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Community College of Rhode IslandDepartment Profile: Physical Plant
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| This collage of all the Warwick physical plant employees occupies the wall in Lynda Souza's office. |
Ever wonder just who keeps the college heated, cooled, lit, landscaped, clean and otherwise fit for use by faculty staff and students? They are the nearly 60 people who make up the Physical Plant department. They work behind the scenes every day to keep the four CCRI campuses up and running. In a typical day, a given individual might mow an acre of grass, help set up an event’s worth of furniture, install shelving, sweep the sidewalks, deliver cases of paper and change a handful of light bulbs. The dedicated workers who make up this department are skilled trades people, general fixer-uppers, fastidious cleaner-uppers, super organizers and all entirely dedicated to making the daily business of the college run as smoothly as possible. In talking with the staff of the physical plant department, there’s an evident air of cooperation. Though the sampling of duties listed below might be in an individual’s primary job description, every department member does a wide range of tasks on a regular basis, pitching in to help each other in a department that operates on a lean frame for the size of the college and the scope of its duties.
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| Sue Bergheimer Acting Principal Janitor, Warwick. 10 years at CCRI Oversees janitorial staff with scheduling, assignments, orders supplies, coordinates with vendors. “I take pride in my staff, and we all want students who come here to take pride in the outward appearance of the college.” |
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| Bob Thacher Auto Service Specialist/Heavy Equipment Operator, Lincoln. 14 years at CCRI Maintains vehicles, mowers, snow blowers in limited service garage “I like the people I work with, and I like my job. The older equipment we have keeps me busy, but I enjoy my work.” |
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| Maureen Singleton Senior Janitor, Providence. 23 years at CCRI Performs general maintenance including cleaning, recycling, etc. “There’s just the two of us assigned full-time to Providence, so we do a lot (of different things) on a day-to-day basis. I like to be able to work inside and out, and to get to know people.” |
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| Bob Chase Electrician, Lincoln. 8 years at CCRI Maintains and troubleshoots wiring, fixtures, heating systems, etc. “I enjoy working here. There are good people and they make it a pleasant place to be. |
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| Horace Guidry Semi-skilled laborer, Lincoln. 5 years at CCRI Cleans grounds, sets up and maintains furniture, assists skilled tradespeople, etc. “I love working here. There’s respect – you give it and you get it back. We all joke and get along.” |
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| Cindy Boucher Janitor, Lincoln. 9 years at CCRI Cleans and replenishes supplies in restrooms, dining area, outdoor walks, common areas “You meet all kinds of people here, and you work as a team. Our bosses work alongside us, and we’re trusted to do our jobs well.” |
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| Kenny Campbell Semi-skilled Laborer, Providence. 15 years at CCRI Maintains basic heating, cooling, lighting, etc., plus cleaning inside and out “I’ve been here since the Providence campus opened. In fact, I came with the building.” (Campell worked for the previous occupant of the building.) |
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| Diane Alba Central Mailroom Clerk, Warwick. 9 years at CCRI Sorts, manages and delivers postal and inter-office mail for the Warwick campus “I enjoy working with all the departments. People call me 'Smiley.' I'm also working on my degree here - just to be able to say, 'I did it!' ” |
"If you can physically touch something in any of these CCRI buildings," says Data Control Clerk Lynda Souza, "this department probably has something to do with it."
Longevity is common in this department, though few seem worn down by their time here. Kyle Stelljes is a perfect example. She has been with the college for 30 years - her entire working life - and she still delivers the mail each day with a smile, sometimes sporting fun holiday earrings or sweaters bound to stir up conversation.
Most are assigned to a primary campus, and most work first shift, but nearly all have the flexibility in their skills and duties to assist other campuses, to work weekends for events or to be on call for snow removal or an emergency. All agree that they do what it takes to get the job done right.
Bob Considine, superintendent for the Newport County Campus, is quick to point out that without the aid of the staffs from Lincoln and Warwick, the new facility would never have opened in time. “They got this building ready to open,” he says. “They were down here for long hours doing all of the dirty work of cleaning up after the contractors, moving furniture and boxes in, making sure everything was in place.”
George Sousa, director, also applauds the staff from all campuses for their efforts. “There’s an ebb and flow of work sometimes,” he explains. "There’s always something to be done, but when it comes time to really step it up, the whole department is ready to go. Our work is largely a reflection of what others’ needs are.”
That ebb and flow requires a great deal of organization at the administrative and supervisory level. Assistant Buildings and Grounds Officer Michael Archetto points out that troubleshooting is a daily task undertaken by his staff. “Lynda Souza has created and implemented a very efficient work order system…so as information and requests come in to her, she can feed them to me and we can get them prioritized and addressed quickly" either by assigning the work internally or by soliciting and overseeing the work of an outside vendor.
Likewise, Pat Francois, warehouse supervisor, is solely responsible for the ordering, inventory, requisitions and distribution of office supplies for the entire college. The new Banner system for stores requisitions presented a learning curve at first she says, but has helped in streamlining ordering.
Archetto sums up the feeling that he and many others share. Because he is a CCRI alum, he says, “It’s not just coming to work every day, it’s like coming back to school and wanting to make sure that the whole college is presented in the best possible light.”
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| Pat Francois Warehouse Supervisor, Warwick. 9 years at CCRI Orders, inventories, packages and delivers supplies for offices throughout the college “I love coming to work. It’s crazy sometimes, but I love my job.” |
Ray Gonsalves Semi-skilled Laborer 17 years at CCRI Assists in building and property maintenance, landscaping, event set-up, snow removal, etc. “Because we set up for a lot of events here, we get to know the students. Sometimes they’ll even invite us to the events. There are good people here overall.” |
