I&R Employee Newsletter - November 2025

Dear I&R team,

I want to express my sincere gratitude for the dedication and hard work our team members demonstrated during our recent night walks. Different groups totaling 25 people covered more than three miles each evening, systematically observing campus lighting and other safety measures to identify areas for improvement. These walks were an important step in our ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and well-being of our campus community. 

As we continue to prioritize campus safety, please remember that this is a key focus for our chancellor. This initiative is not in response to any specific incident. Instead, it reflects who we are as an institution committed to the well-being of our students, faculty and staff.

Our I&R division continues to integrate with the newly renamed Business, Finance and Infrastructure (BFI) group, formerly known as Finance and Business Strategy (FBS). This new division name reflects our shared commitment to streamlined services and collaborative support across campus.

There’s a lot happening over the next couple of months—check out the details below to stay in the loop. Thank you once again for all that you do. Let’s continue working together with the same spirit of dedication and resilience.

With gratitude,
Chris Ewing, vice chancellor for infrastructure and resilience

How long have you been working at CU? I have been at CU since July 2019 so just hit 6 years. I barely got used to campus and the job before COVID hit.

What are your favorite things to do outside of work? I enjoy reading and podcasts. Mostly true crime for podcasts but I will read pretty much anything. I like riding my bike and doing yoga. I also bounce through hobbies like hopscotch; knitting, watercolor painting, cross stitching, jewelry making, etc.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you. I throw an awesome Halloween party every year, costume required. Hooray for spooky season! This year I’m going to be a skeleton in the closet with lots of baggage.

What do you love about CU Boulder? The beautiful campus, the work culture that allows me to focus on my family as well as my professional life, and the support and benefits provided to the staff.

What are you currently reading? I am a Harry Potter nerd for life. Ask me any trivia question. I think half the space in my brain is occupied with HP knowledge (books not movies).

Adrian Garcia and Jesus Puentes (nominated by Sandra Grover, Real Estate Services)

Jesus Puentes of the HVAC shop and Adrian Garcia of the Pipe Shop are stars because they are both professional, courteous, and always willing to help—even in urgent situations or when their teams are short-staffed. We had a building with a leak from the condenser line connected to the boiler, which had to be turned off over the weekend. Adrian and Jesus stepped up to check on the building during that time and worked with the Plumbing Shop to ensure emergency repairs were made quickly. Their efforts helped save CU money by fixing the leak before it caused a larger issue or before bad weather arrived while the boiler was offline. We are so appreciative of these guys—they’re part of what makes working at CU so awesome!

Outdoor Services Arborists Team (nominated by Kevin Crosby)

Vince and his team are a small group with a large responsibility on campus. With a total of only three members, they keep the campus looking wonderful by trimming, removing, and planting trees across all campuses. They’ve been a big help with trimming trees close to buildings that were causing damage. Recently, they spent a lot of time around the Engineering Center trimming overgrown trees to prepare for new guardrails on the roof, which will protect staff working up there. They’re also incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their work, which was evident during a recent tree tour they hosted!

FM Stores Team (nominated by Adrian Garcia)

I want to give a shoutout to FM Stores for their consistent willingness to support our team across the Pipe Shop, HVAC, Electrical, Structural Trades, and many others in meeting the needs of our campus customers and business operations. Maintaining the diverse infrastructure of a campus founded in 1876 presents many challenges, and our teams often face difficulties sourcing parts to support these aging systems. Despite this, we work together to find solutions that ensure uninterrupted operation of classrooms, laboratories, and research facilities. Casey and his team play a vital role in supporting FM, and I want to recognize them for their ongoing support of all the shops. I sincerely thank them for working with us to provide the products needed for emergency repairs, routine maintenance, and the tools that allow us to showcase our skills within our trades.

With the end of Daylight Saving Time, campus mornings and evenings will be noticeably darker. For our facilities teams—whether you're starting early, working outdoors or navigating campus on foot or in a vehicle—this shift brings new safety considerations. Please wear high-visibility clothing, use flashlights or headlamps when needed and stay alert in low-light areas. Be extra cautious around crosswalks, loading zones and construction sites, and make sure vehicle lights are functioning properly.

At home, take this opportunity to check your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguisher to ensure they’re in good working order. For your vehicle, inspect tires, coolant and other essential fluids before colder weather sets in. Your awareness helps keep you, your coworkers and your family safe as we adjust to shorter daylight hours.

FM safety committee

The FM safety committee meets the third Tuesday of every month to discuss general safety concerns, review safety reports and on-the-job injuries and recommend training needs and resources. If you are interested in attending a meeting or bringing an issue or idea that is safety-related, please reach out to your area representative on the FM safety committee or contact our Safety Specialist Don Fitzpatrick.

As a critical step toward upgrading our campus wireless networks to make them more secure and less susceptible to registration issues, OIT is launching two new Wi-Fi networks, CU Secure and CU Guest coming this December. Learn more and register your devices.

New Hires

• Rio Schill, CBS, Recycling Collections Crew
• Max Chronister, CBS, Recycling Collections Crew
• Michael Cassat, Utility & Energy Services, Utility Plant Operator
• Mariana Landa, Distribution Services, Materials Handler
• Megan Adams, PD&C, Art in Public Spaces Program Manager
• Shannon Baade, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Pipefitter / PMTII
• Karle Bartholomew, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Pipefitter / PMTII

Promotions/Transfers

• Todd Anderson, Building Manager/Chancellor Facilities (formerly Student Service Assoc Director - UMC)
• Ross Calvo, Transportation Services, Equipment Mechanic III (formerly Equipment Mechanic II)
• Missy Booth, Business Services Manager, CMDI Dept of Environmental Design, (formerly Office and Program Manager, Distribution Center)
• Mike Turman, PD&C, Asst Vice Chancellor, Design and Construction (formerly Director, Design and Construction)
• Jenny O'Neill, PD&C, Senior Project Manager (formerly Project Manager)
• Japhy Sanchez, Outdoor Services, Horticulturist (formerly Groundskeeper)
• Jordan Leedy, Utility & Energy Services, Utility Metering Program Manager (formerly Lead Technician, Utility Metering)
• Ellen Edwards, Utility & Energy Services, Asst Dir, Energy Services (formerly Energy Manager)
• Drew Habig, EH&S, Hazardous Materials Specialist (formerly Horticulturist - Outdoor Services)

Moving On

• Jacob Jackson, PD&C, Planner
• Jerry Helbak, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Preventative Maintenance Shop Mechanic
• Dalton Rohr, Facilities Maintenance Operations, Electronics Security Specialist II

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