F&S website. You have taken on an important role within the F&S Sustainability department, and I am pleased to have you as one of my interns!

Your teamwork and accountability are great examples of the F&S values.

Thank you, and keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Morgan B. White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

—

We would like to thank all the below noted F&S employees for their quick response on Super Bowl Sunday to address the RAL flood damage in a quick and professional manner. Everyone worked together through the night and next several days to find innovative and efficient solutions to this huge issue. Through their hard work and diligence building operations were returned as quick as possible, and further damage to the building was avoided. Their efforts clearly demonstrate the ownership and professionalism of the F&S Staff in supporting the University of Illinois core mission.

03 – Electricians
TimothyAbrahamson
MatthewBarbee
StephenDahl
ChadDunn
KeithGrob
JohnMingee
ToddNicholas
BlakeWithers
04 – Plumbers
MatthewFaulkner
JBHenning
DanielMilburn
TerryParis
BryanRobinson
JosephRudicil
MarkWarner
06 – Sheet Metal
GeorgesLeFaivre
ChristopherMcCartney
RandyReinhart
07 – Laborers
NathanAdamson
JonathanBaker
JosephDaly
AustinEichelberger
StevenGriswold
RubeKing
ReeceKlaudt
EricTempel
EthanThorne
VictorVasquez
ChadWalker
08 – Machinists
WilliamAtwood
StuartDe Haro
JoseMendoza Bautista
23 – Pipefitters 
ZachariahAyers
TimothyClifton
GeoffreyHayes
CareyKaeding
BrianKnight
DennisNowman
LeslieSiefert
DavidSmithenry
QuintSummers
DouglasWinkler
24 – Steam Distribution
ChristopherClayborn
BillConner
KevinCooper
ChristopherEads
JohnFaullin
DeranHuss
GregKaiser
JustinSchmidt
AlYork
25 – High Voltage Electricians
BarryAllison
ChadBolser
MichaelFriedman
ThadGilman
DanielHolstein
JeffreyIsaacs
BrianJohnson
CharlesStiner
KevinTaylor
MatthewWarren
26 – Water Station
MatthewDalton
AdamPannbacker
JosephArbogast
33 – Elevator Shop
EricKoester
RyanPerry
VincentSchaub
35 – Refrigeration Mechanics
MarkChesnut
KodyEgolf
JeffreyFiedler
AlanHolt
CaseyPellum
NealSilver
37 – Operating Engineers
StephanieAmabeli
AndrewMoore
JonathanRunck
MarkStine
41 – Temperature Control
PaulBarton
MarkClawson
KylerGorman
50 – Ironworkers
KennethDowns
ToddHawkins
MichaelParis
55 – DDC Electricians
MarcusAlbert
JerroldBuchanan
ThomasBurgin
ChristopherCook
TimothyFerpotto
RobertHettinger
DavidLansford
EricReynolds
Energy Management Services
ScottBahr
SAS Service Office
JerryDinnin
Transportation
AndreBolden
RoyDunaway
JohnnieHarris
BSW
JasonNormile
JoeGreen
JakeReynolds
GregLynch
ThomasHodgson
YharaBoxley
AmyCrabtree
NickCobb
DanBunde
BryanClark
RobertWilliams
KeeganWest
Utilities Administration
MikeBrewer
StacySmith
MikeLarson
Utilities Chilled Water Plant
RogerChilders
JeffDavis
Utilities Distribution
RobbieBauer
SushanthGirini
DaveGreen
FrankColacicco
Utilities Pipefitters
AdamUppinghouse

With gratitude,

David Boehm
Greg Moen
Mike Larson
Frank Colacicco
Pete Varney
Rob Roman

February 12, 2021

Jerry Dinnin, Shared Administrative Services

I would like to submit a POB for Jerry Dinnin. Jerry was called at home on Sunday, February 7 by Ed Kavanaugh due to the overwhelming number of calls for the RAL incident –  Jerry was in the Service Office from 5pm-until after midnight to assist with the calls for this incident. In my opinion, Jerry consistently exemplifies the F&S vision and competencies, not only through his work but also with the expectations he has set for his team.

Malikah Gordon, Customer Relations & Communications

January 29, 2021

Carmen McNish, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations 

I am writing to express my appreciation for one of your employees: Carmen McNish, also known to many as Mz. Carmen.

Recently I worked with Mz. Carmen to make multiple vehicle reservations for a research team lead by Dr. Joy O’Keefe. The multiple-member team was scheduled to take several vehicles to Florida for Dr. O’Keefe’s bat research program. The details were a bit complex, but Mz. Carmen took many worries off our collective plate and made the arrangements look easy (and did so with welcome good humor). Unfortunately, the trip had to be canceled at the last minute and at the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, but Mz. Carmen was ready for us! When alerted that the trip might have to be called off, she provided us with the contact information we needed to cancel our reservations during the weekend and made sure those on duty knew the cancellation was a possibility.

Dr. O’Keefe also wants to extend her appreciation for Mz. Carmen’s smooth handling of this affair. It really helped to set her mind at ease.

Outside of this specific instance, I have worked with Mz. Carmen multiple times since I started in the department in August 2019, and I’ve always appreciated her knowledge, helpfulness, and good cheer. Kudos to you, and kudos to Mz. Carmen!LISA K. KELLY
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

—

Dave Dowler, Engineering & Construction Services
Dale Billam, Engineering & Construction Services
Mitch Milton, Engineering & Construction Services
Jerry Lauderdale, Engineering & Construction Services
Jessica Spencer, Engineering & Construction Services
Rusty Woliung, Engineering & Construction Services
Randy Long, Engineering & Construction Services

Today is the first day of the Spring 2021 Academic semester. The Construction Services team played a critical role over the last 6+ weeks to ensure that classrooms in which in-person instruction will occur across campus will be done in a manner that meets CDC social distancing recommendations. The safety of our faculty and students has the physical layer of social distancing protection in place due to your contributions of assessing 340 classrooms and assisting with the setup in many of these classrooms scheduled to be used for in person instruction during the Spring 2021 semester. Dave Dowler, and Dale Billam & Mitch Milton led the way with 140+ classrooms assessed. However, the assessments also completed by Jerry Lauderdale, Jessica Spencer, Rusty Woliung, and Randy Long were also critical to completing this important activity for the University prior to the start of the Spring 2021 semester. Your efforts are appreciated by Leadership from the Chancellors Office, Provost Office, Registrar’s Office, F&S, and by faculty and students across the University! Job Well Done!

Thanks,Jim Sims, PE, SE, LEED AP
Director, Engineering & Construction Services, Facilities and Services

—

Dave Middleton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
David Scott, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Today is the first day of the Spring 2021 Academic semester. The Painters shop played a critical role over the last 6+ weeks to ensure that classrooms in which in person instruction will occur across campus will be done in a manner that meets CDC social distancing recommendations. The safety of our faculty and students has the physical layer of social distancing protection in place due to your contributions of posting signage and taping floor markings in 75+ classrooms scheduled to be used for in person instruction during the Spring 2021 semester prior to the start of the Spring 2021 semester. Your efforts are appreciated by Leadership from the Chancellors Office, Provost Office, Registrar’s Office, and F&S, and by faculty and students across the University! Job Well Done!

Thanks,Jim Sims, PE, SE, LEED AP
Director, Engineering & Construction Services, Facilities and Services

—

John Summers, Engineering & Construction Services,
Dave Boehm, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ken Buenting, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Today is the first day of the Spring 2021 Academic semester. The COVID19 HVAC response team’s ventilation assessment of 340 classrooms and OMA’s filtration upgrades where applicable played a critical role to ensure that classrooms in which in-person instruction will be held during the Spring 2021 semester will be provided a physical environment that follows CDC ventilation and filtration recommendations. Your efforts are appreciated by Leadership from the Chancellor’s Office, Provost’s Office, Registrar’s Office, F&S, and by faculty and students across the University! Job Well Done!

Thanks,Jim Sims, PE, SE, LEED AP
Director, Engineering & Construction Services, Facilities and Services

January 15, 2021

Morgan White, Sustainability
Brent Lewis, Capital Programs
Ryan Welch, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Tree Campus USA program is exemplary! The U of I 2020 Tree Campus Plan is excellent. I really like the approved tree species listing and publicly accessible tree inventory… Wow! I couldn’t help myself so I looked up a few common genus types to gauge their percentage of the campus tree population. What I found was a diverse mix of tree genera better than most (maybe all) Illinois TCU communities. Genus diversity is key to limiting the devastation of genus oriented pests and plant diversity in general is critical to future urban forest health and resiliency.

U of I student engagement remains full and active with quality ventures. Of course this is due in part to the U of I having a superb handle on managing COVID-19 on campus. The U of I service learning projects really address present needs that we are experiencing across the state so I feel these projects are establishing student skills that will help address today’s community issues.

  • Red Oak Rain Garden – Trees are a necessary storm water management tool for communities that save enormous costs in grey infrastructure installation.
  • Facilities & Services Internship for Increasing Trees on Campus – Growing urban tree populations will be key to bridging future tree decline
  • South Arboretum Woods Rehabilitation – Invasive plant control and native plant establishment/protection has become vital for Illinois ecosystem support/preservation and needs immediate attention across the state

The U of I Tree Campus USA program is a shining star in Illinois’ portfolio. I appreciate the faculty, student and community team effort and insightfulness that goes into this program and I am pleased to be able to pass it along to the Arbor Day Foundation as one of Illinois’ best programs. Thank you and I look forward to the ongoing management and development of the U of I’s Tree Campus USA program.

Mike Brunk
Illinois Department of Natural Resources

January 22, 2021

Tony Spurlock, Utilities & Energy Services

I want to take a moment to give a Pat on the Back to Tony Spurlock, in UES. 

Tony has been incredibly helpful with the campus sustainability efforts, since he came to F&S in July 2020 (and in his previous role).  He is proactive, responsive, and a team player.  Tony takes the time to listen and he is sure to follow up with actions he commits to or is assigned.  I am very glad to be working with him and the rest of the UES team in so many ways.  Whether it is to provide data to calculate the campus carbon emissions, join a call to discuss long-term energy conservation strategies, or work together on an energy policy, Tony is always helpful, friendly, and persevering through the intricacies of our campus and university goals, policies, and operations.

Thanks!

Morgan White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

—
Coleco Buie, Transportation Driver

We got the following note from one of our NIH study participants and I thought you all should see it (in de-identified form):

My name is [redacted] and I tested positive for COVID-19. I chose to participate in the research program that U of I and Boston are doing to further educate everyone about this awful virus. 

I just wanted to take a quick minute to tell everyone thank you for all the hard work they are putting into this. The Zoom meetings I have every day to test myself in front of a researcher in Boston could not be easier. The main lady that connects with me every day is amazing and couldn’t be of any more help. Please send them props from me. 

And then we have the drivers. The drivers put their well being at risk every day for what they do. They are so quick getting there and are super courteous to me. Whomever hired these fine individuals did a fantastic job. I requested extra sanitizer today on my Zoom call and when the driver showed up, I let him know that I requested it and he offered to give me the small bottle that he personally had! I declined saying I would be ok waiting until tomorrow when he would be doing my pick up again. Seriously? Who does this? Super amazing people, especially this gentleman! Please reach out to him and thank him for a job well done!

Again, I truly appreciate all of the hard work and I am glad that I signed up to help further educate us all on this awful virus. 

Thanks again.  Stay safe and healthy.

—

Patrick Wood, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Shout out to Patrick, he did a great job with the fire watch presentation today.

Best-

Gregory A Moen
Supervisor of Building Craftsmen

January 8, 2021

Dan Hiser, Transportation & Automotive Services
Charles “Tyke” Peacock, Transportation & Automotive Services
Marlo Wax, Transportation & Automotive Services

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the entire transportation staff for doing such an outstanding job shuttling saliva samples and supplies each day to ensure the university’s COVID testing sites ran smoothly and efficiently these past 6 months.

The team of drivers you’ve developed exhibit a level of professionalism and engagement that is rarely seen and which we have truly come to depend on each day. The extensive training you have provided to them to ensure they not only safely transport biohazardous materials but also notice when sites are running low of tubs, tubes, and other critical supplies has truly developed a team of staff who are integral to the testing site success.  Their role in keeping our community safe cannot be overstated.

Although all of the drivers have been fantastic, Charles “Tyke” Peacock and Marlo Wax most recently have truly become a part of our team and go above and beyond each day. I don’t know what we would do without them and hope we can continue to work with them to ensure the upcoming spring semester of testing goes as smoothly and efficiently as last semester.

Kindest regards,

Laura Wilhelm-Barr
Senior Director of Special Events
Office of the Chancellor

2020

Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

F&S social media accounts  have recently been verified as official University of Illinois accounts. Public Affairs developed the Standards and Guidelines for Verified Illinois Social Media Accounts, and Travis Tate submitted the request for F&S’ accounts to be verified.

Saludos,

Malikah Gordon
Customer Relations & Communications

December 18, 2020


Craig Wise, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Larry Lustfeldt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Just want you to know that Craig and Larry are great!

Thanks for putting them on the AV project (monitor install) at Memorial Stadium.

Brian V. Walsh
Assistant Athletics Director, Camps & Youth Programs
Facility Manager, Fighting Illini Center for Excellence (FICE)
University of Illinois Athletics

—

Andrew Moore, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

A specialized piece of equipment, a crane material basket, was used to move material. This came after a dispatch about the roof at the tennis center. The labor shop, roofers and operators worked on this and they worked well into the evening to make the repair. With this being an emergency this is a valuable thing to have. Andrew was instrumental for us getting this. He mentioned the need which lead to us acquiring this unit.  

Thank You,
Dave Boehm
Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

December 11, 2020

Dawn Flynn, Shared Administrative Services

I would like to give a pat on the back to Dawn Flynn in accounts payable. After a department-wide update about roles in the Travel Expense Management system, Capital staff had some confusion about how to submit reimbursement requests on license renewals under the new scheme. Dawn stepped up to make sure that one of our architects was reimbursed in a timely fashion while those conversations were still ongoing, recognizing the urgency of repayment to staff.

All the best,

Corey Leslie
Capital Programs, Assistant Director for Contract Administration

—

Dustin Hasty, Shared Administrative Services

I want to recognize my co-worker Dustin Hasty for going above and beyond. He was instrumental in delivering the Abbott Intranet. He demonstrated excellent customer service and helped every member with great professionalism. He is knowledgeable and humble, and it is always a pleasure working with him.

Kanchan Bulbule
F&S Project Manager, Application Development

December 4, 2020

University of Illinois Facilities & Services excellence was on full display in mid-November during a utility distribution system repair outside of the Main Library. A planned repair of a latent chilled water system leak became very complicated when excavation uncovered the presence of a significant amount of flowable fill concrete covering 24” and 16” chilled water piping as well as adjacent 6” domestic water piping. This discovery required collaboration and teamwork across numerous F&S craft/trade shops. In a ten-day period between November 13 and November 22 extensive excavation, piping removal, 16” chilled water valve installation, piping re-installation, back filling, and library customer coordination took place. The responsiveness and perseverance of the following F&S staff members is very much appreciated:

Utilities Distribution

Robbie Bauer

Shop 07-Laborers Shop

Robert King, shop foreperson

Ethan Thorne

Chad Walker

Reece Kluadt   

Shop 37-Operating Engineers

Stephanie Aniblie

Jon Runk

Shop UP- Utility Pipefitters

Adam Uppinghouse, shop subforeperson

Chris Allen

Tom McBride

Connor Grace

Brian Greene

Shop 04- Plumbers

Mark Warner, shop foreperson

Doug Wiese

Joe Rudicil

Randy Harshbarger

Dan Milburn

Shop 23-Pipefitters

Matt Alsip

Zach Ayers

Tim Clifton

Jeff Fiedler

Carey Kaeding

David Smithenry

Shop 24-Steam Distribution Shop

Dan Hudson

Deran Huss

Justin Griest

Jeff Thompson

Andy Buzzard

Andy Peacock

John Smith

Jeff Burton

Garth Osborne

Al York

Shop 26- Water Station

Adam Pannbacker, shop subforeperson

Kevin Clements

Shop TC-Temperature Control

Robert Jamison

Travis Huls

Shop G3 – Transportation Fleet Operations- Drivers

Jodi Oliver

Monique Settles

Kevan Bolden

Trey Coleman

Please join me in congratulating our outstanding F&S team members on a job well done!

Frank Colacicco
Associate Director of Utilities Distribution

—

Steve Breitwieser, Customer Relations & Communications
Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications
I’d like to share a pat on the back for Travis and Steve in CRC, as well as any others who helped communicate about the Geo Power Hour. They helped promote the Geo Power Hour that we co-hosted yesterday for the Geothermal Urbana-Champaign program. Our co-hosts at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and the Geothermal Alliance of Illinois were very impressed with the reach of our social media, and they told me yesterday that they had more attendees yesterday than at any previous Geo Power Hour.

This morning, Andy Stumpf, one of our Illinois Geothermal Coalition team members shared the same sentiment. They were impressed, and I am too. Thank you, CRC, for spreading the word so effectively!

All my best,

Morgan B. White
Associate Director for Sustainability

—Linh Quach, Shared Administrative Services
Events Committee

Thank you to the Events Committee for organizing and executing this year’s Holiday Lunchbox event! We had over 1,000 lunches to order and distribute throughout F&S and in a very short timeframe. The committee stepped up and made it happen. A special thank you to Linh Quach for reaching out to vendors and keeping the event organized. 

I also want to thank all the managers and supervisors who helped to organize the distribution of lunches for their staff, and for their willingness to deliver the lunches throughout campus. You all are fantastic!

Eric Smith, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director of Human Resources, Diversity, & Strategy

November 25, 2020

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT KUDOS

Curt,

As discussed when we spoke on the phone and I replied to the actual form where you record the departmental response, this all looks good. Thanks for the work you and your team do all of the time. You and your team make my job easier in this area. I am grateful to you all for the high-level professional results you produce and the support you provide.

Dave Boehm
Associate Director of Operations, Maintenance & Alterations, Building Maintenance

Thank you for the kind words. 

I absolutely agree that the Financial Operations staff are outstanding.  I interact with a lot of financial units on campus and I strongly believe that the F&S Financial Operations team is the best on our campus and in the University System. Thanks for taking the time to recognize their efforts and excellent performance.

Curt Taylor
Director of Shared Administrative Services

HELP FOR CUSTOMER LOCKED OUT OF A BUILDING
Susan Zich, Shared Administrative Services

I had the occasion to lock myself out of my building this AM, and when I called 333-0340 (Service Office), I was connected to the lovely Susan who not only connected me directly with campus police, she contacted a BSW to traipse out with keys to ensure I really got inside.

While I know all of this was part of her job, the really wonderful part was the fact that she just called me back to check on me, making certain I was truly inside, and confirming that I had seen either the police or the BSWs (I saw both.)  I was really touched that she went above and beyond to care about me and my mishap of forgetting my keys on my desk when hustling back out to my car to retrieve a forgotten phone on the console. 

Just wanted you to hear something positive, as I’m sure you hear plenty of complaints. I hope you can thank her further for her compassion.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Beth Dixson
Office Manager
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Department of Astronomy

November 20, 2020

Matt Fancher, Shared Administrative Services

Congrats and a well-deserved thank you to Matt Fancher for helping get the mobile-friendly version of the F&S website up. His efforts have helped us deliver important public information to all thanks to this new version of the site. 

Steve Breitwieser
Customer Relations & Communications
Communications Manager

—

Nathan Payne, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to send a delayed and huge well deserved THANK YOU to Nate Payne & the guys on moving crew. They are always willing to help and are so gracious whenever I need their assistance. 

Also, I know I can count on them for assistance with our  requests. On behalf of the Diversity & Inclusion committee as well. We appreciate you!

Best wishes, 

Rocío Arroyave-Jamison
Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

November 13, 2020

Maddy Liberman, Sustainability

I want to reach out and give you a “Pat on the Back” for your great coordination of the mask-recycling communications.  Your dedication to sustainability and you proactive work ethic are key aspects that we appreciate in student interns like yourself.

You are doing an excellent job, and I’m glad you are part of this team!

Thanks,

Morgan B. White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

November 6, 2020

Casey Reisner, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jeff Buck, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ben Kinder, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Two high-priority cameras were installed recently on campus for Public Safety. Incredible work everyone! On behalf of everyone at UIPD, we really appreciate your expeditious work and contributions to enhance public safety on campus.

Lt. Todd Short
UI Public Safety

October 30, 2020

Tucker Springfield, Shared Administrative Services

I am writing to give a Pat on the Back to Tucker Springfield in Financial Ops. He has been very helpful with the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) financial tracking/reporting needs at F&S. I really appreciate the recurring reports that Tucker provides, and his quick responses to related inquiries.

Tucker—thanks for your help with this! Your work contributes to the large-scale successes our campus has with meeting the Climate Leadership Commitments. I’m glad you are part of this team. It is truly coworkers like you and your colleagues in Financial Ops that make me proud to work at F&S.

Thanks!

Morgan B. White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

—

Chancellor Jones named three F&S projects in his recent Noteworthy at Illinois email:

Kudos to all involved.

October 23, 2020

Stacey Mitsdarffer, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Robbie Bauer, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I want to thank you for your quick response to the student inquiry for the greywater piping usage at the Business Instructional Facility today. You responded very quickly, and this is great for our F&S mission as “an active partner in research, teaching and learning.” Working with students to provide them with data about how campus works and supporting their class projects is an important aspect of improving our overall campus relationships. I get to hear the praise later for all the great work that F&S does and I hope you are aware of how well received your responsiveness is. The project based learning class is doing 25 project this year, so it is great to be able to respond quickly and efficiently. You rock!

Thanks a bunch,

Morgan B. White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

—

Morgan B. White, Sustainability

I was not able to stay the full time, but I did get a chance to catch part of the Sustainability Celebration October 20. I wanted to congratulate you and the team on the work you guys are doing. It was very exciting to listen in on some of the projects and initiatives you guys are working on!

Thank you for the invite to the celebration!

Uros Marjanovic
Lead Network Engineer
Technology Services @ Illinois

October 16, 2020

Betsy Liggett, Safety and Compliance

I am impressed with your help with the Land and Water SWATeam and your assistance with the rainwater management plans discussion in the Resilience SWATeam. You are quick to respond to inquiries, very helpful in several ways, and proactive in the planning discussions for these iCAP teams. You are a great example of F&S leadership in the campus sustainability movement, and I am happy to have you as part of these teams. 

Thanks a ton!

Morgan B. White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

October 9, 2020

Shop 5, Sign Shop
Shop 7, Laborers
Shop 12, Grounds
Shop 37, Operating Engineers
Shop G3, Transportation

Dear F&S

Thank you for this presentation of the work being provided by F&S staff.  It is impressive!

I write to personally thank F&S  staff for the great work you do every day to support our students and staff. Thank you for your efforts in helping to keep our University moving forward especially during unusual times such as now. Your work helps to makes a difference in the way in which our institution continues to pursue its mission and achieve outstanding accomplishments.

Your efforts and commitment in the work you do makes a difference every day and we are grateful!

Elyne Cole
Senior Associate Chancellor for Human Resources

October 9, 2020

F&S COVID-19 RESPONSE EFFORTS FEATURED IN THE LATEST EDITION OF THE INSIDER 

Dear F&S:

Thank you for this presentation of the work being provided by F&S staff.  It is impressive!

I write to personally thank F&S  staff for the great work you do every day to support our students and staff. Thank you for your efforts in helping to keep our University moving forward, especially during unusual times such as now.  Your work helps to makes a difference in the way in which our institution continues to pursue its mission and achieve outstanding accomplishments.

Your efforts and commitment in the work you do make a difference every day, and we are grateful!

Elyne Cole
Senior Associate Chancellor for Human Resources 

Sign Shop

I would like to say thank you to the Sign Shop for their assistance in getting the backlog of asset labels up-to-date in less than 3 months!  There were approximately 800 labels that needed to be manufactured and they got the job done in a short time while working on the COVID signage for campus.  Again, thank you for all of your help.

Elizabeth Nava
Interim Preventive Maintenance Manager
Administrative Aide

Grounds crew, Laborers, Transportation, Operating Engineers

The College of Fine and Applied Arts (FASS) came to F&S with a desire to accommodate and encourage safe learning spaces in our campus landscapes.  Through the diligent collaboration of FAA and F&S with Grounds, Construction Laborers, Transportation, Operating Engineers, and myself, we created unique spaces with seating logs for students to learn and faculty to work, while being immersed in the campus landscapes.  As a well-established fact, time spent in nature increases a person’s health and wellbeing by reducing stress and increasing focus and vitality.  As such, these new installations are set to provide invaluable benefits to our community in support of our critical educational mission, especially as we navigate the new norms and challenges that COVID19 has thrust upon us.  

Brent Lewis
Capital Programs, University Landscape Architect

October 2, 2020

Marlo Wax, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jeff Myers, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Shop 7 — Laborers
Shop 37 — Operating Engineers

Marlo was performing trash pickup with the front-loading garbage truck. While servicing the “6-pack” housing area, she noticed smoke coming from the top of the truck. Marlo quickly radioed to us that she could see smoke coming from the truck, and seconds later turned to flames. Understanding that the middle of the 6-pack was a dangerous place to keep the truck, she quickly made her way out of the middle of the buildings and to an open lot so she could empty the contents. Marlo was able to maintain her bearing and ensure the truck was removed from a situation that could have caused much more damage and an element of difficulty for the fire department to access. As she made her way to the empty lot, Jeff Myers could hear what was going on and made his way to her location and helped to extinguish the fire with his trucks extinguisher as well. After the fire department ensured the hotspots were taken care of, the Operating Engineers and Laborers were almost instantly on-site to begin the cleanup of the area. The actions of our Drivers, Operators, and Laborers working together gave us the best possible outcome and saved potentially thousands in damages and quite possibly saved injury from occurring.

Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreperson

September 25, 2020

Steve Breitwieser, Customer Relations & Communications
Paul Foote, Utilities & Energy Services

Sending a “Pat on the Back” thanking Steve for saving the day!

He was instrumental in helping us meet a 24hr turnaround to produce a 3-4 minute award acceptance video to be played during an upcoming conference in front of an international audience including many peer institutions, colleagues and industry leaders. This effort involved collaborating impromptu scheduling with Dr. Mohammed Attalla, Dr. Susan Martinis, OVCRI, and some dedicated researchers, faculty and lab managers. Interviewing these folks and capturing their replies on video in super short notice is a challenge he met with ease.

In addition, he helped put together talking points where his knowledge and experience shined through, wordsmithing with elegance, professionalism and humility to reflect the world class organization we represent.

As if that is not enough, long after hours he is currently revising and editing the video after multiple drafts and renditions. This further attributes to his professional attitude and amazing abilities.

Thanks to Paul’s efforts in winning the Freezer Challenge for the third year in a row.  Excellent work in continuing to work with the campus research groups.

Thanks so much for the terrific work!

Best

Karl Helmink
Energy Conservation & Retrocommissioning

—

Tim Mininger, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Just wanted to give Tim Mininger a Pat on the Back for his willingness to take time to be a “model” for some bike photos I needed to take. Those photos are important for Bike at Illinois and MCORE promotion and he did a great job biking alongside an MTD bus for me to shoot a bunch of photos!

Thanks,

Travis Tate
Customer Relations & Communications

—

September 18, 2020

Laborer-Electricians

I finally had the entire Shop 01 in the same room after ethics training so I had them stick around for a few minutes to talk. I let them know as a group they have done a fantastic job navigating through all this crazy COVID stuff. They continue to run water in 2 zones, many came in to install social distancing signage, they are diligent wearing their face coverings, and they stay patient dealing with the WSAs, building access, and the Safer Illinois app and testing, generally. This is all out of the ordinary and not the normal routine, but they have kept a positive attitude and showed their professionalism.

I’m sure this is your experience with a vast majority of your staff, but I thought it is worthy of passing on to you.

Best,
Greg Moen
Supervisor of Building Craftsmen

—

Hope Park, Safety and Compliance

Bill Walsh and I want to recognize Safety and Compliance Intern Hope Park for her outstanding contribution during a recent regulatory inspection by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). In August, IEPA conducted a comprehensive review of the University’s Clean Air Act Title V Operating Permit. Although Compliance provided most of the data IEPA requested, a few items required some complex air emissions calculations. Hope was able to apply her studies in Chemical Engineering to the task by computing three different quantities from the available data. Her results enabled Compliance to provide the missing information and demonstrate 100% compliance on the items requested during the inspection. Great job, Hope!

Thanks—
Dave Wilcoxen
Associate Director, Environmental Compliance
Safety and Compliance

—

Pam Winters, Shared Administrative Services

I would like to give Pam a BIG THANKS for going out of her way to help and train me on how to do Purchase Orders and much more! Since I’ve been here at F&S she has checked on me almost every day to see how I was doing. I really appreciate her being so kind and thoughtful!

Sandra Carter, Office Support Associate
Safety and Compliance

—

Melissa Zimmerman,Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Kelly Swanson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to give a Pat on the Back to Melissa Zimmerman and Kelly Swanson for their fine efforts in keeping the Car Pool office running last week. The paperwork trail was so easy to follow this morning when I came in to check for vehicle availability.

I was informed by each of them that “they did the best they could.” It was very nice to know that they made the job of matching paperwork simple and easy to complete.

Thank you both very much,

Marcia Hopper
Transportation Assistant Manager

—Pipefitters, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I really appreciate you and your team doing a phenomenal job on this one. I can say of all the piping projects I have been involved with, this one has got to be top for how well the pipefitting work was executed. Even with all of the field changes that had to be made, this still came out on time. And true craftsmanship is on display. The piping looks great, like industrial art work! Hats off to you and the crew! I will be reaching out to you and Doug on any future piping projects I have come my way.

Thanks again

Josh Rubin
Construction Superintendent

—

Ironworkers, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
As you know, the IGB and CBC have been loaning campus and Carle expensive diagnostic equipment for COVID-19 testing since the beginning of the outbreak. The equipment is big and very sensitive and requires F&S iron workers to help with packing and moving. Members of your iron worker group have been superb, providing timely and effective support to make it possible to move this equipment back and forth without damage.

Bruce and I appreciate all of these efforts, and I hope that you and your team can take pride in contributing to the magnificent efforts of our University to combat the pandemic.

Best,
Gene E. Robinson
Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

September 11, 2020

Dan Hiser, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Shantanu Pai, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Andrew Moore, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to acknowledge the efforts of Dan Hiser (Transportation Sub-Foreperson), Shantanu Pai (Interim Zero Waste Coordinator) and Andrew Moore (Upgrade OE Foreman).

On their own initiative they have spent a majority of the day working with an outside shipper and the University of Illinois Covid team to ensure a delivery of critical supplies. The supplies are scheduled to arrive at 7pm this evening and will be distributed first thing tomorrow morning. All three worked on the coordination needed in order to ensure timely arrival and delivery of the supplies.

They definitely persevered in order to reach a successful conclusion. 

Thank you,

Pete Varney
Associate Director of Operations, Maintenance & Alterations, Transportation & Automotive Services

September 4, 2020

Deb Caparoon, Shared Administrative Services

I want to recognize Deborah Caparoon for demonstrating the F&S value of Perseverance. Compliance was due a $2,037 refund from a vendor for a change in service. Having money returned to the university is no easy task. Deb had to coordinate with three different departments before finally succeeding. Every dollar counts and I’m glad Deb was persistent and helped F&S be a good steward of the university’s resources.

David B. Wilcoxen
Associate Director Environmental Compliance
F&S

—

Delbert Ketteman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dennis Peters, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Cory Kallembach, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

The window washers broke a record for finishing windows.  Delbert, Dennis and Corey got the job done in less than 4 days.  They did a great job. Please let them know we appreciate their hard work and help keeping the President’s House spiffy!

Best, Denise Shroyer
Director of Operations
President’s Office

—

Mike Stilger, Capital Programs

I want to pass along a Pat on the Back for Mike Stilger. He is the Project Manager on the Illini Hall project, and in the LEED Platinum discussion today he did an excellent job holding the consultant accountable to meet our expectations. 

For example, at one point they noted that it would be difficult to add individual controls for some shared chilled beams in the office spaces. Discussion ensued, but Mike pulled the conversation to an end with a great statement. Essentially he said, ‘I don’t know why you wouldn’t give us the individual controls when the Facilities Standards require individual controls.’ The consultant immediately responded with, ‘If that’s what you require, that’s what we will do.’ I thought it was a great exchange, and definitely aligned with our strategic direction for increasing accountability for ourselves and others.

Mike’s doing a great job!

Thanks,

Morgan White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

—

Dave Middleton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Chad Kupferschmid, Facility Information Resources

We really appreciate your Team doing some heavy lifting, in a very short time, to help the Army ROTC program…Thank you!

MSG Collier and I would like to provide a small token of appreciation to your Team, so could you let me know a time/place for when I can stop by your F&S offices and present a gift (it’s a military coin).

Again, appreciate the tremendous support!

Daniel W. Johnson
LTC, U.S. Army
Professor of Military Science, Army ROTC

August 28, 2020

Guadalupe Lopez, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Rod Gum, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I think it went GREAT! I run into Rod and Guadalupe the most and think they are fantastic. Everyone is doing such a great job. They’re working so hard and are always so willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I’m so impressed! Thank you all so much for your diligence, flexibility, and professionalism.

Laura Wilhelm-Barr
Director of Special Events
Office of the Chancellor

—

Morgan White, Sustainability

Thank you for all of the initiatives you continue to lead and work you do for the University! You are making great progress on many fronts. Greatly Appreciated!

Thanks,

Jim Sims
Director, Engineering & Construction Services, F&S

August 21, 2020

Dale Billam, Engineering & Construction Services
Eric Hasselbring, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Travis Huls, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Frank McCurry, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Elizabeth Nava, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ronald Urban, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
John Vinton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Robert Weeks, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jerome Wells, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I really appreciate the excellent customer support I have received from F&S since I started my new role on June 1.  I’ve had a lot of new building responsibilities thrown at me but everyone at F&S has been very kind to help me through these various processes.  I tried to include people who have helped me on this email but I am sure I did not capture everyone.  Please know that I really value your contributions to campus.  You have all made my job easier and I am very grateful.

Thank you,

Julie Shaffer
Office of the Dean of Students
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

—Dustin Hasty, Shared Administrative Services
I would like to give a huge shout out to Dustin Hasty.

Since Dusty arrived @ F&S he has been very prompt and professional when assisting the Service Office with our needs, even during this COVID Crisis when a majority of the Service Office Staff were setting up to work remotely and one person was on site. During this time he even met with Molly Mitsdarfer when her PC crashed at home and she needed a whole new setup, he got on top the issue and helped her get back up and running ASAP. He has assisted us numerous times and got a resolution to our issues very quickly, he never leaves us open ended and has the ticket resolved immediately. I know he hasn’t been with F&S long but this guy goes above and beyond every time he is called upon by my group, and that is pretty frequent.

Sometimes we focus too much on the bad and not enough of the good, especially with this crisis going on. I hope this helps brighten up the IT team because trying to work in today’s environment isn’t easy..Jerry Dinnin
F&S Service Office

August 14, 2020

Sushanth Girini, Utilities & Energy Services

I want to let you know how great it is to work with Sushanth Girini on the Solar Farm 2.0 project. He has been very responsive for all the F&S and campus needs for this project. This week he was able to get me details about the potential noise impacts from the pile driving that starts next week, so we can proactively communicate with the Village of Savoy.

I really appreciate his responsiveness!

Thanks,

Morgan B. White
Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

August 7, 2020

Shantanu Pai, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

F&S has re-accredited the truck pool as a “Sustainable Fleet,” and F&S has maintained our Tier 2 status. Credit goes to Shantanu for pulling together the submission data during the challenging COVID-19 period. Shantanu will also lead efforts to improve our rating in advance of re-certification in 2022.

Pete Varney, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

—Leonard McFarland, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Saensuk Mokaphan, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Mike Hauserman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Just a note to let you know the move went well this morning. It went really well, they were great! If there is someone or someplace where you review them, I would definitely want to give them a compliment. It wasn’t easy!

DJ Roach
Illinois Public Media

—Craig Grant, Engineering & Construction Services
Brian Huckstep, Engineering & Construction Services
Joseph Youakim, Engineering & Construction Services
Dave Lancaster, Engineering & Construction Services

I would like to take this opportunity to send this very sincere thank you note to your C&I team (Craig, Brian, Joseph, and Dave) for their incredible efforts to achieve beneficial occupancy for this challenging project. Their dedication, commitment, creativity, collaboration, and guidance have helped the project team significantly to get to this point.

Ehab Kamarah
F&S Capital Programs

July 31, 2020

Mike Alsip, Shared Administrative Services

I want to share a Pat on the Back for Mike Alsip in Financial Operations. He is always very professional and helpful, and his deep institutional knowledge and great organizational abilities are much appreciated!

We were asked to provide some historical information for the NPRE faculty working to complete their grant proposal. Last night they asked for information about the decommissioning work done on the previous nuclear reactor, and they needed the information today. Although the work was not coordinated by F&S, Mike was able to track down related emails from 2010. The needed information was provided to the faculty for their proposal, within the timeline they requested.

Mike is a living example of the values-based behavior standards, and we are truly blessed to have him as part of our team. 

Thanks,

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

July 24, 2020

Please join me in thanking the following F&S staff members:

SHOP 7 – Laborers

  1. Austin Eichelberger
  2. Victor Vasquez

SHOP UP – Utility Pipe Fitters

  1. Adam Uppinghouse, Sub-Foreperson
  2. Chris Allen
  3. Brian Henbrey
  4. Troy Lewis
  5. Tom McBride
  6. Monica Terando

SHOP 24 – Steam Distribution

  1. Greg Kaiser, Sub-Foreperson
  2. Al York, Sub-Foreperson
  3. Chris Corzine
  4. Jason Gramlich
  5. Antwan Neely
  6. Khoi Nguyen
  7. John Smith

Managers/Planners

  1. Robbie Bauer, Utilities Distribution – Management Engineer
  2. Bill Conner, Shop Foreperson, Shop 24 – Steam Distribution
  3. Robert King, Shop Foreperson, Shop 7 – Laborers
  4. Doug Winkler, Shop Foreperson, Shop 23 – Pipe Fitters

Utilities Distribution would like to acknowledge the operational excellence displayed recently by F&S crews working together to support an 18-building planned steam and condensate outage. Although the COVID-19 challenge has impacted almost everyone’s daily life, the F&S staff has continued to fulfill the mission of safely accomplishing essential construction projects across campus to maintain the physical environment.

On June 13, F&S Utility Pipefitters, Steam Distribution Operators, and Laborers started their workday at 4 a.m. to repair and/or replace failed piping system components. Under normal working conditions this can be very difficult work, however, our team performed the repairs in a tunnel system that can reach 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The 15-member on-site crew persevered and completed the work scope during the 12-hour workday.

Congratulations to all and thanks again.

Frank Colacicco, P.E.
Associate Director of Utilities Distribution

—

Carmen McNish, Transportation & Automotive ServicesHi Ms. Carmen,

I just brought my vehicle on Friday afternoon.

I am fine. The other driver said she and her two kids were fine, and they drove away after we met with the officer. She was very nice about it.

Thank you for your help and for being understanding. I felt really bad and you made that part of it less stressful!

Hope you have a good weekend,

Claire Johnson 
Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

July 17, 2020

Zach Buddle, Troy Lewis, Jay Goff, and Brian Green, Pipefitters

I would like to give the following pipefitters a pat on the back. Zach Budde, Troy Lewis, Jay Goff, and Brian Green. They have been doing an excellent job on our carbon capture project. The job is going very smooth because of their knowledge and ability.
Brian Knight
Pipefitter

Larisha Exum, Payroll

Hi Eric and Melvin,

I wanted to take a moment to express my deep appreciation for Larisha Exum.  Two of my students inadvertently missed entering their time for a couple of days last week, and we found the error after they were no longer able to correct it themselves.  I reached out to Larisha, and she immediately came to our rescue, entering their time so they could get paid for the work they had completed last week.  I really appreciate her efforts to help.

The students and I appreciate her agility and teamwork.

Thanks!

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

July 10, 2020

Will Corum, Larry Lustfeldt, and Craig Wise, Electricians

Good morning Will,

Your team has done a great job on our system, yesterday. I was impressed with the timing and dexterity with which they have completed this job.

Best regards,

Dassou Nagassou
Lab Operations Manager 
Aerospace Engineering

Carpenters 
The Carpenter shop assisted Engineering on classroom information that was needed immediately. The performed field verification of classrooms and took photos so the Engineering staff could make sure and provide the layout for how we will have in person classes this fall. Thank you and all your crew!  The help is greatly appreciated!!!


Kristine Chalifoux, F&S
Jim Sims, F&S

July 2, 2020

Mike Roberts, Shared Administrative Services

I want to share a Pat on the Back for Mike Roberts.  He was very proactive when asked to provide a schedule and weekly update for the work that is underway for the new Security Cameras at F&S.  We are all trying to achieve the goal of at least 95% of our projects being on-time and on-budget to a satisfied customer (OTBC), and having detailed project schedules and regular progress updates is one of the best ways to improve our results! 

Thanks,

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

—

Morgan White, Sustainability
Brent Lewis, Capital Programs

As I drive in on Curtis Road every morning, I notice the landscaping efforts to the north. The strategic plantings are certainly vegetative screening for the upcoming solar farm extension. It is very well planned and takes into consideration those who will be driving vehicles exiting drives, residents of buildings, and traffic at the intersection!

Thank you again!

Jon Hasselbring, Capital Programs

—

Design Services Team, Engineering & Construction Services
THANK YOU! This is so helpful! I really appreciate the effort and making this a top priority!

You are all so important to getting us to the first day of in-person classes!

Kristin McMurray
Associate Registrar for Facility Management and Scheduling

June 26, 2020

Steve Breitwieser, Customer Relations & Communications

I am writing to let you know how great it is to work with Steve Breitwieser on media relations for F&S. I truly appreciate his deep understanding of the way to build a strong relationship with local media and his strategies for getting our news items noticed and widely publicized.

Thanks,
Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

June 19, 2020

Travis Molitor, Shared Administrative Services

I just wanted to quickly say how great Travis Molitor has been to work with over these last few months as I gathered supplies for the Gies College of Business.  This has been an intense few months, and as I was in crisis mode trying to gather supplies for the entire college, he was very timely in his responses and I appreciate that so much!

Thank you!

Susan Quinn
Gies College of Business

—

Dustin Hasty, Shared Administrative ServicesJust wanted to let you know Dustin Hasty did an excellent job of trouble-shooting over multiple days to help resolve a connection issue I had with drives I lost access to. He was friendly and clear and went the extra mile to ensure I can do my job more effectively.

Thanks,

Travis Tate
F&S Customer Relations & Communications

—

Brad Klein, Capital Programs
I want to send a Pat on the Back for Brad Klein, for his help with keeping the Smart Light Pole Pilot Project moving along.  He is leading the pilot project implementation at the Centennial Plaza, and when I struggled to keep progress going with the multi-person team decision-making, Brad offered to help us move it forward.  He got us a meeting scheduled within a week, and decisions were made that allowed the project to move into the estimating phase.

I really appreciate his help with this, and it reminds me how great it is to work with the collaborative and helpful team we have here at F&S.

Thank you,

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

—

Ryan Welch, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Wayne Bugaj, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Isaac Williams, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

On behalf of the Red Oak Rain Garden Team, big THANK YOU for attending to the grass near the garden. With reduced staff and such a large campus, I can’t imagine how challenging it is to resolve all the places that need attention now. Today at noon, I went to the garden and was delighted to see that you were able to mow, which should help reduce future weeding for us. We are very grateful for your professionalism and are so glad to be working with F&S.

The purple poppy mallow just started blooming, so I attached a photo.

Many thanks,

Eliana Brown
UI Extension

—

Mill Workers, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to let you know how great Andy Burnett and the Mill Shop team have been with the Gies College of Business plex-glass shield order. Andy was so responsive and the team does such great work. They are so polite, come prepared, and they always let us know when they are going to be here so we can plan our day. 

This has been a very intense few months, and they still manage to be on their A-game and deliver really nice pieces. 

Kari, Carol and I appreciate them so much!

Susan Quinn
Gies College of Business 

—

Travis Tate, Customer Relations & Communications

I SO APPRECIATE having Travis on board here at F&S. His work is always professional and quick, and exactly what I need. Regarding website updates, though I was trained in doing some and have had some experience a very long time ago, it is so much more efficient and provides more peace of mind knowing that an expert did the work, doing exactly what needed to be done without me messing anything up. He allows me to do what I need to do, knowing he has my back. THANK YOU, Travis!!

Beth Leitz
F&S Records & Information Management Specialist

June 12, 2020

Dan Hiser, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Roy Dunaway
Montez Harris
Mike Carlson
Kenny Blazek
Denver Piatt
Trey Coleman

On behalf of Unit 4 School District and the families we serve, thank you for the unbelievable service you provided and the way your action spearheaded our thinking in new ways to provide support to our most vulnerable students and communities.

Best regards,

Viodelda Judkins
Director of English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education
Unit #4 School District

I  wanted to thank this group for all the hard work the past several months.  This project was pulled together over the course of just a few days and had a very positive impact on our community during this difficult time.

Thanks,

Brad Trankina
F&S Associate Director of Information Technology Services

Dear team,

I have a number of thoughts about this effort.

  • First is gratitude—it was a great idea and it was wonderful to see it implemented.

I am a retired person sitting in my basement most days—I can write thank yous, tell folks about the effort, and spread the word. I could not have made anything happen without you all!

Thanks,
Sharon Irish
iSchool Research Affiliate—

Colleen Ruhter, Safety and Compliance

Hi,

I want to send a thank you for Colleen’s quick and thorough review of the iCAP 2020 draft document this week.  Her comments were very useful and I am glad to have someone as diligent as Colleen as a co-worker at F&S. 

Thanks, Colleen, for your assistance in the review and development of this important campus document!  It’s very important for the subject matter experts within F&S to read the details in the plan and point out any needed corrections before it gets finalized this fall.

Sincerely,

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

—

Amy Chitwood, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Dear Amy,
Bee Lab Manager Nathan Beach has informed me how incredibly helpful you have been to help us manage the disruptions to the maintenance and upkeep of the Bee Research Facility over the past few months. With a multi-million dollar portfolio of federal grants this lab is a key campus resource for several labs, with numerous undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs who depend on it for their professional development.

We very much appreciate your great efforts.

Best,
Gene Robinson
Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

June 5, 2020

RED OAK RAIN GARDEN SUPPORT
Ron Brown, Grounds
Carol Winn, Grounds
Wayne Bugaj, Grounds
Isaac Williams, Grounds

On behalf of the Red Oak Rain Garden Team, big THANK YOU for attending to the grass near the garden. With reduced staff and such a large campus, I can’t imagine how challenging it is to resolve all the places that need attention now. Today at noon, I went to the garden and was delighted to see that you were able to mow, which should help reduce future weeding for us. We are very grateful for your professionalism and are so glad to be working with F&S.

The purple poppy mallow just started blooming, so I attached a photo.

Many thanks,

Eliana Brown
University of Illinois Extension
Water Quality Outreach Specialist

ICAP 2020 DRAFT QUESTIONS
Dave Boehm, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Kirsten Snyder, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Plumbers Shop

I wanted to reach out and thank Dave for his quick response to a question we had while developing the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) 2020 draft. The iCAP drafting team (which includes F&S and iSEE) was up against a deadline, and Dave was able to quickly reply to our need for clarification about water efficient fixtures in restrooms around campus. 

The details included in the inventory his team compiled are very helpful to our strategic planning for sustainability, and I was very impressed with the volume of information collected. It showed the true dedication of our staff, and the perseverance and integrity for getting good data to help make good decisions.

Thanks,

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

May 29, 2020

Anthony Ewing, Utilities & Energy Services

Hi Karl and Anthony,

I wanted to send a quick thank you and pat on the back for Anthony Ewing. He has done a tremendous job taking on the UES accounting needs since Mike Marquissee’s retirement. This is most notable for me with the Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP), which has several complexities. He has taken over the closure of that long-term financial program with a seamless transition, during a crunch time. I appreciate his perseverance in following up with each of the various projects and financial situations.

Thanks!

Ms. Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

May 22, 2020

Robbie Bauer, Utilities & Energy Services
Stacey DeLorenzo, Capital Programs
Chris Allen, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Tom McBride, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Adam Uppinghouse, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Bryant Weller, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jeff Fiedler, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Joe Daly, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Reece Klaudt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Robert King, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ethan Thorne, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Andrew Moore, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Mark Stein, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jodi Oliver, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Monique Settles, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Eric Knisley, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

The Utilities Distribution team recently performed a quick response chilled water piping project on Chalmers Street between 6th and Wright Streets. When an ongoing MCORE project planned to replace the street surface and sidewalks in this area, it was identified that the 14” underground chilled water supply and return piping beneath this area had recently failed a hydro test. It was quickly decided that the prudent course of action was to replace the 200 foot lengths of 14” chilled water supply; in a less than one-month time period, the project was identified, planned, scheduled, authorized, and constructed (95% complete) by numerous F&S team members.

This is an excellent example of how the dedicated employees of the F&S team are responsive, reliable and continue to provide highly valued services across our campus.

Frank Colacicco
F&S Utilities & Energy Services

—

Todd Woods, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Matt Griffis, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Tony Hubbard, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Mike Burge, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Steve Bainbridge, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to commend the crew that did my work at Node 8.

While we normally give at least part of the crew access to our site, we also normally keep a pretty close eye on anyone in the space. This time we made some changes to our normal work methods. I provided the guys 24 hour access to the site and the code that prevented the alarm from notifying A1. We had an onsite kickoff and wrap up meeting and we had our scheduled cutover the night of the 15th.

I could not have been more pleased by the finished results and the processes that got us to the finish line. This work has really solidified our confidence in your crews ability to work with minimal interaction and supervision in our critical secured spaces.

Please thank the crew again for me. Todd, as usual is and was fantastic to work with and Tony, Matt and Mike executed the work with the usual high precision.

Matt Ward
Technology Services

—Vilayphone Bangsengthong, Employee Relations/Human Resources

I want to share how much I appreciate Villy’s work to make sure the latest search committee meetings could be on Zoom. When the search chair asked to use Zoom instead of Skype, she made that happen. And when the first meeting had technical issues, she stayed calm while getting the candidate and the committee back on the call. She is doing a great job!

Ms. Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

May 15, 2020

Dr. Kevin McSweeney, Director of Arboretum, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
Dustin Reifsteck, Grounds
Sky Drewes, Grounds
Ryan Welch, Grounds Foreperson
Brent Lewis, Capital Programs
Morgan White, Sustainability

Dear Kevin,
Congratulations to you and all of the Campus Tree Advisory Committee on your efforts that resulted in the fifth consecutive year of recognition as a Tree Campus USA.
We all need some good news this semester and this certainly qualifies, especially when these social distancing orders have given us a much greater appreciation for the simple pleasure of being outside in nature.
Thanks for your efforts to make our campus more beautiful and for demonstrating what our commitment to sustainability looks like in practice.
And please share my congratulations with the entire committee.
Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones, Chancellor 
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

May 8, 2020

Sarthak Prasad, Capital Programs
Roseline Batcha, Engineering & Construction Services

Hi Ehab and Jim,

I really appreciate all the work that Sarthak Prasad and Roseline Batcha did to prepare a test of the Bicycle Census (where volunteers walk the campus to count and map all the parked bikes in one hour). They were given a complicated mess of old files from several past employees, and the two of them worked through the hundreds of old versions to prepare us for completing a new census when the quarantine is over and students return in the fall. Their perseverance was impressive, and I’m grateful to have such dedicated employees at F&S.

Thanks,

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

April 24, 2020

Kyler Gorman, Temperature Control Sub-Foreperson

“To any and all involved in providing the lunches yesterday, Thank You! The food was delicious and appreciated.”

April 17, 2020

Isaac Williams, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

This is my nomination for Isaac Williams, Grounds Foreperson. He has been coming in each day to make sure campus is still attended to. In addition, I appreciated how he was able to respond to an issue at one of my construction sites within 24 hours.  The contractor made sure to point out how much that was appreciated, as well.

Brent Lewis
Capital Programs, University Landscape Architect

April 3, 2020

Kelly Jo Hoffmann, Capital Programs

1. Due to unanticipated turnover in the project assistant/office management section of the Capital Programs section in October 2019 – February 2020, contracts, amendments, and change orders were in danger of becoming backlogged.

Kelly Jo Hoffman, a Planner with several distinct responsibilities of her own, stepped in to help organize and direct the newly-placed extra help and newly-hired status employees to manage the workload and get back on track.

Without her efforts, many of these items would have reached a critical level and could have caused delays to construction.

Corey Leslie
Contract Administration

2. On behalf of Capital Programs, I wanted to recognize Kelly Jo Hoffmann for her extra level of work and direction during this COVID19 period. She has been going above and beyond for our department and deserves recognition.

Brent Lewis
Landscape Architect

3. I am writing to recognize the outstanding efforts of Kelly Jo Hoffmann, Planner with Capital Programs. Kelly Jo has been the Planner for several of the most demanding and urgent structural problems on our campus. These included the State Farm Center ceiling panels, the C7 and C10 Parking Garage brick veneer failure, the PAR Mechanical room roof slab and the Student Arcade Building damage to name a few. She has been able to gather the relevant information extremely quickly, get the correct parties involved and lead them into action to get the issue resolved.

She has routinely demonstrated the F&S Mission, Vision, Values and Guiding Principals in these projects and her daily interactions with others. I think that one of her key performance traits is perseverance. She never gives up when facing a challenge.Craig Grant
Code Compliance & Fire Safety

—

Dustin Hasty, Information Technology Services
Jorge Solorio Jr., Information Technology Services

I would like to recognize Dustin Hasty and Jorge Solorio Jr. for their frontline work in getting so many F&S employees on remote work detail, in such a short turn around period. They worked hard without complaint, responded quickly to issues, and used whatever resources they had available. And they were willing to be the “last man standing” for F&S staff so that everyone would have a smooth transition to remote work. This was not an easy task and they did their best and then more. The entire ITS department did an exceptional job during this time and I hope they will all be recognized somehow. I thought for sure, someone would have already recognized Dustin and Jorge. When I realized that they didn’t get a pat on the back yet, I immediately wrote this. Good job, Dustin and Jorge! You so deserve this virtual Pat on the BACK!! 🙂

Linh Quach
Office of the Executive Director

March 27, 2020

Brad Trankina, Shared Administrative Services
John Barber, Shared Administrative Services

Thank you everyone! I do sincerely appreciate all of you!  Brad, you are phenomenal getting this arranged for my own convenience.  I know that President Killeen and Laura also will share in the praise to you all – as always :0)

Everyone take good care, stay in, stay healthy and stay smiling! 

THANKS!Office of President Tim Killeen

—

Josh Rubin, Engineering & Construction Services
Renee Wiley, Engineering & Construction Services

Renee Wiley and Josh Rubin have been assets to the Illinois Fire Safety Institute (IFSI) to help us keep two major construction projects on track. One was over a year behind schedule when Josh and Renee were looped in, and in just two months we’re seeing work being completed. The other is a project with federal funding which must be spent by a deadline, and they are working diligently to help us work with contractors who can meet the timetable.

While we all have much higher priorities right now, they are an integral part in keeping IFSI in service and able to deliver training.

Brian R. Brauer, RN, Ed.D.
Associate Director, Illinois Fire Service Institute
EMS Coordinator, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a HEARTSafe Campus
Director, Illini Emergency Medical Services

March 20, 2020

Dennis Hoffman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I just wanted you to know how much we appreciate the work your shop does for us. Dennis Hoffman and the crew did a great job of cleaning and vacuuming out our manhole at the HUB 2 construction site this past Saturday. I really appreciate Dennis efforts and communicating back with me. He met me at the site and showed me what they discovered. The contractor severely damage our manhole to the point where ground water and sand freely flows into our manhole. This wasn’t visible until the manhole was cleaned out. Over the years your shop’s services have always been very valuable to Technology Services. We always look forward to working with you and Laborer’s Shop.

Thanks,

Vince Tutich
Technology Services

March 13, 2020

Matt Gremer, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

We would like to commend the bus driver, Matt Gremer, and we very much want him assigned to our event next year. 

We hire the bus and driver for our Career XPO – our annual job fair for Architecture and Urban Planning. All of our bus drivers throughout the years have been fine and reliable. And they do their job – they drive the bus. Matt did something special. He was very personable with the students and gave a pep talk with each trip. “Don’t be shy. You’ve got this great University education. These employers are here to see you.” He was as excited as we were!

We very much look forward to working with Matt Gremer again.

And thank you for a job well done!

Best regards,

Rhonda Frank
Office Manager
School of Architecture
College of Fine and Applied Arts—

Amy Chitwood, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

William Navas
Trong Le
Tishia Sutton
Thomas Moss
Sherry Tanner
Sean Mahannah
Sean Eckstein
Scott Rohl
Ronald McCloud
Ronald Cooper
Rocio Arroyave-Jamison
Richard Herring
Paul Thomas
Nancy McClellan
Michael Roubsouay
Michael Brown
Melvin Goodman Jr.
Laura Reitmeier
Kyle Jones
John Schlittler
Jim Atkins
James Partridge
Eugene Miller
Eric Spears
Doug Bean
Dan Upton
Daniel Bernhard
Corrina Funkhouser
Charity Pye
Bryan Edwards
Brad Stevenson
Raquel Dunmore
Charlene Farney

Good morning,

We wanted to take an opportunity to formally thank Amy Chitwood for her hard work and quick response to numerous water damage events we have experienced in Forbes Natural History building this past year. Amy herself was the first to report one of our major flood events and her quick response to notify campus and her ability to call in the BSW troops helped us salvage some things we might not otherwise have saved.

There has been much frustration, helplessness, and loss when one’s workspace is flooded and belongings ruined, especially when it happens over and over. Much hard work and inconvenience comes with each clean up, and Amy and her team always make it happen as quickly and seamlessly as possible. 

We thank Amy and her team for their dedication to service in maintaining our building.   We know we are just one building of many on the University of Illinois campus that she supports and we appreciate everything she does. She goes above and beyond to help our staff!

Eric Schauber, INHS Director
Cathy Bialeschki, Administrative Aide
Bob Tipsword, Facilities Manager, PRI
Illinois Natural History Survey

February 28, 2020

PACA (Preservation and Conservation Association) recently honored the university with the 2020 PACA Heritage Award for work preserving the former Surveying Building (now the Richard D. and Anne Marie Irwin Center for Doctoral Studies) and the north stairs and related features of Foellinger Auditorium. F&S teams were instrumental in both of these projects. Kudos to all involved. The full award letter can be viewed on ERIN at https://erintest.fs.illinois.edu/docs/default-source/default-document-library/let-d-craig-paca-awrd-sgnd.pdf.Brad Klein (right), associate director of capital programs, maintenance planning, accepts the award Saturday, Feb. 22.
IMG_2129edit

February 14, 2020

Richard Dillingham, Engineering & Construction Services

I just wanted to pass along a “Thank You” for all the work and effort that Richard Dillingham does for the Department of Physics.  He has been a tremendous help in all our projects in our buildings.  He’s extremely reliable, and great to work with.  As you know, we went through a transition of facilities managers for the department, and he so helpful during that time.  He has continued to be a reliable resource for Luke Prunkard now in that role.  I try to tell him “thank you” as often as possible, but wanted to let his supervisors know that he’s doing a great job out in the field. 

Have a great day!

Jennifer M. Jorstad
Department of Physics

—

BSWs, Grounds, Operating Engineers, and Transportation staff all helped clear snow and ice: your hard work was seen and appreciated across campus!

February 21, 2020

Tracy Collom, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Richard Dorsett, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
TJ Hicks, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

We had an issue come up late yesterday afternoon where a projector screen needed to be cleaned as soon as possible. A large section in the middle of the screen was covered with a sticky residue where the adhesive between the screen and the backer material seeped onto the projection surface. This created a large white spot in the middle of the screen where the projector images were unreadable, impacting teaching and learning for everyone using that classroom. 

Tracy Collom and his Furniture Shop was out there first thing this morning to address the problem, up on ladders cleaning both sides of the screen to remove the residue. This isn’t the first time they’ve responded to similar issues, and they work very quickly to address needs that impact teaching and learning in our campus classrooms. As the person responsible for funding such classroom repairs, I am grateful for all the hard work and speedy reactions of Tracy, Richard and TJ in the Furniture Shop. This is only a recent example of the good work they do on a routine basis.

I’m hereby nominating them for a Pat on the Back, and Team of the Month.

Sincerely, 

Brad KleinAssistant Director for Deferred Maintenance

February 7, 2020

Dave Lancaster – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Thanks for accompany me to present Dave Lancaster a well-deserved merit mug. I approached Dave last fall and asked him to develop an NEC code update/refresher & Facilities Standards awareness class to present to the Shop 03 electricians. Not is only Dave a subject matter expert on both the University Facilities Standards and NEC, he possesses invaluable institutional knowledge. Being a front line inspector, Dave is aware of common misinterpretations of the NEC and was able to develop his course to address these issues. Having a great working relationship with the electrical shop allows Dave the insight to inform us on commonly asked questions her receives on a regular basis.

Inspection and commissioning is fortunate to have an individual like Dave on their team. Dave is not only proficient in NEC, standards, and energy code, he is a dedicated employee who serves F&S and our campus customers and is the “gold standard” for operational excellence. Dave is as much an asset to OMA’s electric shop as he is to your team.

Sincerely,

Gregory A Moen
SUPERVISOR OF BUILDING CRAFTSMEN, Facilities and Services— 

Nicholas Strohl – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

During a recent winter weather event, Mr. Strohl went above and beyond expectations in making himself available for work for the duration of snow removal operations. Mr. Strohl also great teamwork in handling multiple service calls, and making arrangements for as many snow removal machines to be operational as possible at any given time during extended operations.

Beau Renshaw
Grounds Sub-Foreman— 

Butch Gilliland – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Butch did something that was very nice and I would like to recommend him for a Pat on the Back. he made F&S proud to have him as an F&S employee. Butch witnessed someone in a wheelchair drop their water bottle when they went up the ramp on Oak St. at Gregory Dr. He stopped his vehicle, got out and picked up the bottle, and took it to the person so they wouldn’t have to struggle to get back to where it was dropped.

I thought that was really nice and since he was in an F&S vehicle, it made a great impression that our employees care.

Stacey DeLorenzo
Transportation Demand Management Coordinator— 

Khamtanh Phanrana – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Khamtanh was filling in I believe. He assisted us with our Black History Program in the atrium… he was wonderful. If you could tell him we appreciated his help (and thoughtfulness)!

Thanks,

Jewell White
Assistant Dean, Access and Multicultural Engagement
Gies College of Business

—Jim McGuire – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to give Store Keeper Jim McGuire a POB for the great job he did of contacting all the SPO vendors Building Maintenance uses and requesting price quotes required for the upcoming fiscal year. This is a lot of work and greatly appreciated by Dave, Ken, and I.

Thanks,
Mark Barcus
F&S Building Maintenance

—

Ryan Goulding – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Please forward this message to any other pertinent parties regarding the fantastic work completed by Sheet Metal worker Ryan Goulding.

Our busy 2204 Griffith Dr. loading Dock A was ‘blessed’ by yearly nesting birds within the ceiling channels and above the light fixtures.

They frequently defecated, polluting our hydraulic dock leveler and soiling many incoming packages. Prevention of their nesting on our premises was crucial for us.

Ryan Goulding assessed the situation and returned with the perfectly custom-made metal fittings to obstruct entry from every conceivable angle.

He even encased the tops of the outdoor lights in such a way as to not impede maintenance should they need it. Please see the photos I’ve included below for your reference.

Not only was Ryan efficient, but extremely pleasant and respectful.

Thank you so much for your excellent customer service!

Susana Pacheco-Hollinger
OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALIST, Prairie Research Institute

—

Dear Dr. Attalla,

I write to express my sincere appreciation for the superb work the members of the F&S crafts and trades listed below provided for the IGB. Over the past several weeks they have supported the extensive remodeling of a space that has allowed us to install a piece of cutting-edge research equipment. It was a tight fit and we might not have been able to purchase this important equipment if we couldn’t make the renovation work. Additionally, the F&S crafts and trades did an outstanding job of supporting what was a challenging installation of this very large and sensitive instrument. Their professionalism, skill, and work ethic is most appreciated in helping us to advance the research mission and I would like to offer my gratitude on behalf of the institute for a job well done!

Best,

Gene Robinson
Director, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Kudos To:

Ironworkers– Todd Hawkins, Eric Davis, Mike Paris,

Laborers Shop– Robert King, Austin Eichelberger  Brad Eichelberger, Victor Vasquez, Nate Adamson, Lynn Eichelberger, Gary Cornelius, Bryan Smith, Joe Daly, Reece Klaudt, Ken Carter, Terry Schalk

Carpenters- Bob Weeks, Eric Hasselbring, Paul Campbell, Rick Flynn, Sean Ritter

Temperature Control– Travis Huls, Craig Wittig

Refrigeration– Neal Silver, Zach Davis

Cement Finishers-Eric Knisley, Craig Harris, Travis Illiff  

Plumbing Shop– Matt Faulkner, Terry Paris, Joe Rudicil, Dan Milburn

Pipe-Fitters– Mark Michel, Zach Budde, Troy Lewis

Mill Shop- Andy Burnett-Alex Merkle

Paint Shop– David Middleton, David Scott, Luke Hooper

Electricians– Mark Henry, Mark Castor

Operating Engineers– Rick Boes, Andy  Moore, Jon Runk

Building Service Workers– Roy Specht, Jack Humphrey

Sheet Metal– Randy Reinhart, Jake Terven, Ryan Goulding

Project Coordinator– Richard Dillingham

January 24, 2020

Todd Hearn – Customer Relations & Communications
Jennifer Thompson – Customer Relations & Communications

I would like to give a Pat on the Back to Jennifer Thompson and Todd Hearn! I asked Todd to help with a project to improve the appearance of the basement hallway and Todd wisely brought Jennifer into the project. I had just hoped for a couple of pictures, but Jennifer went above and beyond! She came up with a great layout and pictures from across campus.
Thanks Jennifer and Todd!!

Thanks,

Brad Trankina
Associate Director Shared Administrative Services, Director IT Services

January 17, 2020

Brent Lewis – Capital Programs

I wanted to reach out to say that Brent Lewis did a GREAT job presenting for the Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet) today. He is so informative, knowledgeable, and eloquent. He also answered several questions from sustainability advocates, always keeping focused on the strategic mission and vision of F&S. The video is online at https://www.facebook.com/champaigncountynetwork/videos/512740266019591/, and I highly encourage you to check it out.

Thanks!

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director, Sustainability

January 10, 2020

Craig Wise – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Larry Lustfeldt – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hey just wanted to drop a note telling you that Craig and Larry are doing a great job and I appreciate their work at the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center.

Ryan Miller
Technology Services

January 3, 2020

Andre Bolden – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to give Andre Bolden a Pat on the Back. He was spotted having to pick up an over full roll off dumpster from a location and was seen safely and effectively transporting it back to the transfer station. Andre was able to use safe speeds and deliberately take a safe route through campus maintaining a slow and steady pace to reach his destination.

Thank you,

Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreman

2019

December 20, 2019

F&S Grounds Crew
F&S BSWs
(in response to snow event 12/15/2019)

Good morning!
On behalf of ECEB, I wanted to thank you and your staff for all of your hard work to make ECEB accessible for students this morning. Weekend snowfall can make it difficult to take proactive measures; however, I am extremely pleased to see that every entrance to ECEB is safe and accessible.
All of your efforts are very much appreciated, particularly during this difficult and important time for our students. By providing a safe environment, you have eliminated one more thing that can cause students worry and stress; now, they can focus their energy on performing well on their exams! 🙂

Thanks again!

Clint D. Harper
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

—

Transportation Drivers
Operating Engineers
Garage and Car Pool staff

I would like to thank the Transportation Drivers, Operating Engineers and Garage employees for a fantastic effort put forth working as a composite team, these individuals arrived 10pm Sunday night and worked nonstop through Monday mid-morning to keep campus open while then returning to their regularly assigned duties.

Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreman

December 6, 2019

Entire F&S Organization

”Please pass along how much we do value partnering with them to appropriately steward these activities for the University.”
– DeeDee Williams, Secretary of the Board of Trustees

“The old ISR dining facility is where my husband and I met. It’s also where DeeDee’s mother-in-law was employed for her tenure at the UI, moving from cook to eventually manager before retiring in the early ‘90s. And DeeDee’s son is currently working construction on the new facility. It always amazes me how these buildings are more than just buildings; they are part of our community. Thanks to all of you and your staffs for taking such great care of them!”
– Aubrie Williams, Administrative Associate to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees

November 27, 2019

FILL-IN WORK
Jeff Myers, Driver

I would like to submit a POB for Jeff Myers. On Monday, November 25, Jeff was able to step up and fill in for an employee who needed to call in due to illness. Jeff began performing that employees duties until a replacement could be found and then went back to his own assigned route after starting behind and managed to complete his own route as well.

Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreman
F&S Fleet Operations

November 22, 2019

Craig Wise, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Larry Lustfeldt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Will Corum, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to you and Craig, Larry and Will for doing this work after hours so that it was ready for compliance testing next week!! You and your staff always provide excellent service, but this was above and beyond. Craig did a great job, the receptacle is perfectly located and he cleaned up the outlet conduit nicely. 

Shari Eilene Effert-Fanta
Illinois State Geological Survey

—


Matt Fancher, Shared Administrative Services

Just wanted to share a Pat on the Back for Matt Fancher, who has been a huge help and my go-to-guy for web design help on too many projects to name. He’s been responsive, easy to communicate with, clear, and has gotten the job done quickly and professionally each and every time.

Travis Tate
F&S Communications & Customer Relations

—

Casey Reisner, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ben Kinder, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jeff Buck, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Your guys did some great work here.  I can’t stress enough how appreciative we are that they worked so quickly.  Please let them know we are grateful. 

Patrick Funkhouser
Assistant Facilities Manager, Police Training Institute

November 15, 2019

Monique Settles, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jodi Oliver, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to send a pat on the back to Monique Settles and Jodi Oliver in the transportation department for a job well done! They were able to get the roads and parking areas salted during the snow storm to keep the University moving forward during a time of need. This required many early hours and late days to accomplish the task but they did so with no complaints. Thank you very much!

Shawn Patterson
Transportation & Automotive Services Manager

November 8, 2019

Rusty Woliung, Capital Programs
Robert Weeks, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ben Kinder, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Good morning,

We moved to a new office space in July and I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all the F&S employees that made it possible. We “refreshed” the space so it was more than just moving boxes. On previous projects (before you were hired), I informally became the project manager. On this project we were assigned a project manager. Rusty Woliung did a fantastic job managing the project, communicating with me and thinking creatively. For example, the carpet project went faster than anticipated because they were able to lift the existing cubicles up and carpet under them instead of taking the cubicles apart. The two other people that we worked with a lot were Bob Weeks and Ben Kinder – they were both great to work with as well. We had several electrical requests over the last few months so we were able to get to know Ben a little more than everyone else.  He was great and very efficient.

I’m not sure if you have a formal way of extending my huge thank you to everyone that assisted – if so, please let them know how much I appreciate them. I’m happy to bake some snacks and invite them all over so they can see the finished space. 😊 I’m happy to thank everyone personally.

I tend to have high expectations of employees and everyone that we worked with did a great job. So, thank you! 

Have a great weekend and thanks again!

Laura Bleakney
Office of the Chancellor

—

Scott Johnson, Ray Cook, Roger Treakle, Agustin Torres, Erich Rochester, Ron Cooper, Curtis Burgard, Brian Hollis – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I just wanted to take a quick moment to reach out to you in order to let you know how much we (i.e., the Child Development Laboratory program) appreciate the hard work and coordination of schedules shown by Brian Hollis and his BSW floor crew during the two weeks in which our program was shut down (8/12/19 – 8/23/19).  During this time Brian and his crew did an outstanding job in cleaning and reapplying the sealant to the floors in our buildings.  They looked wonderful for the first day when the children returned on Monday of this week.  My teachers, administrative team and I all really value the responsiveness demonstrated by the floor crew.  Please pass our compliments on to them. 

Brent McBride
Child Development Laboratory

—

Tom Keller, Capital Programs

I wanted to put a good word in for Tom Keller for his help with the 600 Daniel Street project. He’s been very helpful and responsive in reviewing the mechanical specifications and recommending appropriate language to protect the University’s interests. He takes a complicated subject and explains it in understandable terms.  His help has been greatly appreciated! 

Brian BundrenAssociate Director for Capital Planning

—

Butch Gilliland, Carl Sweet, Jeff Myers, Andre Bolden, Dan Miller, Rod Gum, Johnnie Harris, Roy Dunaway, Kenny Martin, Jodi Oliver, Monique Settles, John Burke, Joe Wallis, Guadalupe Lopez, Gary Cole, Matt Gremer, Montez Harris, Mike Carlson, Kenny Blazek – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to thank the entire transportation department for their unwavering commitment to get the job done during recent hectic and important times. This includes the launch of the new UI Ride campus to campus system shuttle, moving the entire department to a different location and being all around understanding of the commitment it takes to push through trying times as we adjust to new and unique adventures moving forward. These employees have had to step up when they have been stretched thin to fill missing gaps and have maintained a positive work ethic through it all.

Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreman

—

Shawn Patterson – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Shawn has been tremendous with the tours at the Waste Transfer Station, and this week he went above and beyond, when 25 eager fourth and fifth graders from Thomas Paine in Urbana attended the tour.  Shawn was a natural with bringing out the questions and ideas from the students, and his interaction with the children was delightful!  I know they had a great time, and I was very impressed with his ability to get them to really think about recycling and waste management and how it impacts the world.

Morgan White
F&S Associate Director for Sustainability

—

Morgan White – Sustainability

I am writing to thank Morgan for her talk yesterday. It connected a lot of issues we have discussed in the class and the students appreciate it. Thanks a lot! Have a great weekend.

Kwame A. Adovor Tsikudo
Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science

November 1, 2019

Gary Cole, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Matt Gremer, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to submit a POB for Gary Cole and Matt Gremer with the Transportation Department, for stepping up in to the supervisory upgrade position during some very difficult times over the last few weeks.

Thank you,
Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreman

—

David Middleton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Most of us seem to not get those encouraging emails from folks on campus and I wish to send one of these to David Middleton. Since I have been working for the School of Chemical Sciences and my involvement with David in getting work accomplished here on campus, he has been one of those Foreman that has always been a pleasure to work with.

My task as a Project Coordinator for the School of Chemical Sciences to ensure all work is completed in a timely manner and David has always helped ensure that I meet those challenges no matter how big the task at hand. If it’s getting a hood sash installed, to a paint touch up job or getting a new sign installed, he has always been here to help and ensure completion.

My thank you to him and his continuous efforts.

Sincerely,

Karla Southern
SCS Construction Project Coordinator

October 25, 2019

Mark Barcus, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Robert Weeks, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

This sounds amazing – thank you! (the carpet in our elevator is really gross and I don’t think it has ever been replaced)

Please keep me informed on the progress of the request and when we might see things happening.

Thank you again – you’ve made many people happy.

Regards,Helen A. Agans
Illinois International

October 18, 2019

Stacey DeLorenzo, Capital Programs

Colleagues,

I would like to express my thanks to everyone who responded so quickly to address the access and mobility issues experienced by my staff member.

Special thanks to Stacey who dropped everything to help and even met with our staff member as she arrived at work this morning.

Our staff member was overwhelmed with the level of support she received and asked me to express my thanks and appreciation.

I am also grateful.

Thank you all very much. 

Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, PhD
Dean, Graduate College
Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor

—

Ryan Welch, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hello!
For the win with a very last minute request (on a very busy week) with beautiful mud-covering MULCH!!! Which really made a huge difference.
This is all to say, thank  you to everyone! You’re the best.

Annie Adams
Graduate College

October 11, 2019

Mindy Morris – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to reach out and let you know how pleased we are with the work that Mindy has done since her time here in Roger Adams Laboratory ground floor. This is the first time in a very long time that I can walk around and notice multiple items being taken care of. For example: trash and boxes in hallways are removed and no longer stacked for days. Bathrooms are polished and supplies stocked, hallways and stairways clean and swept, entry ways are cleaned, swept and windows washed. My Storeroom is getting swept, mopped and trash emptied consistently now. Above all the notice of her pleasant, courteous nature, willingness to ask questions and ability to communicate with people in the building has been a wonderful positive change in the building. I can’t thank you enough for sending her here even for a short time. If I can make any request is to have her to stay in this location.

Thank you again for all that you do for us and trying to keep our buildings running as smoothly as possible. I appreciate that I am able to communicate with you and get items address as they come about. But for all that occurs, I thought I would send some positive comments about the wonderful job that one of your staff has done for us.

Karla Southern
SCS Storeroom Coordinator

—

Kelly Hutcherson – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

With our recent new hires and changes in our shop we have needed countless keys, locks, and information about buildings. Kelly has been there for us every time. On top of that he does it with a smile. We appreciate his hard work and dedication so that we can do our jobs on campus.

Doug Winkler
Plumbers Sub-Foreman

September 27, 2019

Ben Kinder – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to let you know what a pleasure it was working with Ben in getting the work done in room 64 for us. He kept us up to date as to where he was, let us know when he would or wouldn’t be here because of other commitments, and just an all over pleasure. Thank you for sending Ben our way!Best,
Velviet Adams
Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services

September 20, 2019

Nathan Payne – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jim Atkins – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ron Cooper – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Sibley Wong – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Agustin Torres – Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I try to say it but probably not often enough – You and your crew are very much appreciated and I’m thankful for the working relationship we have.

I know I can count on you to help or advise me when needed.

With that I just wanted to add –  The crew I worked with the last few days did an amazing job!!

They all did, PLEASE give them my thanks!!

Best,

Kevin Armstrong
Department of Mathematics

September 6, 2019

Mark Warner, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Anthony Austin, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Craig Sailor, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I’m sending this note to acknowledge the good work of Mark Warner and his team on the recent installation of four new water fountains in the Office of Admissions and Records Building at 900 W Illinois Avenue.  Their work was done efficiently and with minimal disruptions to building operations.  Thanks to everyone in F&S involved with this project!  Your work is most appreciated and our staff are enjoying the new water fountains with bottle filling stations.

Thanks.

Dan Mann
Associate Provost for Enrollment Management

—

Joe Perkins, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dennis Peters, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I just wanted to let you know as I always try to send a note of appreciation of how our hired workers are doing. The moving crew has always done a fabulous job every time we have them working for us in Anthropology. 

Today’s crew was Joe & Dennis. They are so helpful and hardworking and always take such care. They had a very huge project with us and have a wonderful job of taking care of it so quickly. 

Like I said I want to share the positiveness of not only these two workers but every member we’ve had in the past from the moving crew. They are a great group of guys.

Thanks and have a great day.

Karla Harmon
Department of Anthropology

August 23, 2019

Marcia Hopper, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I want to thank you for processing and sending the equipment titles for the Ford Excursion. The Deception Pass Park Foundation will benefit greatly from selling this equipment as a fundraiser to help pay for the parks summer students who lead our junior ranger programs. This will bring great joy to the parks visitors, especially the thousands of children who visit and enjoy the park. Our foundation volunteers cleaned the equipment and all the units are on a consignment lot as of today to be sold. Thanks again, this will bring great joy to many kids.

Matt Klope
Deception Pass Park Foundation President

—

Russell Woliung, Engineering & Construction Services
Bob Weeks, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Eric Hasselbring, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dave Middleton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
David Scott, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

All I can say is wow!

We reserved the conference room for three weeks to get the room finished and after 7 work days as of this afternoon it is done.

I know we were worried about manpower issues and making the three weeks but everyone went above and beyond.

I’m so happy I may hand out cookies.

Just kidding, but great job from everyone.

The room looks great and will serve our department well.Gregor J Vacketta
Systems Administrator / Facilities
Division of Public Safety

—

Mitch McPhee, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Harry Wells, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

We needed to accomplish planting flowers at Swanlund, which got done before a major rainstorm.

Dave Boehm
F&S Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

—

Mark Warner, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I just wanted to take a quick moment to let you how much we (i.e., the Child Development Laboratory program) sincerely appreciate the recent work completed by Mark Warner and his plumbing crew in installing sinks in the infant classrooms at the Early Child Development Laboratory building. Mark and his crew worked around our schedule when children were not in attendance in order to minimize disruption to our programming. His team also did an outstanding job of coordinating with Amy Millard (CDL program coordinator) and my teachers who were working in the classrooms while the sinks were being installed. The sinks were being installed in order for our program to meet newly implemented accreditation guidelines. Mark and his team made what could have been a very stressful project for all involved one that came to completion with no glitches or problems, and was completed in a very timely fashion.  Please pass our thanks along to Mr. Warner and his crew.

Brent McBride
Professor, Human Development
Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences
Director, Child Development Laboratory

—

Ben Kinder, Operation, Maintenance & Alterations

Let Ben know the Library is thrilled with his communication throughout the course of the work order. He provided service above and beyond, saving the Library money and allowing us to keep a component in a matching color as opposed to having to replace with a slightly different colored one.

Excellent work and obvious pride in his job.

Please pass on our sincere thanks!

Lesli Lunquist
Facilities Manager, Library

August 16, 2019

Eric Spears, Operations, Maintenance, & Alterations

I just wanted to say how great of a job our BSW, Eric, has been doing. He always goes above and beyond his normal responsibilities to ensure our building looks great! Eric took the time to dust all of the pictures hung up high on the wall and also dusted the windows that are from floor to ceiling. He is always polite and has a smile on his face. He even takes the time to let our staff know when he is going to clean the restroom before he starts (very courteous if you ask me). We really appreciate all he does here at the Garage and Car Pool!!!

Macie Sinn
Garage and Car Pool

August 7, 2019

Carmen McNish, Operations, Maintenance, & Alterations

I have been an ongoing customer for many years and I just wanted to let you know how much our office appreciates the great service that is provided. I want to specifically mention Carmen. She is absolutely fantastic, always helpful and her positive attitude is so refreshing and always brightens my day.

Thank you and have a great day.

Bill Reimer
Office of Business and Financial Services

July 20, 2019

Garteth Boyd, Mike Siems
Operations, Maintenance, & Alterations

I know that I have mentioned this before but I want to reiterate what a great job Gareth Boyd and Mike Siems have done over here at the iSchool. They both have gone above and beyond what is expected  of them. They are professional, timely and pay a great attention to detail which is very much appreciated. These guys are great and have done a phenomenal job. We have had an extremely aggressive schedule and they have met every tough deadline set.

Tad Schroeder
Assistant Director of Facilities, iSchool

July 12, 2019

Jorge Solorio, Shared Administrative Services

The IT department is a fantastic team, they are all great, they all keep us running and are so very nice whenever we have to ask them for assistance. Jorge is often the person I find and ask for assistance the most and takes care of my questions or IT needs right away, or if he is currently busy, he always follows up as soon as he has completed other tasks and never forgets to check back with me! Jorge is always so willing to help, always cheerful, has a kind word for everyone, and is a fabulous asset to our IT department. He deserves a pat on the back!

Khristian Shaffer
F&S Capital Programs

July 19, 2019

Sean Mahannah, Operations, Maintenance, & Alterations
Ron McCloud, Operations, Maintenance, & Alterations
Sean Eckstein, Operations, Maintenance, & Alterations

Hi!

Thanks so much for the use of the power washer. I got to work at 7:00 am, and Sean Mahannah and Ron McCloud were both hard at work on the first floor women’s restroom.  Those guys are simply super hard workers and were sweating bullets trying to get this task done in addition to all of their other responsibilities!  The bathroom looks and smells awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again, thanks for the use of the machine and also for allowing such great guys (other building service worker of note is Sean Eckstein who was upstairs cleaning this morning) to work in the ACES Library.  Our building is the best because THEY are the best.

Kendra Courson
College of ACES

June 28, 2019

Bryan Clark, Ron Penny

I just wanted to send a quick note to say that the Undergrad Office is incredibly pleased that we’re back to a team of hard-working, effective BSWs keeping the building (and particularly the bathrooms!) clean: Bryan Clark and Ron Penny.

One of them stopped by our office yesterday to ask us to let him know if there were any issues we noticed that he had missed, but things are so clean now that we have nothing to mention.

One of them was vacuuming the Common Room this morning, and because it’s noisy, he was thoughtful enough to close the Common Room door to minimize the noise for the hallway. I believe our office was vacuumed this week before we got in, something which hasn’t happened for quite a while. The hallway floors and staircases are clean, and we no longer see the janitor closet across from the 3rd floor ladies’ room left open with the light on all day, as was previously the case. We also see the guys working, instead of seeing someone spend large amounts of work hours watching videos on his phone.

So, please do let their supervisor know how happy we are with the current state of things!

Thanks,

Ann Byers
Department of Mathematics

June 21, 2019

Carmen McNish

I just wanted to send a short note in thanks to all of the time and assistance given by carpool staff especially Mz. Carmen. We encounter a lot with our program during the school year and it is a blessing to have those willingly to help lighten our load in some form or fashion. We are grateful for all that work under your leadership. An announcement was made thanking Mz. Carmen and staff in carpool at our closing banquet in thanks and wanted to pass the information along to you.Curtis Blanden
Assistant Director of TRIO Academic Talent Search

June 7, 2019

Kyle Frederick and Tony Kite

Just a quick appreciation email to let you know how grateful we are to the CSL BSW’s, Tony Kite and Kyle Frederick. 

Due to renovations happening inside CSL, and the Hydro construction outside, CSL has had to change our business processes, disrupting the daily routines of everyone in the building. They both have been accommodating, professional, hard working, and have helped out in a pinch when needed; Kyle has been a wonderful addition to our building staff.   We appreciate their hard work!

Christina Holt
Facilities Manager, Coordinated Science Laboratory

May 31, 2019

Nicole McCurry

Nicole has been an integral part on assisting with the new hire process within the Transportation Department. Nicole has shown great attention to detail, willingness to remain flexible and above all else put up with guiding me as the new Sub-Foreman in the shop. Without employees such as Nicole people like myself would be lost and unsure how to proceed on multiple fronts. Her wealth of information is above and beyond satisfactory requirements and I can’t say enough about how valuable she has been throughout the my short time as the Transportation Sub-Foreman.Dan Hiser
Automotive Sub-Foreman
F&S Fleet Operations

May 10, 2019

JERRY COOK RETIREMENT THANK YOU
F&S Crafts & Trades and departments

I wanted to reach out and thank you and your staff for the outstanding work your shops have done for the Department of Physics during my tenure.  I am retiring from the University of Illinois on April 30 to take a position in the private sector as a facilities manager. During my interview, I was asked what I would find difficult with their position, “not being able to call the outstanding trades at F&S”! It is the pride that the trades take in this campus that has made my tenure here in Physics a success. No matter what role we play here at the U of I, I hope you felt like you were an important team member when you worked for the Department of Physics. Please let your staff know, what an honor it has been to work with them!

Again, thank you for making me look good over the years!

Jerry Cook
Facilities Manager
Department of Physics

May 3, 2019

BSW signs for Customer Forum
Cindy Carlson

Cindy – You’ve performed a wonderful great outcome. These sign all look “GREAT” . . . I want to give you a “BIG THANK YOU” (smile). This all ready to go . . . go . . . go . . . with no more changes. Thanks for the updates and your patience.

Randy Kornegay
Operations, Maintenance, & Alterations

April 19, 2019

SAIL event over the weekend
Stan Adkisson, Eric Spears

I’m reaching out to give you some information this morning that I figured would make the two BSW’s that helped me out on Saturday feel appreciated for a job well done.

First off Stan Adkisson was a great help during the event. He was professional and very courteous. I would recommend working with Stan any day to get a job done. Here is a Link to an Instagram post from the event organizers, I figured he would get a kick out of it. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv9oH7nHtGI/

Eric Spears was the second BSW that came in for the 5:30-8pm shift. Eric probably didn’t realize coming in for the 2.5hr shift would have been so demanding, but he stepped up and was also a great asset to have in the clean-up process of the building.

Both guys were professional and a pleasure to work with. I appreciate you all helping out with this weekend’s event and hope you all have a great week.

With kind regards,

Aaron M. Cohen Assistant Facilities Manager


Pat On The Back
Kyle Coburn

I would like to recognize Kyle Coburn in the plumbing shop. A survivor of cancer with many medical after effects, Kyle goes above and beyond to complete work in a timely fashion.  He never complains and works hard all the time.  A great asset to the F&S community.

Clint McGraw
F&S Insulators Shop

Cory Pelmore – School of Information Sciences BSW
Cory Pelmore

I have worked on campus for over 11 years in different locations, working at the iSchool is my first experience where I have been overly impressed with a building service worker.  Cory Pelmore is timely, efficient, hard-working, and is never without a smile on his face.  Not only does he do his normal day-to-day responsibilities, he goes above and beyond to make certain we have everything taken care of in our offices.   Cory ensures all areas of the building, inside and out, are above our expectations.  This winter I saw him on numerous occasions making sure our steps into the building were clear of snow and ice, and even letting us know what areas were slick and to make us aware of the conditions.  I consider Cory one of my co-workers here at Information Sciences/iSchool, and feel extremely lucky to have him here at our school.

Tamara Roosevelt
iSchool

April 12, 2019

REFERENCE INQUIRIES
Beth Leitz, Facilities Information Resources

Awesome find, Beth! I know I can always count on you to do your very best and then a little more. Your work and effort truly are inspiring.

Thank you doesn’t say enough!

Bruce Rodgers
F&S Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

You are OUR Rock Star!!!!  We all wouldn’t know what to do without you!!!!  I just hope you can get the larger monitor so I don’t have to get so close to the screen to see it.

Will Corum
F&S Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

March 29, 2019

TRANSPORTATION SERVICE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
Matt Gremer, Driver

It is my great pleasure to submit a commendation for the excellent service that Mr. Matt Gremer provided the Department of Computer Science during the CS Visit Days for admitted graduate students, during March 10-12, 2019.

Computer Science graduate programs at Illinois is a top-five graduate program in the nation. The annual Visit Days for admitted graduate students is an integral part of our recruiting efforts because this group of students are also heavily recruited by other top-ranked institutions. Providing the visitors a welcoming and efficiently planned experience on campus is critical to our recruiting goals.  In the past three recruiting cycles, Matt Gremer has contributed to our overall efforts by assisting in the transportation of visitors over the three-day Visit Days period.  Given the scale of this event, having Matt available to drive the 15-seater shuttle releases scarce internal resources for other duties.

However, the purpose of this note is more to specifically recognize the outstanding service Matt has provided the CS graduate program. Each year since 2017, he has gone above and beyond the basic function of transporting visitors.  For many of the visitors, he is the first in-person university contact when he picks them up at Willard Airport and the last experience when he drops them back to catch their flights home. His friendly, courteous, and welcoming nature gives a fabulous first impression of the university to our visitors.  With his extensive knowledge of campus facilities & locations, Matt has also been able to provide our visitors driving tours around campus, showcasing the world-class resources available to graduate students across our campus. From a staff perspective, Matt Gremer is always reliable, responsive to phone/text communications to meet transportation needs, and flexible to adjust planned schedules when needed.  This year, for instance, there were weather-related travel delays that required adjustments to pick-up times and other transportation needs. Matt responded competently to our staff communications to ensure the visitors arrived in Siebel Center in a timely manner to join planned programming.  I also learned that he even carried some bottled water in the bus this year for the visitors. The fact that he always carries out his responsibilities with a smile makes him even more appreciated!

We have come to rely on Matt Gremer’s assistance in our graduate recruiting efforts and hope he will be available for future such needs!  In closing, I would also like to acknowledge and thank his supervisors for allocating Matt’s time to meet the needs of CS graduate recruiting efforts.

Viveka P. Kudaligama
Assistant Director of Graduate Programs

March 22, 2019

Awesome job
Jerry Dinnin, Shared Administrative Services

Hi Curt,

This note is long overdue.  I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate Jerry Dinnin and the excellent job he does daily.  Since he has taken over customer service many years ago, he has continuously done an outstanding job.  He is wonderful at handling work orders and getting the facilities issues to the correct person.  He follows up and communicates with me, which is so appreciated.  (Especially when I forget to attach my key request form…)  He and his group have made my job easier by doing their jobs so well.  The entire group as a whole is very responsive and thorough, and I know that Jerry is the reason for that improvement.

I realized that I have been taking for granted that my service requests will be handled promptly and thoroughly.  That is truly the best compliment to Jerry and the team.  Their service standard is outstanding and I can depend on them completely.

Please extend my appreciation to all, 

Lori Beeson
Senior Facilities Planner Technology Services

U of I Fire Station Training Room Cleaning
Roger Treakle, BSW

To Whom It May Concern,

Last week while resetting the desk here in the training room, I made a big mess with some pieces of paper from a hole punch machine. This was done in a rush for time at the end of my shift. My intent was to clean this up the next morning. To my surprise the place was spotless the next morning. I can’t say thank you enough. It was never my intent to create work for you!

Thank you for taking care of this, the cleanliness of this room has never been questioned. Your dedication does not go unnoticed! thank you for taking pride and ownership in your profession!!

Respectfully,
Michael Phillips
Urbana Fire Station
Station #4

March 15, 2019

EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE AT EVERITT LABORATORY
Carla Ogle, BSW

Good Morning Dr. Attalla,

I fear that often your department does not hear when exceptional staff perform in a phenomenal way, thus I wanted to bring one such person to your attention.

Carla Ogle has been serving in our building, Everitt Laboratory, since its reopening in June of 2018. We have just been informed of her promotion to supervisor and that she will be leaving us, and while we are sad to see her go, it could not be more deserved. She arrives each day, in spite of personal hardship, with a joyful and professional spirit. Carla does not just come to get a paycheck, rather to do an excellent job. She thinks through what could be improved and how to make processes more efficient. She also cares about the faculty and staff: their preferences, schedules and needs. She has taken initiative to create and laminate lists for which rooms and tasks need to be done a particular times.

Carla is simply a joy to work with. The entire BIOE Administrative and Academic staff will feel her loss keenly!

Best,Laura A. Eden-Lang
Department of Bioengineering

March 8, 2019

FORBES NATURAL HISTORY BUILDING OFFICE BUILD-OUTRandy Reinhart, Sheet Metal Workers
George Lefaivre, Sheet Metal Workers
Mike Padilla, Sheet Metal Workers
D.J. McFarland, Sheet Metal Workers

I would like to recognize the efforts of the sheet metal shop and specifically Randy Reinhart, George Lefaivre, Mike Padilla and DJ McFarland for their recent efforts in assisting Design Services on the office build out project in the basement and also a lab renovation project at Forbes Natural History building.  They reacted quickly and provided great feedback that allowed us to complete our design work on time.  We truly appreciated their efforts and professionalism.Brad Ellison, LEED AP
Architect / Management Engineer – Central and South Zones
Facilities & Services


BEVIER HALL FLOOR WORK
Greg Kreps, BSW

Hi Wes,

I just wanted to send a BIG thank you for Greg’s work in 282. He worked with me to coordinate around my normal work hours and did a great job on the floors, they look absolutely amazing.Best regards,

Cassandra Nikolaus, MS
Doctoral Candidate | Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition

SERVICE OFFICE SUPPORTAND TRANSPORTATION RESPONSEMolly Mitsdarfer, Service OfficeDan Hiser, Transportation & Automotive Services

Hi Molly,

I wanted to let you know that someone (I think his name was Dan) called me back from transportation and they should be taking care of picking up the display case that I had called about soon.

But, more so, I wanted to thank you for your help to resolve the issue. It was so refreshing to call the service office and feel like the person on the other end was really trying to find the right person for me to talk to.  Then, you followed up with me after you transferred my call to be sure I got in touch with someone who could help.  You made a frustrating situation much easier, and I appreciate your work.

Thanks, and have a great day!  

Jenny Bateman
Business/Administrative Associate
Military Education Council

MILL SHOP CUSTOM DESKMill Workers(Shop 31)

Hello,

I wanted to pass along what a wonderful experience I had with Andy from the Mill Shop.  I am getting a new desk in my office and, having seen one they did for a coworker, was thrilled when I got approval to have them do one for me.  Andy came by yesterday and was very helpful, walking me through options I had for the awkward space and bringing up ideas I hadn’t even thought of.  He was very patient with me and some of my indecisiveness/lack of knowledge and was able to guide the conversation in a way that I’m pretty sure my office will end up even better than I had imagined!  Given that I spend more awake time each day in my office than my home, I feel the work that has been/will be done by the Mill Shop is going to make the space much more enjoyable.  I appreciate the work that they do and the customer service is phenomenal!  I cannot wait to see the finished product! 

Thanks,

Jennifer Russell, MHRIR, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director of Chemical Sciences Human Resources (SCS HR)
School of Chemical Sciences

March 1, 2019

HENRY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING GREAT JOB
Dusty Paris, BSW
John Hill, BSW

Hi Pete.  I have been meaning to drop you a note in regard to Dusty Paris, our Building Service Worker here at Henry Admin. Bldg.  As you know, the Claims Office has only been back on campus for 6-7 month now, but Dusty was so welcoming to us all from the beginning.  She goes out of her way to make sure we never need anything and that she is always available if we do.  She is a hard worker.

I don’t think I have come in yet when she didn’t have a smile on her face and a ‘Good Morning” for me.  There is also an older gentleman that is here in the early mornings (John Hill).  As long as I’m putting a good word in for someone, I want to add him to my list.  He is the most cheerful man at 7:30 in the morning….sometimes TOO cheerful. J

Just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate Dusty and what a great job she does for the building.   

Kim Smith
Office Administrator
Office of Claims Management and Workers’ Compensation
University of Illinois System

INSTITUTE FOR GENOMIC BIOLOGY LOST AND FOUND
Jason Jones, BSW

Good morning,

I wanted to pass along my thanks.  Jason, who takes care of the IGB concourse level, found a wallet last night which contains a variety of important items and a house key.  He secured the wallet in my office and left me a note with the details.  I wanted to share how much I appreciate his effort and to pass along my thanks.

I really appreciate the extra effort and care he took to find, secure and share information regarding this persons wallet.   The owner of the wallet just picked it up and was also very appreciative.

Thanks again,

Jesse Southern
Director of Operations and Facilities
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyLOOMIS LABORATORY CLEANING STAFF
Marc Hollett, BSW
Freddie Williams, BSW
Ebony Murray, BSW
Bob Ackerman, BSW
Jessica Huddle, BSW
Tom Pagel, BSW
Steve Woodcock, BSW
Dylan Cockrum, BSW

Randy,

I wanted to reach out to you about several probationary employees who have been assigned to Loomis lab in the last several weeks.  It is too often that the emails that come across your desk are to deal with cleaning issues and not the praise of your staff.  

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for the hiring of these 3 individuals that have been placed in Loomis over the last several weeks/months: Mark – 1st floor area, Freddy 2nd floor area and Ebony 3rd/4th floor areas.  Each of these individuals is performing their duties at a very high standard and take pride in their work and our facilities. 

Over the last several weeks I have received compliments on your cleaning staff and the work they have been performing.  I have personally received praises of the work that Ebony has been doing on our upper floors of Loomis and the energy she brings to work, she is a true treasure!

I would also like to thank Bob, Jessica, Tom, Steve and Dillon for their hard work in Loomis, it is their consistency, hard work, dedication and mentoring that has allowed us to maintain a standard for our students/staff.  I am thankful that I have such an open rapport with each of these individuals on issues within the facility/cleaning standards and assisting with special events.

It is very refreshing to see the new faces carrying on the work of your senior staff and seeing them work together, providing GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Jerry Cook
Facilities Manager
Department of Physics

February 22, 2019

MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING BUILDING (MSEB)  – RADIATOR LEAK
Brian Knight, Pipefittter

I had a recent experience that I hope can find its way to the correct foreman with a note of thanks.

I put in a work order for a leaking radiator in MSEB and Brian Knight came by and worked on it last week.  When he was done, he took the time to clean up the water that had accumulated and sent me an email letting me know what had happened and that he had finished the work.

This morning, I noticed the same thing happening and I emailed Brian before 8:00 am and he responded right away.  He took the time to email me about the updated fix and then he contacted BSW staff to assist with cleaning up some residual liquid.

Because of his efforts- I know what the problem was and how it was repaired.  This information helps me to do my job better and more efficiently.

This kind of service makes jobs so much easier and it is very much appreciated.  I wish there were more people like Brian.

Thanks

Nicole Robards
Assistant Director of Facilities and Instructional Labs
Materials Science and EngineeringCOLLEGE OF EDUCATION – GREAT BSW WORK
Spencer Cloyd, BSW

Good morning!

I just wanted to tell you that I had the pleasure of meeting Spencer Cloyd in the College of Education this morning.  He was very kind and was doing a great job!  I really value our BSWs and it’s always nice when they are friendly while doing their job.  They are vital to the operations on campus and should be treated as such!  Just wanted you to know that he was doing a great job (and thus I asked for his supervisor’s email, haha!) 

Best,

Myranda Crist
College of Education Graduate Student Services Office
College of Education

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION SCIENCES – PUBLIC FUNCTIONS SUPPORT
Delbert Ketteman, BSW Moving Crew
Jason Townsend, BSW – Moving Crew

Paul,

Just a quick note to say thank you for the tables. Del and Jason did a great job and took care of everyone here. Thanks again for the  help

Tad Schroeder
Assistant Director of Facilities
School of Information Science

February 15, 2019

INSTITUTE FOR GENOMIC BIOLOGY ELEVATOR FAST RESPONSE
Ron Pryor, Elevator Mechanics

Good morning Vincent,

I just wanted to thank you and your crew for their quick response to an elevator problem we had yesterday.  We had an elevator stuck yesterday with 2 people on it.  Ron showed up very quickly and got them out as soon as he arrived and then addressed the mechanical problem that caused the elevator to get stuck.
Just wanted to tell you how much the work you and your crew perform is appreciated.
Thanks again,

Jesse Southern
Director of Operations & Facilities, IGB

F&S WEBSITE UPDATES FOR ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
Alec Kuznitsky, Customer Relations & Communications

Jim,

In our meeting today Alec and I were able to go through and apply the updates I had for the F&S website.

Alec you are amazingly quick, skilled and accurate really enjoyed working with you. You make it look easy!

Thanks,

Chad Kupferschmid

Facilities Information Management Coordinator
F&S Facilities Information Resources

GIS INFORMATIONAL SUPPORTAND RESPONSIVENESSDennis Skultety, Facilities Information Resources

Chad,

Just a quick note to let you know how much I appreciated working with Dennis Skultety.

His attention to detail, communication, professionalism and “follow-up” on conversations/concerns (that have been brought to his attention) surpasses all expectations. 

His attendance at our 8:30 a.m. Utility meeting is very much appreciated. Thanks for sharing him with us.

Matt Dalton
Water Station

February 8, 2019

TERRIFIC BSW EFFORT AT MORRILL HALL
Spencer Cloyd, Probationary BSW

Recently, a building service worker named Spencer started taking care of my lab.  I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with this young man!  

Spencer is very earnest and committed to his job, and has been extremely helpful in finding out things for me and answering my questions.  He is thorough and complete with his duties but also personable and pleasant.  

I always comment when someone goes above and beyond as good service is hard to come by.  Spencer really is exceptional! 

Best regards, 

Jodie Ellis, MS
Lab Manager
Hanks Lab
Morrill Hall


MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY CLEANLINESS
Dylan Cockrum, BSWGood morning, I am working in building MEL (Mechanical Engineering Lab) since April 2018. I would like to say that for a few weeks now, I noticed that the building is so much cleaner than usual. It looks and smells good. What a pleasure! I also met with the new gentleman who is in charge of the cleanliness. He is really doing an outstanding job, and he is very friendly and professional. Best regards,


Salome Liebenberg
Mechanical Science and Engineering

February 1, 2019

FACILITY HEATING AND SUPPORT THANKS
Utilities & Energy Services Division
Mike Larson, Utilities Production

Mike,

I can’t imagine the pressure you have been under the last 24 hours, but I wish to thank you that we experienced few problems heating our facilities in Mechanical Science & Engineering thanks to your team’s efforts.

Thank you for everything you do to keep us all warm.

Sincerely,

Damon McFall, PE, MBA
Director of Facilities and Operations | Mechanical Science and EngineeringCOORDINATED SCIENCE LABORATORY  – GREAT BSW RESPONSE
Russell McDuffee – Building Service Worker

I wanted to pass on this compliment for Russ McDuffee from Professor Les Allen:

Hi all

Problem fixed radiator leak

Russ called the right people who fixed it

Thanks Russ!

Thanks

Les

************************************************

Leslie H. Allen, Associate Professor
Materials Science Department
Microelectronics Laboratory
Coordinated Science Laboratory
       

Jerry Cook
Facilities Manager
Department of Physics

January 18, 2019

SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL OPERATIONS THANK YOU’S
Entire F&S Snow Removal and Operations Team
On behalf of the police department I want to thank your crew for doing a great job on the police department parking lot. With us running 24/7 it is a challenge. But we worked together and got all of our vehicles moved to one area so your crew could come in the lot. This helps with our operation.
Thank You,

Sgt. Barbara Robbins
University of Illinois Police Department

I want to commend you and those who do the snow removal to make certain the sidewalks, parking lots, etc., are in good shape for the employees AND students at the University of Illinois.   

I’ve been working here a long time, and the worst part of my getting to work is normally the 1.5 blocks of sidewalks from the parking garage to Henry Administration building.  Those few blocks are owned by either the city or other private revenue generating businesses.  

I wish they could understand the importance of snow removal within the first 5-10 hours OR while snow is falling.  It’s truly better than letting the hundreds of people who walk that path fear falling and breaking something due to what’s left on the sidewalks which becomes a horrible mess and eventually ice if the temperatures drop!    

Also, for years I have chosen to walk here on campus during the winter months for just this fact. I can make several laps of varying lengths on the University owned sidewalks without the fear of falling and now they will be as safe as humanly possible!  

Kudos to everyone who helps in this effort as I truly appreciate them and what they DO for each and every season of the year!

Best regards,

Carol Hannah
Senior Campus Legal Administrative Assistant
Office of University Counsel

Just wanted to let everyone involved know what a great job you did out here on Wright Street extended.  The lots were very well cleared by mid morning yesterday and the BSWs did a very good job this morning.  Got it down to the point the sun is finishing the sidewalks now.  We appreciate the efforts very much.

Rick Atterberry
University of Illinois
ACES-ITCS

Good Morning!

The Camps & Clinics Office within DIA hosted 5 camps between Saturday and Sunday. This equated to a few hundred campers and families being at Irwin Indoor Football Practice Facility and Demirjian Indoor Golf Facility.

The F&S staff responsible for both plowing the roads and clearing the walks did a tremendous job!  Please pass along my sincere thanks!

Brian Walsh
Director, Sport Campus & Clinics
University of Illinois Athletics

Thank you for making the throughways and sidewalks accessible and safe!

Elizabeth Kuntz
Carle

I’m sure you guys don’t get a huge amount of thanks for the hard work you put in every day, and especially in something like a large snowstorm like we got over the weekend.  Thank you for working diligently to clear the sidewalks and roads around campus.  It is greatly appreciated and you have my thanks!

Stuart Turner
Sr. IT Specialist
Engineering IT Shared Services
University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign

The MASSMAIL sent out about the snow/ice removal operation this past weekend suggested to contact F&S Service Office for questions and feedback.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank your staff for an amazing job they have done in clearing up the snow on the campus.  I frequently walk to campus from my home in southeast Urbana, passing through Orchard Downs, then crossing the campus diagonally to get to my office in Illini Hall.  When I did so on Saturday, I expected to have to wade through snow the whole way, so I was stunned to see that the Orchard Downs walkways and the bikeway along Race St. had already been cleared of snow. Similarly, as I reached Illini Hall, I found the entrance ways and access ramp clear.  

This experience mirrors that in past snow events.  In my 30+ years with the U of I, the campus area, including Orchard Downs, has consistently been to the first to be clear of snow and ice, and it has been in better shape than most other parts of town, including (up until recently when things have started to improve) the campustown business area.  During icy conditions, when sidewalks on public streets surrounding campus were often dangerous to walk on, I knew that I would be on safe ground once I reached the walkways maintained by the campus.

I’m sure there were glitches here and there in the operation, and those are ones you’ll probably hear mostly from through the feedback channels, but I did want to let you know how impressed I was by the job your staff has done this past weekend.  I, for one, am a very happy customer, and I have been so for the past three decades.

A huge thanks to the grounds crew, the drivers, the building service workers, and everyone else involved in the snow removal operation, for all the hard work you have put in this past weekend!

Best regards,

A.J. Hildebrand
Professor Emeritus
Department of Mathematics

Hello

While I work in a field office in Northern Illinois, we did have our daughter on campus this weekend for a golf clinic.  Because I’m certain all you ever hear are complaints, I thought I would let you know that all of the roads and parking lots we were in over the weekend were very well plowed, salted and cleaned up.

Thanks for all your work.

Janice

Janice McCoy, MS
County Director
Carroll, Lee, and Whiteside Counties

Dear Campus Facilities and Services,

After receiving the e-mail describing the effort to get walkways and roads clear for classes this week, I wish to extend thanks for the people who did that work. It enabled me to do work on campus this weekend and walk unhindered between buildings.

Many thanks!

Kinsey Canova
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you just how impressed I, an several of my co-workers, have been with the amazing work our colleagues at Facilities &  Services have undertaken to make and keep our campus safe. All over Champaign and Urbana the last few days I’ve seen public walkways in deplorable states. Stepping onto campus is like entering a completely different land—one where walking continues to be safe, despite the challenging weather. Kudos to you and your team. If I could, I’d buy your entire team a giant mug of hot chocolate—or maybe a hot toddy if it’s off the clock.

Robert Slater
Engineering IT

CLEANING OF NEW SHOWER FACILITY AT POULTRY RESEARCH
Khamtanh Phanrana, BSW
Joe Green, BSW

Just wanted to say thanks for the job well done out at Poultry Research (We have renovated the former “Rooster House” at Poultry Research to make it a showering facility for personnel for bio security).    The crew did a fantastic job!

Josh Rubin
Construction Superintendent
Facilities & Services

January 11, 2019

END OF YEAR MILL SHOP CLEANING
Tim Rash, BSW
MingRong Wang, BSW
Roger Treakle, BSW
Ron Cooper, BSW
Ray Cook, BSW
Rocio Arroyave-Jamison, BSW
Jerry Watzlawick, BSW

Thanks for all the hard work that was put into this project by everyone as well as the great coordination with the shop. I appreciate the team effort made to clean up the space and equipment.

Tracy Osby
Assistant Superintendent of Building Services, F&S

2018

December 14, 2018

CLEANING OF HEALTH CARE ENGINEERING SYSTEMS CENTER (HCESC) OFFICES
Rocio Arroyave-Jamison, BSW

I would like to thank you for taking care of the cleaning of the HCESC premises.

I would like to thank in particular Rocio Arroyave-Jamison who is taking care of our offices.

She is doing such a good job!

Best regards,

ANTONIOS MICHALOS, M.D., M.S.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Associate Director
Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC)

HENRY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING CLEANING
Marc Hollett, BSW
A huge thanks and kudos to Mark, the new custodian at Henry Administration Building. We asked for room 40 in the basement to be vacuumed in advance of a VIP visitor. He spent 30 minutes doing a thorough vacuum for us. Thank you Mark!

Shawn Lee
Administration Information Technology Services

December 10, 2018

RESPECT IN THE WORKPLACE TRAINING
Employee Relations/Human Resources Staff

I want to extend a well-deserved Pat on the Back to the ER/HR staff for going above and beyond to ensure the successful execution of the Respect in the Workplace workshops. The workshops were a large undertaking which among other things involved coordinating Dr. Winn’s accommodations, scheduling the rooms and equipment for each session, coordinating the scheduling (and rescheduling) of F&S staff, facilitating the 2018 Employee Survey, and providing assistance during each session. The staff’s efforts prior to the sessions and willingness to assist in any way possible throughout the week is a clear example of “Teamwork” as outlined in the F&S Mission, Values, and Guiding Principles.  They deserve not only a pat on the back, but a standing ovation for a job well done.

Eric A. Smith, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCPAssistant Vice President for EO & HR, System HR Services
Special Assistant to the Executive Director for Personnel Resources, Diversity and Talent DevelopmentSYSTEMS AND CONTROLS CUSTOMER SERVICE
Joe Hopkins, Direct Digital Control
Tim Ferpotto, Direct Digital Control

I would like to recognize Joe Hopkins and Tim Ferpotto of the Systems and Controls group (Shop 55). They both go above and beyond to make sure the customers of F&S receive the best product and service possible. Their attention to detail and thoughtfulness are seen in everything they work on, no matter the situation. I have had the opportunity to work with them on multiple occasions and I am always amazed by their endless knowledge. They are currently working on a VFD replacement job at KCPA and are doing a great job with the work and working around the needs of the people in the building. They are taking great care not to disrupt any of the events or performances that take place in the building and meeting deadlines for outages. Please consider mentioning them in any upcoming publications at F&S for their great teamwork in fulfilling the mission of F&S. Thank you.

RJ Hettinger
(Shop 55)

November 21, 2018

IGB PLAZA SNOW REMOVAL

Jason Jones, BSW
Judy Sleeth, BSW
Bob Kalal, BSW
Terrance Harper, BSW

Good morning Brian & Mike,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank your crew for their efforts last night/this morning.  We had a fair amount of snow and their work removing the snow on the plaza and dock this morning allowed folks to get into the building safely.  In fact, as I came in this morning I walked in with one of our secretaries, who recently had a full knee replacement and is using a cane to get around.  She was really being careful on the sidewalk which was covered with snow, but as soon as she got to the IGB dock ramp it was high, dry & salted so she was able to safely walk in. 

I really appreciate their help and wanted to pass along my thanks for their work!

Thanks again,

Jesse Southern
Director of Operations and Facilities
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology


PERSONNEL SERVICES BUILDING STEAM FEED
Adam Uppinghouse, Pipefitter
Josh Rushing, Construction Laborer
Justin Chaney, Construction Laborer

I would like to nominate Utilities Pipefitter Sub Forman Adam Uppinghouse for a pat on the back.  We recently had to replace the steam feed to Personnel Services Building.  He had everything we needed to complete the job on site and ready to go.  His leadership in running and organizing the job led all crews involved to work safely and efficiently together to complete the job almost two weeks ahead of schedule.  He should be recognized for a job well done.

And I would also like to nominate laborers Josh Rushing and Justin Chaney for the excellent work that they did on the job to replace the steam feed to Personnel Services Building.  In replacing the feed we had to dig up the road in front of Personnel.  We had to remove the old pipe and install new pipe.  Josh and Justin gave us a safe and clean ditch so that we could safely and efficiently weld and install the new pipe.  The ditch they provided allowed us ample space to make good welds in a timely manner.  It was cold last week and they did anything we asked them to do no questions asked.  All while maintaining a positive attitude.  I feel that they should be recognized for their great work.

Thanks,

Bryant Weller  
Utilities Pipefitter

November 16, 2018

PEOPLE OF ALL TRADES PROMOTE PROFESSIONALISM
Alexis Brown, Driver

On October 30, 2018, Alexis Brown proved professionalism is not the clothes a person wears, but the fiber of the person. Ms. Brown came to work that Tuesday ready to perform a regular duty of driving for the crafts and trades, but instead you were an important part of solving a logistical problem faced by the Transportation Department. There was an unplanned change in the transportation needs of the Chancellor’s office. Ms. Brown quickly stepped up, allowing in the successful fulfillment of the Chancellor’s needs. Your flexibility and willingness to step-up in the workplace is commendable and is what causes others around you to be better.

Thank you,

Dan Hiser
Transportation Subforeman

SUNDAY CLEANUP EFFORTS HAVEN’T GONE UNNOTICED
Drivers: Roy Dunaway, Kenney Martin, Jodi Oliver, Rod Gum, Guadalupe Lopez

As we finish the 2018 football season I wanted to take a moment to let you know how well the Sunday Morning cleanups have gone this year. All of the drivers have been punctual, friendly and professional. There have been a few minor issues but the drivers worked to correct them and move along with the task at hand. I’m sure you receive some negative feedback from time to time so I thought I’d pass along something positive to you and your team.

Thank you,

John Donahoe
Facilities Supervisor

OPTIMAL TEAMWORK PROMPTS PRESIDENTIAL RECOGNITION
Don Hiles, Mill Worker
Mitch Harris, Carpenter
Sean Ritter, Carpenter
John Lynch, Painters
Rich Griffet, Painters
Becky Sudduth, Painters
David Horn, Painters
Jeff Snodgrass, Painters
Brandon Hughes, Painters

Good morning,

The staff at the President’s House and Mrs. Killeen asked that I pass along their appreciation for the great work in fabricating and replacing the front 2nd floor windows. They are very happy with the way this project turned out. The new windows look so much better than the old units along with the removal of the inner Plexiglas panel. Please pass this along to everyone in your shop who contributed to this project.

Thank you,

Tim Mininger
Maintenance Program & Project Coordinator

November 9, 2018

EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER CARE AT LOOMIS LABORATORY
Ebony Murray, BSW

The past couple of weeks my office (307 Loomis) has been given exceptional care.  As you know, my office is really a second home for me, so I feel fortunate to have someone that takes as much pride in doing a great job as Ebony working in Loomis.


Tim Stelzer
Professor
Department of Physics

U OF I FREEZER CHALLENGE ENERGY CONSERVATION  SUCCESS
Paul Foote, Retrocommissioning

Dear Paul,

Thank you so much for this incredibly powerful email.  I’ve shared it with our sponsors. I am sure they will be as moved reading it as I was. 

I’d really like to share part of this on our Freezer Challenge website, if you wouldn’t mind. Your words are so inspiring, and I think a lot of people would benefit from reading about your experience.

Thank you again for taking the time to write this email and for sharing it.  And thank you for your time and the great conversation yesterday 🙂

All the best,

Allison Paradise
Executive Director
My Green Lab

COORDINATED SCIENCE LABORATORY CLEANLINESS
Tony Kite, BSW
Richard Herring, BSW

Hi Chris,
 
This is my third week in CSL now, and I want to thank the cleaning staff for the amazing work they do to keep this building so clean. I have been so impressed by the cleanliness of the bathrooms and common areas, even the stairs. Please pass on my sincere appreciation to those staff. Also, Rich was so kind to let me into my office one day when I had left my key in my car. I can’t tell you what a difference it makes to have these things taken care of for us, so that we can focus on doing our jobs.
 
Thank you ~ Laura T. Herriott


Hi Laura,
 
Thanks so much for taking the time to send this email, and I agree with you, CSL has AMAZING custodial staff!!  I’ve cc’d Tony and Rich’s supervisors in this email string.
 
All the best,

Christina Holt
Facilities Manager
Coordinated Science Lab

November 2, 2018

PIPEFITTERS KUDOS

Chris Allen, Pipefitter
Matt Alsip, Pipefitter
Zach Budde, Pipefitter
Tim Clifton, Pipefitter
Mike Elmer, Pipefitter
Brian Knight, Pipefitter
Nate McCabe, Pipefitter
Mark Michel, Pipefitter
Robert Mills, Pipefitter
Lance Moore, Pipefitter
Tony Smith, Pipefitter
David Smithenry, Pipefitter
Quint Summers, Pipefitter
Monica Terando, Pipefitter
Doug Winkler, Pipefitter

To my 23 shop team- Thank you for all of the hard work you put in daily. Please know it’s recognized and greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Teresa Lewis
Pipefitter Foreman

INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH SCIENCES INSTITUTE (IHSI) CONFERENCE ROOM
Todd Hearn, Customer Relations & Communications



Dear Todd,

On behalf of the IHSI Directors I would like to extend a HUGE thank you for your spectacular work in our conference room. The end goal of both function and aesthetics was achieved and we are delighted. Thank you for all your planning, designs, and patience that made this possible—we truly appreciate your work and working with you!

Best,

Ruth Sosnoff, PhD, MBA
Associate Director, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute

October 26, 2018

JOHN BARDEEN MEMORIAL
Eric Quinley, Brickmasons
Timothy Coy, Brickmasons
Joseph Daly, Laborers
Gary Cornelius, Laborers
Nathan Adamson, Laborers
Rick Boes, Operating Engineers
Stephanie Amabeli, Operating Engineers
Johnnie Harris, Transportation & Automotive Services
Donald McFarland, Sheet Metal Workers
Charlie Blixen, Sheet Metal Workers
Ronnie Cler, Ironworkers
Kenny Downs, Ironworkers
and many Grounds Department workers


Late Summer and earlier this Fall, crafts and trades from F&S did a project at the Bardeen Quadrangle across the street from the Illini Union. I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the men and women who worked on this memorial to John Bardeen. There expert craftsmanship, attention to detail and working cohesiveness not only contributed to the restoring of a beautiful entrance into the Engineering Campus, but also enabled it to come in under budget.

My many thanks extend to Eric Quinley and Timothy Coy from the Brickmasons Shop, Joseph Daly, Gary Cornelius and Nathan Adamson from the Laborers Shop, Rick Boes and Stephanie Amabeli from the Operating Engineers Shop, Johnnie Harris from Transportation, Donald McFarland and Charlie Blixen from the Sheet Metal Shop and Ronnie Cler and Kenny Downs from the Ironworkers Shop. Also contributing were several workers from the Grounds Department.

Thank you all,

Bruce Rodgers
F&S Brickmasons Foreman

SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL SCIENCESTom Doud, Construction ServicesDavid Dowler, Construction ServicesJim Sims, Engineering & Construction Servicesand Engineering Design Services staff

Good morning Tom, David and Jim,

I want to send a thank you to you ALL. Thank you for all you have done to use to help complete our tasks. I can’t imagine what all you all go through in a day, but wanted to send you a Thank you so you know that we do appreciate your efforts. I feel as though we are becoming a stronger overall team than ever before. It really helps make everyone’s job easier when we pull together as a team.  

So again, thank you for ALL your efforts in what you do and for helping us be able to continue our tasks here in SCS.

Sincerely,

Karla Southern
SCS Storeroom Coordinator
SCS Construction Project Coordinator

F&S EMAIL MIGRATION TO OFFICE 365 A SUCCESS
James Brandt, Information Technology Services
Ben Meyer, Information Technology Services
Brad Trankina, Information Technology Services

On October 25, as part of a campus-wide initiative, Tech Services converted 1,628 mailboxes to the off-campus cloud based Exchange Online service.

From 7 am Thursday morning, the Facilities & Services Support Desk handled numerous calls, tickets and walk-ins due to complications from this conversion. As of noon yesterday, no additional issues were submitted to the Support Desk.

With only a few small outstanding issues remaining, the conversion has been an unquestionable success for Facilities & Services IT Services team.

Special thanks to:

James D Brandt, Information Technology Services
Ben Meyer, Information Technology Services
Brad Trankina, Information Technology Services

Curt Taylor
Director of  Shared Administrative Services

October 12, 2018

ILLINOIS FIRE SERVICE INSTITUTE REKEYING
Richard Lacy, Locksmith

Hi Dave and Mark,

I wanted to share what a great experience this rekeying project was.  Richard has been a great help to IFSI since we had our first major project with him 10+ years ago.  

Brian R. Brauer, RN, Ed.D.
Associate Director, Illinois Fire Service Institute
EMS Coordinator, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a HEARTSafe Campus
Advisor, Illini Emergency Medical Services

Richard,

Ann and I were just talking about how fast all of this went down. Thank you , thank you and thank you again for all of your help and guidance during this process.  We know this is everyday stuff for you but to us, it’s complicated and having you help us along the way was reassuring and put us at ease that it would be done correctly.

Tad Schroeder
Illinois Fire Service Institute
Site Operation Officer

October 5, 2018

DAVENPORT HALL CUSTOMER SERVICE
Jim Atkins, Building Service Worker – Moving Crew
Delbert Ketteman, Building Service Worker – Moving Crew
Lavell Pratt, Driver

Nathan

The guys were great and so efficient  today.  We love and miss Delbert!  What a great crew!

Just wanted to share,

Karla

Karla J. Harmon
Administrative Assistant
Department of Anthropology
SPOC (Single Point of Contact for Davenport Hall)


CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR LICENSED PLUMBERSSUPPORTMark Warner, Plumbers Foreman

I would like to give Mark Warner, Foreman of the Plumbing Shop a big “Pat on the back”  Mark organizes our required 4 hours of continuing education for licensed plumbers here at the U of I. 

A lot of people don’t realize how much organization it takes to put on a class for 60 or so plumbers and pipefitters.  There is finding a place to have the class, figuring out what the subject is going to be, notifying 60 or so people, schedule those 60 or so people.  There is a lot of paperwork that goes along with the continuing education class that has to be sent into the state.  I just wanted to say “ Thanks, Mark”.

Matt Faulkner
University of Illinois
Plumbing Shop Sub-Foreman

September 28, 2018

CERAMICS SCRAP AND SURPLUS REMOVAL
Leonard McFarland, Building Service Worker – Moving Crew
Kevin Clements, Building Service Worker – Moving Crew
Lisa McKinney, Driver

The truck, driver and crew was here this a.m. and knocked out the job in  record time. Impressed as usual. Great people to work with.

Thanks again.

Terry Carrell
Material Science/Ceramics

MORRILL HALL STEAM TRAPS
Chris Allen, Pipefitter

I would like to nominate Chris Allen from shop 23.

For his willingness to change steam traps in hot, hard to get in areas to ensure that all of the nearly 700 traps at Morrill Hall are working properly.

Brian Knight
Pipefitter, F&S Building Maintenance

FOUNDATION WEEKEND TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT
Shawn Patterson, Transportation Manager

Hi Shawn,

Last week you worked with my colleague, Tim Aden, on organizing golf cart drop off, pick up and storage at the Carpool Garage.  I just want to thank you for everything you did in helping us to make it a great weekend for our nearly 600 donors who visited campus last week to attend our Annual Meeting & Foundation Weekend.  From my point of view, everything related to the golf carts went very smoothly.  I even was over at the Carpool Garage on Saturday myself and everything went according to the plans that you and Tim worked out. 

My thanks to you and your team, I appreciate all you did!

Best,

Jennifer D. Foss
Associate Director, Board and Donor Relations
University of Illinois Foundation

September 21, 2018

DEPARTMENTAL CAR  PERFORMANCE – OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE

Travis Corry, Transportation & Automotive Services

Travis,

This is just a short note to say “thank you” for assisting me on Wednesday evening when I unexpectedly dropped in for some help with a university vehicle before heading to Chicago on Thursday.  Your assistance was greatly appreciated!  Thanks!

P.S.  Pete – Some background information for you:

On Wednesday evening around 6PM I was headed home with my department’s university car so that I could leave early in the morning to attend a meeting in Chicago.  While driving home I heard a new and unusual metallic sound and decided to pull into the service area to see if someone could listen to it and help me determine if it was a safety issue or not.  Travis and his team were extremely helpful and responsive (i.e., even though I showed up unexpectedly).  Travis drove the car, identified the sound and had his team put the car up on the rack to confirm that the problem was not a safety issue.  I was reassured that it was not a safety issue and they quickly fixed the issue that was causing the unusual sound and I was able to head up to Chicago the following day without any safety concerns.  Travis’ customer service and courtesy to an unexpected customer was exemplary and his entire team was courteous and professional.  Their courteous conduct and professional work speaks highly of both them and of your entire automotive service operation. 

Thanks.
Mark Henss
Deputy University Counsel

September 14, 2018

BSWs AT SIEBEL CENTER FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR WORK

Darlene Sallee, Building Service Worker
Michele Martin, Building Service Worker
Robert Forrest, Building Service Worker
Kevin Heyen, Building Service Worker

Over the three last weeks (leading up to Graduation) we have had three leaks at Siebel, two of which were major.  Of the two major leaks one was in the Admin office the week of graduation.  The graduation where the commencement speaker was from CS and was coming back to speak at its ceremonies and a luncheon in the Admin suite.  The BSW’s along with their regular duties made sure the Admin suite was in tip top condition after all of the repairs.  The BSW’s here at Siebel always go above and beyond the call of duty.  They are willing to help out in any fashion and are proactive in doing so.  I couldn’t ask for a better crew for a building that has unbelievable foot traffic and bursting at the seams with enrollment increases every year since I’ve been here.  This crew is out manned and under gunned but still finds a way to make things happen on a continual basis.

Please feel free to congratulate them and share with your co-workers.

Thanks,

Jason R. Hatton
Facilities Manager
University of Illinois
Department of Computer Science

Dear Jason,

The job that was done by the Building Service Workers during the weeks leading up graduation was indeed outstanding.  I would like to thank them all very much for the impressive help they gave in making sure we put our best foot forward to all of our guests celebrating our students’ success.  And thank you for sharing this with us.  Their award was well deserved.

Elsa L Gunter
Research Professor
Director of Undergraduate Programs
Department of Computer Science

The BSW position on campus is one of the most thankless jobs at the University. The dedication to constantly work through unclean environments on a daily basis is a testament of their character, and not one day goes by that I don’t appreciate or express my thanks to them. Our team at Siebel well deserves this award.

With kind regards,

Aaron Cohen
Research Facility Attendant
Department of Computer Science

That’s fantastic news!  I’ll never forget the 3 back to back leaks that happened in Siebel — and my relieved surprise when you folks got them — including the one in the admin office — fixed just before Max Levchin’s visit!  But those are not by any means the only important contributions you all have made and I think we are lucky to have a great team supporting us in the building.  My warm congratulations to all of you for this richly deserved award.

Vikram Adve
 Interim Head, Department of Computer Science

OUTSTANDING!!!!  We’re fortunate to have such a great crew!

Aaron Darnall
Assistant Department Head for Administration
Illinois Computer Science

September 7, 2018

A JOB WELL DONE FOR JOHN GRICE AND MANY OTHERS AT F&S!!!
John Grice, Engineering & Construction Services

Dear Helen and Dave,

It is bitter sweet to know that John Grice is leaving the University for UIS.  I most certainly wish him the best as construction superintendent at Springfield!  He will excel in that position!  However, he will be greatly missed here.  He has been a true treasure to work with on projects!  Over the past several years we have renovated a few spaces together including recent work at Swanlund.  He managed a terrific crew of people from F&S, all named by shop below (I sure hope I didn’t miss anyone!) during the Swanlund projects.  From the top of the list to the bottom, everyone was very professional, helpful, and dedicated.  The amount of talent that resides at F&S is outstanding!  While every project has its ups and downs and unforeseen conditions, everyone was willing to work with me on developing effective solutions.   I am very grateful to everyone copied and listed.  I’m looking forward to the next project!  Thank you ALL very much for a job done exceptionally well!

Labor ElectriciansPatty Douglas,
CarpentersRobert Weeks, Eric Hasselbring, Jerome Wells, Curtis Wayne, Bobby Price, Fred Danner, Ramey Williams, James Frerichs,
ElectriciansRobert Stull, Steve Bainbridge, Todd Wodds, Charles Zimmerman, Matt Griffis
PlumbersMark Warner, Matt Faulkner, Eric Grayson, Anthony Austin, Robert Fowler, Christopher Kloeppel, Nicholas Carpenter
PaintersDave Middleton, Doug Barger, Derek Price, Brandon Hughes, Kevin Westray, Richard Griffet, Matthew Verplaetse, Rebecca Suddeth, Sean Cassidy
SheetmetalRandy Reinhart, Greg Davis, Michael Padilla, Joseph George, William Ramert
LaborersRobert King, Austin Eichelberger, Johnathan Baker, Lynn Eichelberger, Victor Vasquez, Gary Cornelius, Chad Walker, Joseph Daly, Joshua Rushing, Nathan Adamson, Teresa Schalk, Justin Chaney, Steven Griswold,
Brick MasonsBruce Rodgers, Eric Quinley, Atiba Flemons,
MillAndy Burnett, John Schmidt
FurnitureTracy Collum, Richard Dorsett, TJ Hicks
Temp ControlTravis Huls, Joseph Warfield,
InsulatorsAnthony Merritt
DDC, Door ControlsTed Burgin, Tom Burgin
High VoltageScott Sullivan, Byron Ford, Lauro Acevedo, William Anderson
CITESJohn Ennis, Carol Ezell, Scott Pruit
BSW’sJames Adkins, Pamela Walters
Customer Relations & CommunicationsTodd Hearn
BW MoversNathan Payne, Dennis Petters, Charity Pye, Jamaes Adkins, Kevin Clements, Lenord McFarland, Joseph Perkins,
Lock ShopGreg Granadino
Driver DeliveriesGuadalupe Lopez, Carl Sweet, Alexis Brown, Roy Dunaway, Dan Hiser, Dan Miller, Alexis Brown

 
I hope there is a way for F&S to share this with everyone listed!

Sincerely,

Jill A. Maxey, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Director for Space Analysis
Division of Management Information

PRESENTATION MATERIALS FOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS
Beth Leitz, Engineering & Construction Services

Hi Chad,

The other day I was in the FIR area working on presentation materials for CRC’s meeting with Mohamed. Beth proactively asked me about the project and offered incredible advice (which I implemented into the plan). Today, she helped print a large document I could not print on my own (trust me I tried many times). She had it printed, punched, in the binder and had Todd deliver it to my desk quickly.

I am so thankful for her assistance. She is awesome!

Thanks again for the excellent customer service.

Dee Dee Caneva
Associate Director Facilities & Services, Customer Relations & Communications



IT ASSISTANCE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
Drew Kenton, Shared Administrative Services
Jim Brandt, Shared Administrative Services
Jorge Solorio, Shared Administrative Services

Hi Brad,

I wanted to send a shout out for many of your staff member’s efforts – Drew Kenton, Jim Brandt and Jorge Solorio. All three have helped various members of the CRC team recently and we are definitely grateful for their assistance. Please let them know how much we appreciate their dedication and perseverance in resolving many of our issues. Jorge stopped by many times just to make sure things continued to work properly. Excellent customer service. You have a great team!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Dee Dee Caneva
Associate Director Facilities & Services, Customer Relations & Communications

August 31, 2018

ANATOMY LAB FLOORS

Brad Stevenson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Thank you everyone for getting the floor done so well and so quickly. I greatly appreciate it. It looks great and we’re ready to start teaching in lab this afternoon.

Thanks again!

Scott Hexum, MA, BS
University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine
Instructor-Gross Anatomy, Comparative Anatomy, NeurobiologyBAND BUILDING CARPET

Eric Hasselbring, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Josh Summers, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
J.M. Fontaine, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Bryant Harvey,  Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Ossie Coleman,  Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Hi Eric, just a quick note to thank you once again for the fantastic job your folks did with our new carpet. We couldn’t be more pleased!  They were extremely professional and the work is top-notch, and under budget!  

Thanks again for being such a great help throughout the entire process. 

Have a great year.

Sincerely,

Steve Peterson
Director of Bands 

August 24, 2018

CLEANING MAKES CARPET LOOK BRAND NEW

Joe Green, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Kham Phanrana, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I wanted to let you know that the carpet looks brand new in 133! The BSWs did an excellent job. The classroom also looks great, and 105 looks much much better, too. I can’t tell you how happy we are with Joe Green being our BSW.

Laura Castañeda
Department of Latina Latino Studies

BSWs STEP UP TO PREPARE FOR GOVERNOR’S VISIT

Rick Welling, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Gaddis McAfee, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Chris Wasson, Operations, Maintenancce & Alterations
I am writing to share how Rick, Gaddis, and Chris stepped up to the plate and gave extra effort to insure the Natural Resources Building was clean and ready for Governor Rauner’s visit Thursday. I was given the information about the visit Monday. Because we have a good relationship, I was able to text Rick and Gaddis and ask them to come see me Tuesday morning. I informed them of the visitor, and we began to create a game plan for making this building look extra good. We each came to the table with a different perspective, and I appreciate all their years of experience and pride in their work. The center elevator, rotunda area, first floor bathrooms, fourth floor hallway, and conference room 439 were cleaned and looked great. Rick and Gaddis displayed a great example of pride and responsibility for Chris, the probationary BSW. Chris was given tasks to do which he completed then informed me when they were done. Prairie Research Institute Executive Director Mark Ryan came to my office and expressed his gratitude for how nice the building looked and the work we each did to make that happen. A sincere thank you goes to Rick, Gaddis, and Chris for their extra effort.

Margaret Chambers, program administrative assistant
Prairie Research Institute

August 17, 2018

QUICK WORK ON ROOF BRINGS PRAISE

Mark Barcus, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Shane Carr, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dave Tibbetts, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Garret Mayhall, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Michael Murphy, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Thank you ever so much for the quick resolution to our roofing issue. Your excellent staff provided a solution for an unusual situation.

Damon McFall, director of facilities & operations
Mechanical Science and Engineering

MOVERS COMPLIMENTED FOR UNI HIGH WORK

Delbert Ketteman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Joe Perkins, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dennis Peters, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Lavell Pratt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I also wanted to let you know how wonderful a job the movers did for University High. I don’t even know where to start, but they moved something like 10 tons of material. Not only did they do it without complaining, they maintained a pleasant and professional attitude the entire time. They worked hard to find a solution to getting each piece of heavy equipment through the door. They did an outstanding job and were a pleasure to work with. Maintaining a professional and positive attitude while working on a job like this sets a new standard that I should try to live up to. I really appreciate their hard work.

Mike Adams, business manager
University Laboratory High School

CO-WORKER ALWAYS FINDS TIME TO HELP

Tim Clifton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I would like to give a Pat on the Back to Tim Clifton of shop 23. Mo matter how busy he is, Tim always finds time to help when asked either over the phone or in person.

Brian Knight, pipefitter
Facilities & Services

August 10, 2018

MECHANIC ADDRESSES SAFETY CONCERN

Brian Rumple, Operations,Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to recognize Brian Rumple (Garage & Carpool Mechanic) for going above and beyond his assigned duties by bringing to attention a potential safety hazard.Brian showed a genuine concern by what he saw and took it upon himself to clearly communicate and address the situation.  

Dan Hiser, subforeman
F&S Transportation

August 3, 2018

MOVERS’ WORK PRAISED

Leonard McFarland, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dennis Peters, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Kevin Clements, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Nathan Payne, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Your crew finished their work today at the Ceramics Building. In my 13+ years at the U of I, I have never seen a harder working group. My compliments to them. And you.

Terry Carrell, assistant facilities manager
Materials Science & Engineering

CARPENTER KIND AND HELPFUL

Greg Brummer, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
The last few weeks we had a carpenter, Greg, over here hanging things for us.I just want to say that he is amazing and did great work. He was so kind, helpful, and precise. Thank you Greg, we appreciate you!

Amanda Carey, access specialist
Disability Resources and Educational Services

PIPEFITTER THANKED FOR LENDING A HAND

Nate McCabe, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I would like to give Nate McCabe a pat on the back for dependability and always willing to lend a helping hand.

Brian Knight, pipefitter
F&S Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

July 27, 2018

CARPENTERS PRAISED FOR WORKMANSHIP, KINDNESS

Dusty Frandle, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Lucas Burton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I cannot begin to give enough praise about the workmanship, kindness, and overall “awesomeness” of Luke Burton and Dusty Frandle. We had the pleasure of working with them over the last few weeks, and I have not met a finer team than these two. They are extremely accommodating, friendly, and some of the hardest working guys I have ever come across (both at the U of I and my 28 years in private industry). They even followed up with us after their work was done to ensure there were no issues, exceptional service! I know they are both relatively new to the university,. but they perform and interact like long time pros. I want to recognize them and extend our deepest appreciation for everything they have done here at Vet Med.

Tina Olszewski, Help Desk Services
College of Veterinary Medicine

BSW’s EFFORT AND ATTITUDE RECOGNIZED

Glenn Cler, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Glenn has recently been assigned as our full-time BSW at the National Soybean Research Center (NSRC). He is doing a wonderful job taking care of the building and his work deserves recognition. The NSRC is the cleanest and most well-taken care of it has been since 2016. It is clear that Glenn takes pride in the work he does. When I run into him in the hallways, he is always pleasant and kind. His effort and positive attitude have not gone unnoticed. The NSRC is lucky to have such a good BSW. Please be sure to express our gratitude to Glenn for his attention to detail.

Ashley Nagele, Archer Daniels Midland Illinois village coordinator
National Soybean Research Institute

July 20, 2018

BUS TRAINING EXCEPTIONAL

Derrick Drake, Operations, Maintenance & Operations
Steve Palmisano, Operations, Maintenance & Operations
On behalf of my colleagues and myself,  I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for the exceptional support and service provided throughout our turtle bus training on July 17.  Derrick Drake was extremely knowledgeable, attentive and answered any and all questions presented.  Both Derrick and Steven were genuinely interested in helping us understand the importance and value of this particular training.  We were incredibly pleased with our experience and wanted to give credit where due. 

Michel Watkins, senior assistant director for student services engagement
Gies Undergraduate Affairs

THANKS FOR STEPPING UP TO FILL IN

Julie O’Mahoney, Utilities & Energy Services
Kate Brewster, Utilities & Energy Services
Kannan Ramasamy, Utilities & Energy Services
I would like to give a pat on the back to Julie O’Mahoney, Kate Brewster, and Kannan Ramasamy for helping cover the duties of the control center while we were all in training. Without their help the shop mechanics and customers on campus wouldn’t have been served. Their willingness to learn the systems as quickly as possible and be willing to answer the phones was greatly appreciated.

Brian Nicely, direct digital controls specialist
F&S Utilities & Energy Services

PIPEFITTER COMPLIMENTED

Rob Mills, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I would live to give a pat on the back to my co-worker Rob Mills. He is extremely helpful and always has a positive outlook.

Brian Knight, pipefitter
F&S Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

CARPET CLEANING IS FANTASTIC

Mark Smock, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Our cleaned carpet looks fantastic! Mark did a great job, and our carpet looks new again.

Cindy Masko, office manager
Department of Dance

July 6, 2018

PRAISE FOR JAPAN HOUSE WORK

Stan Adkisson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I wanted to write a quick note of commendation for Stan, who cleans Japan House on occasion. We have found Stan to be one of the most accommodating and thorough individuals who comes to clean Japan House. He is polite, kind, and gracefully handles all of the complex aspects about Japan House. We enjoy our interaction with him very much, and I wanted to make sure that you were aware that you have such a hardworking and kind-hearted individual working for you. I am deeply appreciative for all that he does for Japan House.

Jennifer Gunji-Ballsrud, director
Japan House

NEW COUNTERTOP AT FIRE STATION APPRECIATED

Andy Burnett, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I needed to have the campus fire station’s kitchen countertop and sink replaced after 19 years of service. Andy coordinated the replacement countertop project, and the results are great. He worked with the fire department personnel and me on the color and material. We expect that the new countertop will last even longer than the original. Thank you, Andy.

Craig Grant, associate director
F&S Engineering & Construction Services

THANK YOU FOR SHUTTLE SERVICE

Rod Gum, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Roy Dunaway, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dan Hiser, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Bryan Elder, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Mark Barcus, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Pete Varney, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Thank you for the shuttle service while we were unable to park in E14. I, along with many others, appreciate the hard work that went into coordinating and staffing this service. With the extremely high temperatures, it was nice not to have to come into work all sweaty after a long walk.Julie Herman, media communications coordinator
F&S Customer Relations & Communications

June 29, 2018

THANKS FOR PROMPT ATTENTION

Greg Moen, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Casey Pellum, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Cory Roseman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Just a quick update from me and a note of thanks. Casey and Corey have attacked our leak issue and continue to work on it. The AC units in question have been serviced and refrigerant was low in more than one. We’re holding for the heat wave this weekend to see if we get a recurrence of the leakage. Thanks for your prompt attention to my request last week. I couldn’t be more pleased with the response we received and the work of those who are trying to mitigate this issue.

James R. Paul, assistant director
Institute of Government & Public Affairs

WORKERS RESPONSIVE AND COMMUNICATIVE

Greg Kreps, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I just wanted to say thank! Your crew, despite the challenges you are facing, has been responsive, responsible, communicative, and timely in their work this week for us. The work was done properly, and the results are shiny! Thanks for an outstanding week!

DJ Cronkhite
FIne + Applied Arts Technology Services

June 22, 2018

THANKS FOR ACCOMMODATING UNIQUE SITUATION

Pete Varney, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Rick Boes, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Dan Hiser, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Thank you for accommodating our usage of the flatbed and box trucks. It will help us towards achieving our goal of completing an aggressive schedule of corrective work that will enable Chemistry Lab classes to resume at the start of fall semester.

Kent Reifsteck, director
F&S Utilities & Energy Services

MOVERS PROVIDE TOP-NOTCH SERVICE

Joe Perkins, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Delbert Ketteman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Darryl Mowry, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I want to acknowledge the outstanding job that Joe Perkins, Delbert Ketteman, and Darryl Mowry did when they moved us to Henry Administration Building June 6 and 7. They were extremely professional and courteous. They were also very accommodating to our needs were during this move. They handled our items with care and really worked in a timely and efficient manner.

Darlene Norton-Frazier, associate director
Office of Claims Management and Workers’ Compensation

ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND WORK ETHIC PROVIDES BEST SERVICE

Nathan Payne, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Charity Pye, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Kevin Clements, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
In the past couple of weeks, our suite in the Agricultural, Consumer and Environment Sciences (ACES) Library has undergone a flooring installation. It’s been a process from start to finish trying to coordinate all of those involved: the external company to do the installation, movers, carpenters, IT staff, as well as communicate with all our staff who have offices within the suite. By far, the easiest campus staff to deal with was your moving staff. Nathan Payne is simply amazing! No words can truly describe his professionalism, attention to detail and work ethic. The time Nathan took working with me was unheard of. He was quick to reply to all emails and phone messages and was just beyond anything I have ever experienced when working with F&S. Nathan’s two staff members, Charity and Kevin, were also exceptional. They worked hard, always were here when we needed them, worked some extra time past regular hours, and just were awesome to deal with.  

Kendra Courson, director of special events
College of ACES

RELOCATION SUPPORT MAKES RENOVATIONS EASIER

Kevin Price, Capital Programs
Movers
Carpenters
Painters
BSWs
Refrigeration Mechanics
As you can imagine, no one is really happy about being out of the Speech & Hearing Building for its renovations, but under the circumstances, the staff seem to be adjusting. I wanted to tell you how appreciative we are for the extraordinary support provided by F&S in assisting with the relocation of these programs. There were many trades and groups who contributed to the relocation, often responding on short notice to address specific unanticipated requests. Karen Kirk, the department head, specifically mentioned to me how impressed she was with the creativity shown by some F&S staff at modifying surplus furniture to fit her new temporary office. There are a number of similar stories and too many individuals to thank personally for this phase of vacating the building. In addition to the valuable assistance of Kevin Price, our project manager, those F&S groups that we can identify who deserve our “thanks” too.

William Goodman, associate dean of administration
College of Applied Health Science

June 15, 2018

ASHTON WOODS BRICK FACADE PROJECT

Kelly Jo Hoffmann, Capital Programs
As you know, the Ashton Woods apartment complex had a significant failure of a brick facade in September 2017. This incident initiated an emergency project to remove the brick and replace the facades with siding on all 13 buildings. U18033: Ashton Woods’s emergency project was initiated. Kelly Jo Hoffman was assigned to the project as the engineering planner. This project had significant time pressures from the beginning due to the concerns about the brick facade failure and potential danger of falling  bricks. Kelly Jo worked quickly to create documents and execute the project. Her knowledge of the capital  construction planning process, engineering, and procedure for emergency projects was outstanding. Her attention to detail and skillful communication helped the project get established. Working with local contractors familiar with the University processes, she lead us through all of the required steps to secure a construction contractor.

Once the project was initiated and construction began, the staff member planning the project would transfer the project manager to coordinate work through the rest of the project. Kelly Jo continued to attend the project meetings. Her involvement in this project was critical to completing the work effectively. She remained active in the project and provided need expertize.

Kelly Jo’s knowledge and experience allowed her to assist the external architect with the review of each facade. As each brick facade was removed, the wall needed to be inspected to determine what repairs were required. The external AE was responsible for providing direction for each wall and needed repairs. With Kelly’s credentials and experience, she was able to assist in the assessment of each wall. This advantage allowed for less delays in the work schedule. She went above and beyond expectations to keep this project moving forward. Kelly Jo stopped at the worksite regularly to ensure work was completed as directed.

Completing an exterior project during winter is unpredictable. This project had multiple challenges of rain and snow delays and coordinating logistic with occupied apartments. Kelly Jo was instrumental in creating communication channels and responding daily with direction or information needed. Kelly Jo’s approach is direct and clear. Her communication is clear and she maintains personable relationships with all parties, clients, contractors, and other staff.

Another aspect Kelly Jo provided was in-depth knowledge of the construction and procurement processes. She was able to monitor the schedule, identify when weather delays were impacting the required timeline, and initiate action to ensure the project could continue. Her knowledge of emergency projects, procedures for construction and details of the contract execution are impressive. Kelly Jo provided information and solutions to so many issues that arose throughout the project.

This project was difficult. The apartments were occupied throughout the project. Kelly was aware and responsive to the issues residents presented. She addressed concerns brought forward from University Housing and demonstrated sincere concern for the resident’s experience during construction. She was able to anticipate the impact of construction on residents and communicate University Housing’s expectations to the contractors.

We appreciate all the staff who worked on this project and the external contractors. We recognize that Kelly Jo’s involvement in the project was exceptional. Thank you for all you and your staff do to support the many projects in University Housing. Our work with Facilities and Service Construction Planning is exceptional to our success.

Sincerely,

Jeanette Weider
Associate Director of Housing for Family & Graduate Housing

Dale Wise
Assistant Director for Facilities Planning

June 8, 2018

VET MED REPORTS COMPLIMENTED

Jim Marriott, Safety and Compliance
I have been following the formalin saga for years; I’ve been associate dean since 2007. I have found your reports to be probably the best written documents to come out of campus administration in my 33 years here.

Jonathan Foreman, DVM professor, associate dean
College of Veterinary Medicine

Jim has been working this issue since before he was at Safety and Compliance. His persistence, technical knowledge, and ability to forge relationships has finally gotten us to the point that we are being given the capabilities to properly assess the hazards and work with the department and college to take action to protect the staff and students throughout the animal preparation and into the instruction labs.

Jeremy Neighbors, assistant director
F&S Safety and Compliance


WASTE MANAGEMENT STAFF PRAISED

Bill Adams, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Johnnie Harris, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I’m impressed with the level of clean around the dumpster this morning. The dumpster and the ground around it look so nice! Whoever took the bull by the horns did an outstanding job.

DJ Cronkhite, technology services
College of Fine and Applied Arts

May 25, 2018

BSWS KEEP LIBRARY LOOKING GOOD DURING BUSY SEASON

Sean Mahannah, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Sean Eckstein, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations   
Jim Patton, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Just a quick note to let you know how hard our building service workers, Sean Mahannah and Sean Eckstein, work. With just two building service workers for such a large, heavily used building, they have both been working diligently, especially the last several weeks of the semester when the library has been at its busies. A special thank you goes to Sean. He has really been hitting it hard: working tons of overtime hours to make up for the unfilled third BSW position and just this week doing major carpet cleaning in the main conference rooms that badly needed it.  He is the person who really keeps this entire building going and no matter how tired he is from all the hours of work, he always keeps at it with a smile on his face. I also salute Jim, who comes over from another building and assists us at least three days during the week. He is also a great man and a tireless worker. For someone working in a building that is not his full-time location, he really works hard, and I just wanted you to know. Our building service workers are what keeps our building one of the best buildings and libraries on this campus.

Kendra Courson, director of special events
College of Agricultural, Environmental and Consumer Sciences

May 18, 2018

ASTONISHING RESULTS ACHIEVED

Curt Thode, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

Curt Thode cleaned heat exchange coils and exhaust vents for all the labs on the fourth floor at Newmark. He did an excellent job to get to the tough spots and avoid any disturbance to the labs. The result is astonishing. I am sure it will lead to a big saving in energy consumption for the university.

S. Shawn Qi, manager
Environmental and Engineering Science Labs


FACILITY INFORMATION RESOURCES EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

Chad Kupferschmid, Engineering & Construction Services
Dennis Skultety, Engineering & Construction Services
Kristi Cler, Engineering & Construction Services
I have always appreciated how Chad Kupferschmid is super helpful when I have needed his assistance on projects. In particular he pushed everything aside and worked extra in order to get a project going for President and Mrs. Killeen. Along with Dennis Skultety and Kristi Cler, they exceeded expectations for the Killeens and helped everyone make some tight deadlines. Their quality work and ability to jump on projects with short notice is appreciated, and I wanted to recognize them for all the work they do to support us.

Brent Lewis, demolitions coordinator & landscape architect
Facilities & Services


WATER STATION EMPLOYEES WORK ASSIST RESEARCHER

Jeff Reinhold, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Shawn Young, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I wanted to let you know that I recently received some really top-notch service from the water station, in  particular Shawn Young and Jeff Reinhold. The first issue is regarding our reverse osmosis/deionization water which is crucial for our research experiments. We have had several issues with it over the last year and finally have it working normally. Jeff Reinhold has come in after hours and on the weekend to ensure that our water supply is in good shape and ready for our researchers to use in their experiments.  When there have been issues, Jeff has often been the one who found the problem and helped get the issue addressed as quickly as possible without disrupting the research. I can’t tell you how much his effort and service means to us! The second issue came about when a new water tee was connected at Smith Music Hall. When the water lines were flushed, the domestic water at the Institute for Genomic Biology changed color and caused a couple of people to raise some concerns. We had a very renowned researcher concerned about water quality and asked many questions which I had to forward to Shawn Young to get answered. Shawn stopped what he was doing to help me gather the information I needed to respond to the researcher about the water quality.  When the researcher wanted more information regarding water quality Shawn came out and took samples the same day to help put his mind to rest. Both of these men took difficult situations and made the best of them. They have helped us to maintain and improve our water systems and took time out of their day to help me with problems at our building.

Jesse Southern, director of operations and facilities
Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

May 11, 2018

PRAISE FOR TREE CAMPUS USA HONORS

Ryan Welch, Operations, Maintenance & Operations
Brent Lewis, Capital Programs
Morgan White, Sustainability
Congratulations to all of the Campus Tree Advisory Committee on your efforts that led to Illinois being recognized as a Tree Campus USA for a third consecutive year! This is a very visible example of what our campus commitment to environmental sustainability looks like in practice. I also know that this recognition is not simply a paper honor handed out to every university that applies, but only goes to universities that meet the exacting criteria set out by the Arbor Day Foundation. Thank you for all your hard work. The new tree on the Quad planted to celebrate this latest honor is going to be a great addition to the campus skyline.

Robert J. Jones, chancellor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

AITS  PLEASED WITH SERVICELarry Lustfeldt, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Mark Klein, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jason Maxwell, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Will Corum, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS) is thrilled with the service delivered by F&S. The electricians assigned to this job worked very well together, and Larry Lustfeldt is truly top-notch. The project was completed ahead of schedule.

Alice Jones, associate director
AITS

May 4, 2018

BSW HELPS MAKE LIBRARY WELCOMING

Charlene Farney, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work of Charlene R. Farney in the Library. She works diligently, does a fine job, and has a great work ethic. She is always friendly and civil, and helps to make the Library a welcoming place. I think, too often, the folks who quietly work in the background of any workplace are not noticed and appreciated. Kudos to Charlene!

Lura Joseph, associate professor
University Library

April 20, 2018

SOLUTION FOUND IN 24 HOURS

Craig Grant, Engineering & Construction Services
Brian Bundren, Capital Programs

We could not have asked for a more ready and complete response to our inquiry about Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. What is the likelihood of accessing the right people and formulating a solution in less than 24 hours on a matter that is of such importance to our college? Too often, we hear about the protracted response from many resource staff on our campus. That has certainly not been our experience and we are most appreciative.

Anna Lee Fenger, assistant dean
College of Veterinary Medicine

April 13, 2018

PROGRAMMERS’ HELP OUTSTANDING

Ravi Ramrattan, Utilities & Energy Services
Bob Pollett, Utilities & Energy Services
This afternoon Doug and I were on the third floor of IGB looking at the south static transmitter. While recommissioning this device, it became evident that the program was not responding as it should have been. I pulled out my phone and dialed the F&S Card Access contact and was quickly answered with a warm greeting. After a short discussion, it was decided that Bob was the man for the job. I explained to him the actions taken and the result that was viewed and asked for his assistance. He responded with “No problem I’m on it” and “I will call you with an update as soon as I have one.” In less than 10 minutes my phone was ringing with the update that all issues were resolved. I would like to let you know we appreciate the promptness and kindness of our current programmers.

Travis Swope, temperature control mechanic
F&S Recommissioning

March 23, 2018

PAINTER’S WORK RECEIVES PRAISE

David Jarvis, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

David has painted at the Institute of Genomic Biology for about three months this winter, helping us keep our building interior painting maintenance up to speed. He has been incredibly helpful and professional. I provided him a list of items/areas that need to be painted this winter, and he has worked tirelessly to complete this list. He is a great painter, but also manages his time and resources well and is able to help me identify problem areas or potential problems before they become an issue that would affect our building. Additionally, David has painted almost the entire building’s public space between last year and this year, and I have only received positive feedback from our building occupants regarding their interactions with him and his work. David’s work ethic, professionalism, and skill are greatly appreciated and I wanted to pass on my thanks for sending him to us for our painting needs.

Jesse Southern, director of operations and facilities
Institute for Genomic Biology

March 16, 2018

ELECTRICIANS’ SPEEDY WORK COMPLIMENTED

Ted Burgin, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Tom Bergin, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I’d like to send a Pat on the Back to Shop 55 electricians Ted Burgin and Tom Bergin for their work adding a powered door for an ADA accommodation at the Institute of Genomic Biology. They completed another great project with a very quick turnaround.

John Summers, management engineer
F&S

March 9, 2019

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) EMPLOYEE THANKED

Michelle Costantino, Shared Administrative Services
We are working on a hot project for the university, and our administration staff was struggling with getting reports out of the F&S Work Order System. After opening an IT ticket yesterday afternoon, Michelle Costantino got back to me this afternoon and ended up working until 5:30 p.m. to provide AITS with the raw data to get a report put together this evening! The hour or so she spent on this project saved me many hours and allowed for me to focus on creating a report that presented the data well for AITS Leadership. We are ever so grateful!

Alice Jones, assistant director
Administrative Information Technology Services

SHUTTLE BUS DRIVER PRAISED

Matt Gremer, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

We would like to express our gratitude to Matt Gremer for assisting us with Graduate Recruiting. The past few years, Matt has been our driver for the shuttle bus, to and from Willard, the Hyatt downtown Champaign, Blue Waters and Siebel Center. Matt takes the time to engage the recruits in conversation and point out areas of interest. On the questionnaire handed to recruits this year, a few made comments about how friendly the shuttle driver was, and that they enjoyed his company. We had 60 recruits from all over the country traveling to Champaign-Urbana. Most of these kids were traveling or stuck in airports for many hours due to weather issues. They were tired and frustrated, so to get a compliment out of any of them is a big deal. Also, during one of our lunches, Matt assisted staff by carrying cases of drinks and hauling supplies from one floor to another without being asked to do so. He does a fabulous job, we appreciate him and hope to have him assist us with recruiting for many years.

Kathy Runck, academic office
Department of Computer Science

March 2, 2018

BSW’S DEDICATION, EFFORT NOTED

Rich Herring, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
We write to you in appreciation of Rich’s work here with the Coordinated Science Laboratory (CSL). I co-chaired the CSL Student Conference which ended yesterday, and Rich helped us out far beyond his responsibilities. Our conference, with 800 registrants, and with full three-day activities happening mostly in CSL, along with three meals, required a lot of work in terms of clean up and room setup. Rich dedicated his time and energy to these efforts and made our job in organizing the conference, which positively impacted the whole CSL community, much easier.

Christina Holt, facilities manager
Coordinate Science Laboratory

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND

Mark Bezdon, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I have found our BSW Mark to be very helpful with things that need to get done and very effective at his work here on our floor at David Kinley Hall. He has been willing to go above and beyond the call by vacuuming my carpet and just recently helped me to get the carpenters to my office to fix a door problem.

Joe Petry, clinical professor
Economics and Finance

GARAGE ATTENDANTS PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

Jason Moore, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Vinh Vu, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I would like to take this opportunity to commend two employees who came to my aid on Friday, Feb.16, when an issue developed with the cargo van I was issued to use for a 4-H/IFH Meal Packaging Event at Pittsfield in western Illinois. I had loaded the van the day before and parked it in the motor pool lot overnight. As I was leaving, I adjusted the rearview mirror when it just fell from the windshield. After checking with Jason I was informed the van could not be taken out on the highway and would require the windshield be replaced. Panic began to set in as I knew I had 40 volunteers expecting me to arrive with equipment and supplies to package 10,000 meals at 9 Saturday morning. Without hesitation, Jason consulted his supervisor and determined a much older van was available. Knowing my options were limited I readily accepted the replacement van and hoped for best. More importantly is the fact that Jason and another employee, Vihn, willingly readied the replacement van for my use and then proceeded to assist me in transferring over 2,130 pounds of ingredients and equipment to the replacement van and within 40 minutes from the start, I was ready to be headed on my way. I am extremely grateful to Jason and Vihn for the assistance which allowed our 4-H volunteers to continue with their plans of helping to feed 10,000 western Illinois citizens. I commend both of them for their willingness to go above and beyond what is expected by providing exceptional customer service on my behalf on a Friday afternoon.  

Bill Million, 4-H youth development specialist
Cooperative Extension


BSW PART OF FAMILY

Thomas Moss, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Thomas has been serving as our BSW on a floating basis since our previous BSW retired.We would like to both acknowledge the exceptional work he performs at the Rehab Education Building. During the time Thomas has worked with us, he has taken ownership of our building and maintained it with a level of professionalism that is unsurpassed. He ensures that when we come to work each day we are in a comfortable and clean environment and is ready at a moment’s notice to manage unexpected situations that might arise during the day. He often has to adjust to changes in schedules to clean the locker rooms and the Wellness Gym, which he does without making our students feel like they are inhibiting his ability to do his job. He also goes above and beyond when cleaning those areas because he knows that cleanliness will help to curb the spread of germs and illnesses that can be found in locker rooms and gyms. Beyond Thomas’ day-to-day professionalism, he is a consistent friendly face in our hallways and has developed a congenial rapport with both our staff and our students. We consider him a part of our family.

Adam Bleakney, wheelchair track head coach
Maureen Gilbert, office of campus life coordinator
Disability Resources and Educational Services

February 23, 2018

SURVEY ASSISTANCE YIELDS EXCELLENT RESULTS

Steve Breitwieser, Customer Relations & Communications
Saloni Sheth, Capital Programs
Capital Programs student Saloni Sheth developed a restroom survey to identify the next generation of restroom renovation projects. The survey went live on eWeek Sunday morning. In five days we received 342 responses giving excellent data!  Steve is assisting with placing this survey in social media, which should generate a strong response. The survey end date is March 30. Thank you to Saloni and Steve!

Doris Reeser, assistant director for deferred maintenance
F&S Capital Programs

PUBLIC AFFAIRS PRAISES FACILITIES INFORMATION RESOURCES DIRECTOR

Chad Kupferschmid, Engineering & Construction Services
I’ve worked with a lot of people on campus over the last 16 years, but I want you to know how much I respect Chad and his dedication to keeping everything accurate on our public-facing maps. I know he gets little public attention for all of the work he does in providing exacting maps for our contractors and staff who are working on public buildings via the ARC GIS database. I think that is important that I acknowledge how Chad’s modest but professional help over many years to Public Affairs that has benefitted the university community, our students, staff, alumni and visitors as a whole. I sincerely appreciate it. Together, we help people find where they need to go on this gigantic campus. I am so happy to meet strangers in the rain, visitors, students and new faculty and staff, who don’t know where to go, and be able to help them because of Chad and F&S. I am deeply impressed after years of working with you. I look forward to the next time we collaborate face to face, and to listen to all of your input.

Joel Steinfeldt, editor and policy analyst
Public Affairs

PLANNER’S COMMUNICATION IMPRESSES ILLINOIS FIRE SERVICES INSTITUTE

Dennis Craig, Capital Programs
Thank you to Dennis. I appreciate you keeping our HVAC project moving. We just recovered from a major coolant leak in the unit and thought we were going to have to go down the emergency replacement trail, and I’m glad that wasn’t the case! You’ve been clear and articulate throughout this process, and you’re helping us meet our time and budget needs while ensuring that we travel through all of the mandatory gates for a project this size. That is all greatly appreciated.

Brian Brauer, associate director
Illinois Fire Service Institute

EMPLOYEE PROTECTION PROCESS TRAINERS THANKED

Ryan Perry, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Wayne Bugaj, Operations Maintenance & Alterations
I want to thank you both for leading three collective EPP training programs for the Engineering & Construction Services group. You both received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our group for all three sessions. I had the opportunity to participate in the session led by Wayne. I walked away from that training session with several practical strategies that I can implement to be safer both at work and away from work.

Jim Sims, acting director
F&S Engineering & Construction Services

February 16, 2018

CARPENTERS KIND AND THOROUGH

Curtis Wayne, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Bobby Price, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Two gentlemen arrived this morning to hang the heavy shadowbox artwork in the Heritage Room (107).  They were so kind and thorough. The backs of these shadowboxes were stripped and very beat up. So, they worked on them and figured out a way to get them up on the wall. We are so appreciative.

Kendra Courson, director of special events
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Science

I submitted a work order a few weeks back to get some heavy shadow boxes rehung after a paint job in the ACES Library. Today, two gentlemen completed the work. I wanted to say these guys went above and beyond what I anticipated of them. I went back in after a few minutes and they had all kinds of tools and levels trying to get these shadow boxes hung safely. This could not have been easy since the backs of them were worn, stripped and did not look safe. I could tell they went the extra mile to make sure the job was done correctly and safely. They also checked in when they arrived and checked out when the job was complete. They were also under a tight time crunch as we had a group needing to be in the room for an event at 10:30 a.m.

Kate Yeazel, assistant director of special events
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Science

GARAGE STAFF HELPS FIRE SERVICE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Steven Palmisano, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Robert Burnsmier, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I stopped at the garage last night to get fuel just after 2100 hour.  I was coming back from two days in Chicago in the snow, and heading to Springfield early today. I needed wiper fluid, and the two mechanics in the garage last night took care of me and saved me a trip to the store during my brief time back in town. I appreciate that they were able to oblige this simple need in a way that saved me another stop and a P-Card transaction.

Brian R. Brauer, associate director
Illinois Fire Service Institute

CARPENTERS, PAINTER APPRECIATED

Curtis Wayne, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Bobby Price, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
J.M. Fontaine, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Josh Somers, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Doug Barger, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Chuck Miezio, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Phil Anderson, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I wanted to send you a note to let you know how pleased we are with the work that was done recently by the carpenters and the painters. The guys were very professional, polite, friendly and did an awesome job with the carpet and paint. When the times comes, which will hopefully be soon, and we are able to proceed with the entire building, I hope that we can get the same guys to come back and work – and I can’t forget Phil who did a terrific job last time he was here, as we would love him to have him come back as well!! I can’t thank you enough for all your help and assistance with the two rooms. I appreciate all the suggestions and advice you provided, especially on such short notice.

Judy L. Whittington, administrative aide
Department of Astronomy

February 9, 2018

PERSONAL INTERACTION WITH BSWs VALUABLE

Gaddis McAfee, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Rick Welling, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations

I’m writing to express my thanks for the efforts of Building Service Workers, Richard (Rick) Welling and Gaddis McAfee at the Natural Resources Building. They carry out their responsibilities with professionalism and completeness. In addition, having their presence available during part of the 8 a.m.-5 p.m. working day has been extremely important. First, as a matter of campus community, it is a pleasure to be able to interact with those that help keep the campus operating. I’ve come to know Gaddis and Rick in such a way that I consider them part of our whole team. And also, as a matter of business operations, it is extremely important to have face-to-face communication when circumstances require more than a work order, email message, or Post-It note. For example, we have been moving staff and work groups to different offices and floors to make better use of our space. In the process, we are refurbishing offices by replacing flooring, patching and painting walls, upgrading window air conditioners etc. as needed. At the same time, our central rest rooms are being completely renovated, which adds an extra layer of inconvenience for everyone. If I wasn’t able to communicate with Gaddis and Rick in person, our jobs would be more difficult. When a new floor is ready for cleaning, waxing, and polishing, seeing Gaddis in the morning gives me the opportunity to understand his schedule, discuss floor conditions, and prioritize tasks, and the same goes for Rick. He went beyond expectations by touching up the salt-covered floors before a recent visit by a VIP. He makes our drinking fountains and floors shine like they were new. These are not trivial things. And by having the chance to see Gaddis and Rick in the morning during overlapping schedules, it gives me the chance to greet them and say “thank you.” We really hope the current BSW shift schedule continues, it works better for everyone.

Steve E. Brown, chief scientist
Illinois State Geological Survey

COORDINATION OF STATE FARM CENTER REPAIRS MAKES BASKETBALL GAMES POSSIBLE

Kelly Jo Hoffmann, Capital Programs

We are so grateful to have such wonderful people working on our facilities. Facilities & Services, Campus Administration, our DIA/SFC facility staff and several others worked diligently together to develop and execute a solution for the State Farm Center ceiling repair, and I cannot thank you enough. Special thanks to Kelly Jo Hoffman (F&S) for coordinating all of the efforts. In athletics, we frequently talk about what is necessary for success. It requires unique and talented individuals coming together as a team to complete a common goal. During this project, you were part of the Fighting Illini team in every aspect of these words, and we could not be more proud to call you our teammate. When we take the court tonight against the Badgers, you should all feel good about your work that made this possible. From our team to yours, we appreciate your efforts more than you could imagine.

Brett Stillwell, senior associate athletics director, Capital Projects
Division of Intercollegiate Athletics

February 2, 2018

PHYSICS STAFF GRATEFUL FOR INITIATIVE

Jessica Huddle, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Bob Ackerman, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jessica and Bob did a great job of cleaning up the construction dust in my office.  I was particularly impressed that they took the initiative to do this on their own, knowing about my severe respiratory allergies, and they did it before I got here this morning to minimize disruption to my workday

Celia Mathews Elliott
Department of Physics

January 26, 2018

FIRE DEPARTMENT AUDIT BENEFITS ALL

Kent Reifsteck, Utilities & Energy Services
Mike Marquissee, Utilities & Energy Services
Shawn Young, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Keith Erickson, Utilities & Energy Services
Anthony Ewing, Utilities & Energy Services
Robbie Bauer, Utilities & Energy Services
I would like to extend a “Pat on the Back” to the staff above for their great efforts to put together the information for the Urbana Fire Department ISO audit. I really appreciate the help and prompt turnaround. This should be of benefit to the University as well as the citizens of Urbana. Thank you all again.Craig Grant, associate director
F&S Engineering & Construction Services

BSW’s WORK FOR DIGNITARY VISIT APPRECIATED

Rick Welling, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
I want to pass along my appreciation of Rick. He is very friendly and helpful every single day. However, this past Monday he went above and beyond for us here at the Natural Resources Building (NRB) at the last minute. Illinois’ lieutenant governor and several of her staff were coming to NRB for a meeting Monday afternoon. It occurred to me late last Friday that our hallways really didn’t look so good because of the snow and ice that had been tracked in during the day. We also have construction happening right at the entryway of our building, and I wanted to try to make the floors look decent when she arrived. I knew Rick was gone for the day on Friday, but we checked with him Monday morning to see if there was any way he could fit mopping the first floor into his schedule. Not only did Rick do a great job on the floors, he made sure our restrooms were very clean, that the executive director’s offices floors were clean, and that he vacuumed and dusted the conference room where the large meeting was taking place. While the lieutenant governor may not have noticed how clean everything looked, I’m sure she would’ve noticed had she walked into a building with floors covered in salt. Rick’s efforts went a long way for all of us here, and he never let me feel like it was a bother to him to do these extra things at the last minute.

Angie Wisehart
Prairie Research Institute

January 19, 2018

GROUP EFFORT GETS ILLINI HALL LEAK ADDRESSED

Khamtanh Phanrana, Building Services
Cory Kallembach, Building Services
Matt Flaningam, Building Services
William Buesing, Building Maintenance
Christopher Allen, Building Maintenance
Brian Knight, Building Maintenance
Teresa Lewis, Building Maintenance
Al Holt, Building Maintenance
Jason Grooms, Building Maintenance
Brian Knight, Building Maintenance
Tracy Collom, Building Maintenance
Thomas Hicks, Building Maintenance
Aaron Rahn, Building Maintenance
Randy Reinhart, Building Maintenance
Frank McCurry, Building Maintenance
Jerome Wells, Building Maintenance
Bob Weeks, Building Maintenance
Bryant Harvey, Building Maintenance
Anthony Merritt, Building Maintenance
I would like to pass on my appreciation to all of the shops who helped repair room 23 at Illini Hall after a leak occurred over break. The fitters, BSWs, upholstery shop, electricians, and refrigeration mechanics all worked diligently the past couple of weeks to get the space repaired and ready for classes. We are aware that there were several leaks/floods on campus, so we wanted them to know that their efforts were appreciated.Lori Beeson, senior facilities planner
Technology Services

January 12, 2018

MUMFORD HALL WORK APPRECIATED

Theresa Sibley-Williams, BSW
Dan Bernhard, BSW
I’m writing today to once again express how much we appreciate Theresa’s work here in Mumford Hall, especially these last few days! We had a steam pipe burst and some power and heat outages over the holiday break, and she and Dan have been working tirelessly to clean things up and make the offices livable again. It’s a massive amount of work, and we’re tremendously grateful for their time and dedication. As always, my thanks to your entire team for keeping the university beautiful. It’s a joy to work alongside dedicated professionals to serve our staff, faculty, and students.

Allison Payne, senior IT support specialist
College of ACES

2017

December 22, 2017

ELECTRICIAN REALLY CARES

Ben Kinder, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
The person who ran the wires in my office is a true professional. He really cares about his craft.

Tim Stelzer, professor
Department of Physics

EFFICIENCY LAUDED

Will Corum, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Just wanted to thank F&S for all your help on installing the monitor. Will Corum did a great job and was very efficient.

Christine Lyke, administrative aide
Department of Asian American Studies

December 8, 2017

THANKS FOR MEETING QUICK TURNAROUND

Beth Leitz, Engineering & Construction Services

I would like to acknowledge Beth Leitz for her amazing hard work and dedication to assisting me in printing maps for a meeting today. I was sure that this was going to be an impossible deadline for printing on the plotter, but Beth heard my worried calls of expediency and rose to the challenge!

Lily Wilcock
F&S Engineering & Construction Services

December 1, 2017

WASTE TRANSFER STATION TOUR APPRECIATED

Tracy Osby, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
The tour you gave our class yesterday was absolutely AWESOME! You couldn’t have been more on target for setting the stage for our final unit on waste economics, and you did it in such an engaging and fun way. While I’m really happy for you to be moving to a new position, I’m totally bummed that you won’t be at the recycling center anymore – a tour with you would definitely be tops on my list for an annual event with our sustainability course. Thank you so much for the time and energy you invested in our students. I know they really appreciated it!

Anne Price, assistant director
Campus Honors Program

November 22, 2017

CARPENTER ALWAYS RESPONSIVE, EASY TO WORK WITH

Jerome Wells, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
Jerome in the Carpenter Shop is great to work with. Anytime I call to check on a work order, he is always very responsive, very positive, and easy to work with. I know the carpenters are all very busy, but when I call, Jerome always works hard to work us in as soon as he can, and we really appreciate that. We have done major renovations to the Campus Honors house this past year and the campus carpenters who have done work for us have been top-notch professionals. They do great work and are great to work with. They are always very respectful and willing to do whatever we need them to do. We are very fortunate to have some great tradespeople on this campus, and I just wanted to let you know what a great job I think Jerome and the staff of carpenters do for us.

Anne Price, assistant director
Campus Honors Program

DRAFTSMEN RECEIVE PRAISE

Brian Kearney, Engineering & Construction Services
Damon Brogdon, Engineering & Construction Services
In a meeting with a construction project coordinator, it was passed on how much they appreciate working with Damon Brogdon and Brian Kearney. Even though they both have plenty of work to do, they happily assist Construction Services in getting information or drawings needed to keep projects moving smoothly.  I know we have a great team – it is wonderful to hear others think so too!

Kristine Chalifoux, architect/managing engineer
Facilities & Services

GROUNDS WORKERS HELP STUDENT

Jason Waller, Grounds
Trent Worley, Grounds
The Architectural Review Committee was out on campus today and observed a good deed from two of our grounds workers. One of our students in a wheelchair was on the sidewalk and appeared to have dropped something. Jason Waller and Trent Worley took the time to stop and help her out. It’s these little acts that make this a better campus and so we wanted to recognize them.

Brent Lewis, demolitions coordinator, landscape architect
Facilities & Services

NEW SUB-FOREMAN RECEIVES KUDOS

Eric Hasselbring, Building Maintenance
I’ve worked with F&S trades for the past 18 years, and this was the most timely and efficient project I’ve worked on with the carpenter’s shop. I am grateful for the leadership you’ve brought to the shop. Thank you.

Brian Brauer, associate director
Fire Institute

November 10, 2017

RECYCLING WORK APPRECIATED

Nate Turk, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations
This is just a quick note to mention that Nate Turk was a great help in my recent efforts to move out of my office in David Kinley Hall. I have been at the University of Illinois for 37 years and accumulated a lot of paper files over that period. Nate showed up promptly and disposed of half a dozen of those big blue paper recycling containers for me over a period of a couple of weeks.

Roger Koenker
Department of Economics

November 3, 2017

THANKS FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM (ECIP) HELP

Kelly Edwards, Utilities & Energy Services
Kate Gardiner, Sustainability
I would like to thank Kelly and Kate for all their help with the recent (ECIP) display and awards presentation. Kelly had my back the entire time, helped navigate pitfalls, organized the winner’s gifts and staffed the F&S table at the event. Kate was a great help in creating artwork for the F&S display and also helped at the table.

Anna Barnes
F&S Customer Relations & Communications

FACILITIES INFORMATION RESOURCES (FIR) STAFF PRAISED

Beth Leitz, Engineering & Construction Services
I would like to express my appreciation for Beth Leitz in FIR. Just recently, she produced information about Freer Hall that helped with our planning of a building shutdown, and she did so with speed and proficiency. This was not a one-time occurrence. Beth consistently does an outstanding job finding information for our shop and showing us how to find information. She is both very efficient and a pleasure to work with.

Steve Bainbridge, electrician foreman
F&S Building Maintenance

October 27, 2017

ATTENTION TO DETAILS APPRECIATED BY CAMPUS REC

Trent Beane, Capital Programs
Josh Rubin, Engineering & Construction Services
Brent Lewis, Capital Programs
Matt Firmand, Capital ProgramsTrent Beane, Josh Rubin, Brent Lewis and Matt Firmand have been a pleasure to work with.  There are many more of your staff I could mention, but I’m naming these few because I have a majority of my interactions working with the four of them.  During my three years as the associate director for operations at Campus Recreation, we have benefited from the attention to detail and the extra effort that your staff have put forth in providing oversight and guidance for our projects. I express my appreciation to these individuals all the time, but it’s important that you are aware of their efforts as well.

Terry Elmore, associate director – operations
Campus Recreation

October 20, 2017

Darlene Sallee, Building Services
Kevin Heyen, Building Services
We had a faculty member take a box of dry erase markers and erasers for a lab to the basement and leave it sitting out instead of locking it up. Within about 48 hours it went missing. We assumed students helped themselves and it all disappeared. We mentioned it to Darlene. She checked with Kevin and found out that he had seen the supplies sitting out, knew they didn’t belong there, and locked them in the supply office in the basement for safe keeping. We are grateful he took the initiative to notice the box did not belong sitting out. We are grateful to Darlene, who took the time to find out what happened and share it with us. Both these employees typically go out of their way to take care of us, and we are appreciative. 

Kathy Runck
Department of Computer Science

BSW A GEM

Pam Walter, Building Services
I wanted to pass along my appreciation for the hard work, dedication to excellence, and outstandingly positive attitude of our Building Services Worker, Pam. She is always cheerful, diligent in her duties, and extremely personable. She takes an immense amount of pride in her work. I thought you should know what a gem you have in her, and I hope you recognize her superior work ethic in some manner.

Erica L. Hanson, human resources associate
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research

FLOORS LOOK FABULOUS

Glenn Cler, Building Services
The floor looks GREAT! My colleagues and I really appreciate the effort that must have put in to remove all the dirt, stains, and old wax.

Deborah Berthold, research specialist
Rienstra Laboratory, Department of Chemistry

October 13, 2017

ABBOTT APPRECIATES WORK ON BROCHURE

Anna Barnes, Customer Relations & Communications
Thank you for having the Abbott Power Plant brochure ready to go. We gave it to (UI Board of Trustee Member) Dr. King during his tour. That worked well.

Mike Brewer, engineer
Abbott Power plant

SUPERVISOR’S PATIENCE, PROFESSIONALISM IMPRESSES STAFF

Chad Kupferschmid, Engineering & Construction Services
Chad deserves recognition for his quality work in spite of the past year’s challenges. He has done two jobs since Aug. 19, 2016. Now he is doing three jobs and will continue to do so for the next several months. Chad has continued to produce exceptional products and services for customers, while keeping his team cohesive, focused, and on task. He is doing this with patience and professionalism, always putting the customer first. While some people may have simply announced that some services were being discontinued until further notice, he did not do that and instead opted to put in longer hours, think more creatively, and focus on how we can continue the excellent service FIR is known for. Through all this he has remained an excellent supervisor, always making time for his employees (when I know his workload is sky high), and providing fabulous support and mentoring for our student employees.

Beth Leitz, records information management specialist
F&S Facilities Information Resources

September 29, 2017

EMPLOYEE WORK HELPS F&S SAVE MONEY

Jake Mathis, Engineering & Construction Services
Pam Winter, Shared Administrative Services
Tanya Wease, Shared Administrative Services
I would like to offer up a pat on the back to Jake, Pam, and Tanya for taking the effort to make Automation Components Incorporated (ACI) an approved vendor in our my.FS purchasing portal. Recent purchases with ACI on parts that we have previously gotten from third party suppliers have realized about a 30% savings. The ability to get factory direct pricing will offer great savings for the university on control components that we typically purchase anyway. Thanks for the effort!

Joe Nein, subforeman
F&S Systems & Controls

BSWS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE PRAISE

Connie Kilman, Building Services
Sean Mahannah, Building Services
This morning we noticed one of our tables in the Heritage Room had some issues with its top. Connie and Sean not only fixed that table top but checked the entire inventory and repaired others that needed a “tune up.” Kate and I appreciate and value Connie and Sean more than you could ever know. They are quite a team.

Kendra Courson, director of special events
ACES Information Technology & Communication Services

FLOORS AT DIGITAL COMPUTER LABORATORY LOOK FANTASTIC

Tom Pagel, Building Services
Steve Woodcock, Building Services
A huge THANK YOU to the crew who waxed my floor! They did a fantastic job; the floor looks amazing! Thank you so much.

Tim Offenstein, lead information design specialist
Technology Services

DRIVER HELPS WITH RECYCLING

Nathan Turk, Operation, Maintenance & Alterations
I am writing to let you know of the superior customer service I received from F&S team member Nathan Turk. He was excellent in his explanation of how we need to prepare the bins for recycling pickup. I am now conscious of the inefficiency of putting everything in one recycling bin. I will work with the students and my colleagues to make sure they understand how to make the recycling process much smoother for all us. With the bins in the basement and Freer Hall full to the brim, Nathan took time to help me move them so they could be removed from the building. Thank you to all of the F&S recycling staff and especially Nathan for helping us.

Teresa E. Kreps, accounting associate
Department of Kinesiology & Community Health

September 22, 2017

IRON WORKERS, MACHINISTS COMPLIMENTED BY ILLINI UNION

Andy Myers, Building Maintenance
Gary Gilpin, Building Maintenance
Stuart De Haro, Building Maintenance
Chad Cosat, Building Maintenance
Jerry Donaldson, Building Maintenance
Rocky Atwood, Building Maintenance
The compactor repairs have been completed, and the unit is functioning again. We had a great team at F&S supporting us, so thanks to them for closely coordinating the various pieces of the repair and interim arrangements for our waste pickup!.

David C. Guth, assistant director of facilities
The Illini Union

September 15, 2017

SOUND TECHNICIAN INCREDIBLE

Bill Buesing, Building Maintenance
Just a note to let you know that Bill Buesing was incredible as our sound technician this weekend at our annual Salute to Ag Day.  He was very kind to call in advance to confirm all of our needs and even made an additional follow up call the day before the event as well.  Bill was there early, went over everything with me, and was so very wonderful to work with.

Kendra Courson, director of special events
College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

CAR POOL STAFF PATIENT

Carmen McNish, Transportation & Automotive Services
I wanted to take this opportunity to praise your staff member, Carmen McNish. Ms. McNish went beyond the call of duty for me and my department. Our office has had a change in office managers over the last six months, and the car reservation forms are not completed by our staff as they were in the past. When I arrived at the Car Pool office, I realized that the department head signature was not in place. Ms. McNish told me I didn’t need to go back to my office (on the Quad); she would email the department head for his signature. She not only emailed him the form, she cc’d me as well! My boss signed the form and returned it via email, and I was on my way to a meeting in McLean County. She was so patient and kind toward me. Of course, she is this way each time I check out a vehicle. You are blessed to have her as a staff member.

Anita Million, agribusiness coordinator
Agricultural Property Services

BSW ALWAYS READY TO LEND A HAND

Gerald Kocher, Building Services
I was tasked with moving over 40 boxes of our career guides (65 per box) down to the basement. When Gerald saw me struggling with them, he stepped right in. He used his cleaning cart to load them on and assisted me in getting them to the basement, where they will be stored. Gerald is such an amazing young man, always willing to lend a hand when needed. Thank you for having such great members on your team.

Elaine Goss, office support specialist
Engineering Career Services

CO-WORKER APPRECIATES AIM WORK

Patrick Duda, Information Technology Services
Michelle Costantino, Information Technology Services
Andres Franklin, Information Technology Services
Kanchan Bulbule, Information Technology Services
Steve Nelligan, Information Technology Services
I would like to recognize these IT staff members and acknowledge my appreciation for the hard work and time spent implementing the CMS diversity tracking for goods and services into AiM. This was a priority effort to get completed and will help F&S track diversity spending on goods and services. Not only did they carve out valuable time, but they provided excellent service and followed through to ensure the implementation got completed in a timely fashion. I appreciate the expertise, knowledge, time, and dedication you gave.

Maria Thompson, purchasing manager
F&S Procurement Services

September 8, 2017

BRICK MASON HELPS MAKE DONOR PROJECT SUCCESSFUL

Bruce Rodgers, Building Maintenance
The donor we were working so hard to finish the bricks for came to Lincoln Hall today with his dad to see their paver. It is in honor of the father’s 91st birthday. Because of his hard work, the donor and his brother were their first in their families to finish college. Thank you for making this possible for them.

Meg Dickinson, associate director of communications and marketing
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

HARDWORKING BSW COMPLIMENTED

Brandon Finefield, Building Services
Due to unplanned shortages in manpower and the recent holiday some janitorial services were adjusted to focus on classrooms and public areas. However, the current level of service we have received during this time can be classified as nothing less than outstanding. One of our assigned BS’s – Brandon – has gone above and beyond to provide us with the best service possible. Even when we are not experiencing shortages, Brandon does an outstanding job.

Kevin D. Armstrong, facilities manager
School of Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics

September 1, 2017

PHYSICS REMODEL HITS THE MARK

Renee Wiley, Engineering & Construction Services
It is really an honor to work with you on the various projects for the Department of Physics. We have received a lot of “wows” on the restrooms and office remodel. I believe we hit a grand slam here! You have an uncanny knack of getting the most out of the crews, keeping projects on time and providing feedback on any issues that arise. It is always a pleasure working with you on projects,  and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Jerry Cook, facilities manager
Department of Physics

CARPETS LOOK GREAT

Mike Redenbaugh, Building Services
Thank you very, very, very much! I was very impressed on how well the carpet looks and can’t thank you enough for taking care this on such short notice. 

Judy L. Whittington, administrative aid
Department of Astronomy

August 25, 2017

BSWs FLOOR WORK NOTED

Thomas Pagel, Building Services

Steve Woodcock, Building Services

I am just dropping a note to say the floors on the first floor are looking great. Thanks a bunch.

Damon McFall, director of facilities and operations
Mechanical Science and Engineering  


August 18, 2017

CARPENTERS’ WORK AT WOHLERS HALL APPRECIATED

James Frerichs, Building Maintenance
Max Calvo, Building Maintenance
Bob Weeks, Building Maintenance
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for recognizing that the situation at Wohlers Hall last evening was a matter of safety and security for the department, and acting accordingly. Far too many others would have passed this off as “not their job” and directed the customer to call this into public safety, where she would have waited possibly hours before someone from your shop was dispatched to rectify the situation. Thank you for your customer- centric approach to this situation.

Tom Doud, construction superintendent
F&S Engineering & Construction Services

August 11, 2017

CARPET CLEANING PRAISED

Greg Kreps, Building Services
I wanted to say “Thank You” to whoever cleaned the carpet in Roger Adams Laboratory 417. It turned out very nice. Please pat them on the back for us.

Dennis Dalby, business/administrative associate
School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

THANKS FOR ELIMINATING ODOR AT MAIN LIBRARY

Mark Michel, Building Maintenance
Jeff Childress, Building Maintenance
Gregory Presson, Building Maintenance
Gregory Davis, Building Maintenance

Thank you very much for your diligent efforts in identifying the source of the odor. Your help over the last couple of days has been much appreciated.

Lesli Lundquist, facilities manager
Main Library

August 4, 2017

GARAGE EMPLOYEES FRIENDLY AND WELCOMING

Zach Tammen, Garage & Car Pool
John Martin, Garage & Car Pool
I am extremely impressed and satisfied with the oil change I had done. They gave me a reliable time to pick up my vehicle and cleaned it as well. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, so I wanted to express my gratitude for such a wonderful service. Thank you all for your help through the year, I truly appreciate you guys!

Carmelita A. Shackelford, office of undergraduate admissions
Illini Center – Chicago Satellite Office

TEAMWORK ON CLEANUP PROJECT APPRECIATED

James Frerichs, Building Maintenance
Khoi Nguyen, Steam Distribution
Nate Turner, one of my drivers, wanted me to acknowledge two F&S employees who went out of their way to help him out. Nate was on St. Mary’s Road and came upon what appeared to be a case of copy paper the must have fallen out of a truck and burst on the road. Seems like there were reams of paper everywhere, literally. Nate stopped to collect what he could before it blew away. Two other F&S employees, James Frerichs and Khoi Nguyen, stopped and assisted him on their own accord. Nate appreciated their stopping and helping him address the situation. All of the employees involved exhibited initiative and the F&S value of teamwork.

Pete Varney, director
F&S Transportation & Automotive Services

CARPENTER’S CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AID WITH MOVE

James Frerichs, Building Maintenance
Fred Danner, Building Maintenance
Ramey Williams, Building Maintenance
We recently completed a three-stage move of employees from three separate physical locations to the third floor of the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. This move required coordination between several groups at Facilities and Services and while all of these groups were attentive to our needs, one group in particular deserves to be called out as going above and beyond, and that would be the Carpenters. This particular move happened very quickly, and when we found out there were multiple offices and/or cubicle spaces that did not have furniture provided, James Frerichs absolutely took the lead to come up with creative solutions for both our office and cubicle needs. He took the time to listen to us and came up with not only creative solutions but solutions we were not aware existed. James was courteous, professional, accountable for his time, and absolutely meticulous in his work. He showed up when he said he would and stayed until the job was finished. On behalf of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Advancement, please accept our most sincere gratitude for all that the Carpenter Shop did to make our workspaces functional without sacrificing aesthetics. You should be very proud of the skilled craftsmen you have working for you!

Kathy Riley, assistant vice chancellor for administration and talent management
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement

ECE ART INSTALLATION PRAISED

Curtis Wayne, Building Maintenance
Bobby Price, Building Maintenance
Mitchell Harris, Building Maintenance
I would also like to pass along that the Carpentry Shop did a great job of hanging the new artwork and Electrical & Computer Engineering building. The Capital Development Board and the artist were extremely happy with the carpenters and the installation job that they did.

Grant Colella, F&S project manager
Capital Programs

MOVING CREW EFFICIENT

Joe Perkins, Building Services
Devonte Fonda, Building Services
Just a quick note to say one of your moving crews was here today to take items to surplus and rearrange some of our furniture. They were very efficient and pleasant! We appreciate their work!

Amy Hager, office manager
Title IX and Disability Office

July 20, 2017

EXCEPTIONAL WORK APPRECIATED

Roger Bensyl, Building Maintenance

This is by far the best response/format  I have ever received on my request for supporting documentation in order to collect damages for the University. Nice work!  The manner in which you prepared the spread sheet and labor/material cost is exceptional.  Regarding a request for reimbursement for costs incurred in the replacement of the retaining wall at the Music building.

Kim Rosdail, medical insurance specialist
Office of Claims Management