Staff News July 2022
July 29, 2022
New Hires
- Brandon Calloway, HVAC mechanic, Housing Facilities
- Joshua Curry, landscape & grounds worker, Landscape Services
- Marcus Ditta, landscape & grounds worker, Landscape Services
- James Lusa, document management compliance analyst, Geospatial Engineering Services
- Ben Nilson, student worker, Office for Sustainability
- Joshua Owen, carpenter, Central Grounds Zone Maintenance
- Mark Purington, document management compliance analyst, Geospatial Engineering Services
- Justin Rexrode, landscape & grounds worker, Landscape Services
- Forrest Ritchie, boiler operator, Heat Plants
- J'mitri Samuels, custodial services worker, Housing Custodial
- James Seal, custodial services worker, North Grounds Custodial
- Brian Williams, geospatial space technician, Geospatial Engineering Services
Transfers & Promotions
- Neal Aldridge, construction superintendent, Construction & Renovation Services
- Tom Castellanos, apprenticeship instructor, Occupational Programs
- Matthew Hobbs, maintenance inventory specialist, Heat Plants
- Brian Thomas, construction project manager, Construction & Renovation Services
- David Wallace, electrician, Health System Physical Plant Zone 1 South
- Anthony Williams, pipefitter/steamfitter, Utilities
Best Wishes to FM Retirees
Richard Rice, deputy chief facilities officer, retired July 24 after 20 years of service. Rick joined UVA in June 2002 after a career with the U.S. Navy, where he retired as captain in 1995, and six years at the Smithsonian Institution as senior facilities services officer. During his career in Facilities Management, Rick has directly overseen the areas of Finance, Technology & Innovation, Programs & Informatics, and FM Human Resources prior to its consolidation with UVA HR. Rick has also contributed to several other areas including FM's review of legislation to support the Office of State Government Relations, FM representation on the Animal Care and Use Program Facilitation Committee, and other various UVA and FM initiatives.
Noted with Regret
Bucky Crickenberger, high voltage electrician lead with Power & Light, passed away on July 12. Bucky — known as ‘Mr. UVA’ for his dedication to the University – recently celebrated 35 years of service and was well-known for his hard-working spirit and his friendly demeanor. He was an outstanding employee who received the Virginia Governor's Award for Public Service and the UVA Leonard Sandridge Outstanding Contribution Award in 2015.
Compliments from Customers
Michael Duffy: I'm writing to share with you what an extraordinary measure of care, stewardship, partnership and collaboration, as well as frontline problem-solving for the greater good, Michael Duffy has demonstrated on behalf of your department, and UVA. For more than five years, UVA Health has been researching, discussing, collecting data, and bringing interdisciplinary teams together to develop a Community Paramedicine program. In the last 16 months, I've worked with multi-disciplinary team members to develop and operationalize the first UVA Health, Community Paramedicine program which will be provided through the Population Health department and go live in July. In great part, I owe Michael Duffy for the integral role he has had in making this happen. A Community Paramedicine program needs a vehicle and we've had a few options on the table, but nothing that had materialized. Both of my team members who are going to fill the pre-hospital clinician positions to provide Community Paramedicine and are also EMT/paramedics in the community, happened to speak to Michael. In sharing this challenge that had yet to be overcome, Michael shared that he might have a solution. In his position, as transportation operations and fleet manager, he opted to help where the need was great, but the solution even greater. Recently, my team and I met Michael to transfer a UVA Facilities Management vehicle to UVA Health, Population Health, as a no-cost transfer for our Community Paramedicine program. There is simply no way to express the depth of my gratitude for Michael's frontline problem-solving skills on behalf of the CP program. This vehicle will help us go live, on-time and without an additional cost barrier. And this vehicle will help us better serve and connect with underserved patient populations who are at increased risk for failure of their outpatient healthcare goals. We will be able to address clinical and advocacy needs to remove barriers to healthcare, as we connect patients to resources and care, in real time to improve their health and lives. This is a new opportunity to serve our community and we wouldn't be going live without the help of Michael. Thank you—UVA—and Michael Duffy for being such amazing partners and helping us create opportunities to serve in ways no one else is managing throughout the Commonwealth to meet the needs of patient populations who often go without. Together, we are both great and good and I am forever appreciative and so proud to serve alongside each and every one of you. —Novella Thompson, Population Health Department
Matt Acree, Kenny Bower and Chuck Thomas: I just wanted to give you and the team a big thank you for the fire protection, power and extended coverage help you gave to ITS in the UDC in early July. We were on the hairy edge of a serious cooling failure and shut down of major ITS, HPC and ERP systems without the rapid and expert help you supplied during the weekend. The 24-hour coverage helped immensely too because we had to be in manual switchover mode with the ATS for a couple of days. Even though we were in “P1” mode the disruptions to UVA's systems and customers was minimal no doubt because of your quick response in working with Dale in the UDC. Again, thanks as always, and the ITS/FM partnership has been very valuable over the years. —Clayton Lockhart, Information Technology Services
Glenn Shifflett, John Quinn, and T&I development team: I just wanted to say that I used the new Reuse Store form today and it is great!! Awesome job to whoever developed the form, the layout of worktags was very simple as well. —Emily Wells, Pulmonary & Critical Care
Facilities Management team: As you might already know, I retired June 17 as the plumbing supervisor in the West Grounds Zone at Facilities Management. I'd like to convey my gratitude towards the support and guidance I've been receiving throughout tenure in the organization. Before I leave, I want to tell you that these 28 years of working with most of you has bestowed me with a great learning and exposure to the industry and the way it actually works. I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your friendship, collaboration and appreciation for one another. In my last month, I've taken time to reflect on the many laughs, struggles and successes that we have all endured and shared. Work is not a dirty word, and I am genuinely happy to say that most of you believe and work by that same standard. Good luck to you in the future and I wish each of you success and blessings. —Lee Bryant, FM retiree