I&S Employee Newsletter - December 2022

Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

I am particularly excited about the holidays this year. After a two-week bout of COVID-19 and a busy semester, I am ready to rest up and spend time with my family. Perhaps what I look forward to the most is the food that comes with the holidays. One of the holiday traditions I grew up with in Costa Rica was a tamale exchange, similar to a cookie exchange. Each family would make tamales with their own recipes, ingredients and flavor flare, and then they would drop them off to family and friends for their holiday celebrations.

Reminiscing about my culinary experiences around the holidays has gotten me wondering about your traditions. You have the opportunity to share a family recipe in the Infrastructure & Sustainability Mentor Program (ISMP) Gives community cookbook, which will be distributed at our Winter Appreciation Luncheon on January 19, 2023. I look forward to learning about your holiday food traditions and trying some of your recipes. Please make sure you send your submissions in by tomorrow and contact Nancy.Portner@colorado.edu if you have any questions.

Besides enjoying lots of food, I hope you can take time to rest and recharge after a long year. I am in awe of the amazing work our team has done. It’s been nothing short of inspiring to serve as interim vice chancellor these past six months and to really comprehend how much good work you do.

Coming into the new year, I look forward to focusing on employee engagement as part of our DEI action plan. We will start by focusing on goals 1 and 3 of the IDEA plan. We look forward to sharing more information about the program in the spring semester.

We will skip January’s VCIS newsletter, so please make sure you’ve saved the date for our luncheon on January 19, where we will recognize outstanding employees with our I&S annual awards and celebrate a great year with a buffet lunch.

Thank you again for another wonderful semester. You are the heartbeat of our campus and I am infinitely grateful for all the work you’ve done to help our team achieve success.

With gratitude,

Chris Ewing, interim vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability

Join us for our I&S Employee Appreciation & Annual Awards Luncheon:

• Thursday, January 19, 2023 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Join us on main campus in the Glenn Miller Ballroom in the UMC
• I&S staff and student employees only
• Bring your Buff OneCard for entry
• Please RSVP (If you are a supervisor, you have the option to RSVP for everyone on your team)

We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate with and recognize you for all the work you do for the university.

The end of the year is approaching, and with it comes important tax forms. Make sure your personal information and pay is accurate to ensure your W-2 and/or 1042-S forms are correct and will be mailed to your correct address on time. Complete these important tasks for a successful year-end.

If you attended the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, you learned that those of us residing in the Global North have the responsibility and obligation to be part of climate chaos solutions. Properly sorting our waste after we have chosen recyclable purchases and packaging is one of many acts with positive consequences we can take as individuals.

Consider compost. Most folks are unaware that between 30 and 40 percent of the American food supply is wasted. This surprising statistic is supported by waste auditing done on the campus here at CU, where we find that between 30 and 40 percent of what is tossed into landfill bins on campus should have properly been composted (not to mention the average of 28% that should have been recycled).

We all know how rich, organic compost on our landscapes reduces the need for watering and can eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, but few know how compost that is landfilled adds methane--one of the most potent greenhouse gases--to the atmosphere. It is crucial to keep compost free of contaminants such as glass, plastic, aluminum and plastic-coated paper (e.g. non-compostable coffee cups). And if you care to take a deep dive into the potential importance of uncontaminated compost, as well as the benefits of reducing plastic waste, do some investigation into trophic transfer.

The tools are available for you to learn the fundamentals of proper sorting thanks to the hard-working students and staff at the Environmental Center. Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the guidelines and make a difference toward reaching your personal, campus and global Zero Waste goals!

After the November 5 football game, the OCC received a call from someone asking for help with a flat tire. Mike Najera (FacOps Trades/Plumber) and Adrian Garcia (FacOps Trades/Plumber) headed to the stadium without hesitation and didn’t leave campus until the tire was fixed and the individual was on their way. Besides this simple act of kindness that had so much impact, I can confirm that they are truly some of the best employees we have. They are often the first to arrive and the last to leave and they never leave without first checking on the OCC. (Mike and Adrian were nominated by Ashley Coley [OCC/Service Dispatcher].)

Adam Sitzman (Outdoor Services/Grounds & Nursery) consistently goes above and beyond to support our entire team, train students and maintain equipment proactively. Our group has had a vacancy for over six months that he has been almost single handedly covering. In addition to all of that, for almost two weeks, Adam has covered the ENTIRE East Main campus on his own! I was out with Covid, another team member was gone on his honeymoon, and a third was out much of that time on vacation. Adam ran things seamlessly the whole time. He covered grounds maintenance for all of the East Main campus, assigned student workers, did maintenance on our shed, prepared equipment for winter, and answered service requests. Adam deserves to be recognized for taking responsibility for the entire team and his ongoing excellence and commitment to CU! (Adam was nominated by Hannah Baker [Outdoor Services/East Main Campus Grounds Maintenance Lead].)

Alex Acosta (CBS/Custodian) noticed that two roof gutters were broken on a wall high above one of the loading docks at the SEEC building. When it rains or snows and freezes, large icicles form out of the broken section, which can then drop onto the loading dock below. The water leaking out of the broken gutters also drips onto the concrete, forming dangerous icy patches on the dock. Alex noticed this issue and pointed it out to his supervisor. Our trades group was able to fix the broken gutter and mitigate the safety hazard. Thank you, Alex! (Alex was nominated by Darren Gist [CBS/Custodial Program Manager].)

Michael Donohue (Outdoor Services/Grounds & Nursery) was working in the backside of 30th street Greenhouse when Mike Novak (Outdoor Services/Grounds & Nursery) spotted him teetering on a ladder as he was pruning a Wisteria. Mike N. quickly came over and steadied the ladder and ensured safe footing for Michael D. This action exemplifies good judgment, excellent teamwork, and a strong commitment to workplace safety. Thank you, Mike!

Michael Donohue (Outdoor Services/Grounds & Nursery) proactively identified a potential safety hazard in the outdoor services, east grounds storage area. These storage containers have low head clearance and there is potential to hit your head if you're not careful when entering and exiting. It was Michael’s suggestion to put up signage to act as a visual reminder to the team when working in that area. Michael has been an active representative for our team since joining the OS safety committee. Thank you, Michael! (Michael was nominated by Dave Laliberte [Outdoor Services/Grounds Area Supervisor].)

While CU offers several amazing benefits and perks for employees, one of the best is undoubtedly our Tuition Assistance Benefit (TAB). Benefits-eligible employees can apply for tuition assistance for themselves or their dependents. For employees, using the benefit means having up to nine credits waived on any campus per academic year! ISIEC Financial Literary Series will be hosting a tuition benefit informational session for I&S staff to learn more. Please join us as we welcome Madison Doherty from Employee Services on Friday, December 16 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. in RL2, Room 321, or join remotely via ZOOM.

As we all know by now, winter is here, which means shoveling snow has started. Here are a few reminders to keep you safe while shoveling:

• Warm up to get the blood flowing which includes light stretching. The warm-up will also help you focus mentally and “wake you up.” You can find these stretches on our safety website.
• When you shovel, remember to bend your legs and keep your chest up. Your “power zone” is in your hips and core, not your back! Tightening your stomach will also relieve any pressure on your lower back.
• Start off slowly and ease into the shoveling. If you start too quickly, this may result in an injury.
• Do not twist when you release the snow, otherwise you may injure your lower back. You should pivot, step forward and then release the snow.
• Do we need to drink water when we are outside in the winter? ABSOLUTELY! Hot chocolate is always tasty but you need water, which actually helps you stay warm.
• Communicate with your team. If you need to take a break, talk to your supervisor and team. You are #1 to our FACMAN community!

Under all but the most extreme conditions, we have a responsibility to keep school in session. During Colorado winters, snow and ice are to be expected and some days will result in a delay or closure if necessary. Read more about weather delay and closure procedures.

The Infrastructure & Sustainability Mentor Program (ISMP) invites you to join us as we celebrate the holidays with the ISMP Gives initiative. The entire Department of Infrastructure & Sustainability (I&S) is invited, and encouraged, to attend. ISMP Gives will be held on December 21st, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Chancellor's Hall at the CASE Building. Please stop by any time during that time. Please RSVP on or before 5 p.m. on December 16.

We are creating an I&S staff community cookbook featuring our favorite recipes and the stories behind them. Help us create this fun collection by submitting your favorite recipe. All I&S staff are welcome (and encouraged) to participate. Recipe submissions will be accepted through Friday, December 9. Please use the recipe template and return your submission to Nancy.Portner@colorado.edu. If you happen to have a photo of the prepared dish or a great family story that goes with it, we would love to include that too! Bonus points if you can get a selfie of yourself making the dish.

Interested in donating new toys and gifts to Indigenous youth this holiday season? The Denver Indian Center is holding its 11th annual toy drive for youth ages 0 to 18. This drive serves 500 Indigenous families in the Denver metro area. Bring new, unwrapped gifts to the Office of Pre College Outreach & Engagement, CASE W220 (front desk). We are accepting donations from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. Deadline: December 12, 4:30 p.m.

CU Boulder will host a virtual CU Social Justice Summit on January 31. The biennial event will bring together students, staff and faculty from all four CU campuses and the system administration to discuss social justice in higher education and beyond. More information about how to register, how to submit a proposal and where to obtain additional information about the summit sessions and keynote speakers will be available on the CU Boulder diversity, equity and inclusion website.

Find more information and ways to get involved on the Infrastructure & Sustainability Inclusive Excellence Committee (ISIEC) website.

NEW HIRES

• Alannah Gregory, EH&S, Lab Safety & Compliance Inspector
• Joe Hoxsey, Outdoor Services, Grounds & Nursery I
• Matthew Samuel, Distribution Services, Materials Handler & CDL Driver
• Robert Domonkos, Transportation Services, Campus Bus Driver - CDL
• Kevin Angelini, Campus Building Services, Floor Crew - General Labor I

PROMOTIONS/TRANSFERS

• Marlon Mouton, Campus Building Services, Recycling Collections
• Eric Jaskuta, Outdoor Services, Arborist Technician III
• Dave Rolston, Utilities, Utility Metering Technician

MOVING ON

• Ngawang Ngodup, Campus Building Services, Custodian
• Tsering Yangchend, Campus Building Services, Custodian
• Ida Mae Isaac, Infrastructure & Sustainability, Director of Strategic Initiatives
• Laura Saldana, Campus Building Services, Custodian
• Kathi Reich, Campus Building Services, Custodian
• William Parr, Campus Building Services, Custodian

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• Employee Recognition Program