I&S Employee Newsletter - November 2017

Dear Infrastructure and Safety team,

As many of you know, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Operations and Services Dave Danielson is retiring at the end of this year. While the search for Dave’s replacement is already underway, I want to take this opportunity to recognize Dave and thank him for the valuable contributions he’s made to CU Boulder in his five-plus years here.

Dave joined CU in 2012 as director of facilities operations before being promoted to AVC. He came to Boulder with a wealth of experience in higher-ed facilities management at Duke, Emory, Purdue Fort Wayne and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Leading a 500-person organization like Facilites Operations and Services, his influence in Boulder can be seen all over campus. One of the major milestones under Dave’s watch was the addition of a second shift for our maintenance and trades group, a move that has reduced service gaps and callbacks and enabled our crews to get more work done when building users aren’t present. He also initiated the use of Energy Savings Performance Contracts, a mechanism for facility improvements that uses guaranteed energy savings from the project to pay for the financing. His leadership style has empowered his directors to make sound decisions for their units. From grounds to utilities to the trades to distribution services, Dave’s teams make sure campus is operating smoothly every day of the year with sustainable practices in mind, and it takes a strong leader to create such a vision and tie all of the moving parts together.

Dave’s last day in the office will be Dec. 20. We will miss him, and wish him the best. Dave plans to move to Indianapolis to be closer to family, get some time in on the golf course, dive into a few home improvement projects and play ball with his grandkids. Please join me in congratulating Dave on his retirement!

Sincerely,
David Kang, vice chancellor for infrastructure and safety 
 

An interdisciplinary team led by Green Labs Program Manager Kathy Ramirez-Aguilar has won the latest round of Senior Vice Chancellor and CFO Kelly Fox's Small Experiment grant competition. Facilities Management Sustainability and Resiliency Manager Ed von Bleichert was also a member of the group that included researchers from three different campus academic programs. Winning the contest not only puts cash in the pockets of the winning team members, but also provides funding to establish a shared lab facility for the programs in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; and Integrative Physiology. The grant will also allow the team to hire a facility manager to run the lab and maintain the equipment in it. The facility will help researchers by giving them access to equipment they otherwise might have had to purchase individually, while also reducing space needs for the campus. Congrats to Kathy, Ed and the team! And be sure to keep an eye out for more details of their initiative in this Friday's edition of CU Boulder Today.

Infrastructure and Safety is offering an incentive to encourage all of our employees to go online and take CU Boulder's Faculty and Staff Engagement Survey. The survey, which is used to identify actions to improve the quality of the work experience on campus, went live Monday. I&S work teams of five or more at the supervisory level that turn in 100 percent participation will be entered into a drawing for a team lunch. Campus is offering other incentives as well, like a drawing for free iPad Mini 4's. The survey is open to all permanent CU Boulder faculty and staff until Nov. 20, 2017. CU Boulder Today has more details on the survey. You should have received an email from GallagherKnowledgeNOWKC@AJG.com on Monday, Nov. 6, with the survey link. The link in the email may only be used once, so you should not forward to others. Check spam filters if you do not see the email in your inbox. If you cannot find the link or have trouble accessing it, you can email GallagherKnowledgeNOWKC@AJG.com, or contact Megan Bohn at 303-735-5831 or megan.bohn@colorado.edu.

Did you know that Infrastructure and Safety has nearly four dozen permanent employees who are military veterans? For some context, that's 7.3 percent of our staff, more than double the CU Boulder campus average. So when our organization talks about hiring vets as a priority, we mean it. With Veterans Day approaching this weekend, we want to take this opportunity to thank our vets for their service, let them know they're a valued part of our team, and remind everyone of our commitment to bringing veterans onboard.

Infrastructure and Safety is the sponsor of the December 8 CU on Friday event at The Connection in the UMC. We're talking $5 all-you-can-play bowling and billiards, free hot chocolate bar, sweet and salty snacks and a fun chance to hang out with your colleagues. The event takes place from 4-6 p.m. CU on Friday events are open to all students, faculty and staff. It's an excellent opportunity for Infrastructure and Safety to engage the campus community, so it would be great to have a big turnout from our organization. RSVP on CU on Friday's Facebook page.

Just after this newsletter took flight last month, we learned that another campus building has earned its LEED Gold certification for green building. The Sustainability, Energy and Environment Laboratory (SEEL), which opened on East Campus in 2015, joined the Grounds Recycling and Operations Center and the East District Energy Plant as recent recipients of the recognition. Congrats to everyone on the I&S team who played a role in ensuring that SEEL achieved this honor, which you can read more about here.

How long have you been working for CU?
I’ve been with CU since November 2011, so almost 6 years.  I started in Parking & Transportation Services, then transferred to Facilities Management Accounting in March 2012.
 
What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Just one? My first favorite thing to do would be to go to a beach. But since we don’t have any here, I’d have to say that I have a love/hate relationship with golf but will take ANY day on the golf course! 
 
Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I was born and raised on Moloka’i and my first job was as a pineapple field worker at 15 years of age. It provided me with the most valuable lesson I’ve learned – go to college to have other opportunities besides manual labor.
 
What has been the most important innovation you have witnessed in your lifetime? 
I remember having a black and white TV when I was much younger and how exciting it was when COLOR TV was introduced.
 
What three traits define you?
It’s never easy to describe your own traits so according to Jodie Ferrera, friend & co-worker: loyal, dedicated, hard-working – and perfectionist and golf diva to boot!

How long have you been working for CU?
I have been working in the Real Estate Services department since October 2014.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and friends.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I am a fourth-generation Colorado native and third-generation CU Boulder graduate. I’ve lived in Colorado my entire life and I take great pride in our state as well as the University of Colorado. My wife and I met at CU in 2004 and I proposed to her at Varsity Lake in 2010. We recently had our first child and we are both overjoyed to be parents.

What has been the most important innovation you have witnessed in your lifetime?
PC/laptop computers and the world wide web. These innovations have forever changed the way we access information, communicate and do business, and it’s hard to imagine life without them.  

What three traits define you?
Three traits that define me are integrity, resourcefulness and tenacity. I value honesty, efficiency and cooperation, and I aim to approach life with a sense of humor, an open mind and a positive attitude.

So you're still referring to your television as the babysitter, huh? Well, did you know that CU employees are eligible for a Sittercity.com membership that provides access to a nationwide network of caregivers with profiles that include background checks, references, reviews, pictures and more? There are also discounts to Bright Horizons partner childcare centers and free memberships available for Years Ahead, a senior care solution that will help you find the right level of care for aging loved ones. All of the details are available on CU's Bright Horizons Care Advantage website. 

CU Boulder Staff Council is sponsoring a blood drive, Nov. 14-16, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m each day in the Student Recreation Center, Ice Overlook Meeting Room. Everyone who donates will receive a free blood drive t-shirt. Walk-ins are welcome, or schedule an appointment online.

Facilities Management is now offering classes to staff interested in developing their computer literacy skills. Topics include basic computer skills and navigation, email, and Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Upon completion of the courses, individuals will earn the Northstar Basic Computer Skills Certificate. Courses will be held on Fridays both on Main Campus and East Campus (or individual arrangements can be made). For more information and to sign up, email Kelsey Draper or call 303-735-6176.

Campus Human Resources is hosting several sessions in the coming weeks that are open to all Infrastructure and Safety staff, including: 

• Nov. 14, Crucial Conversations
• Nov. 15, Stress Management Series
• Nov. 16, Crucial Conversations
• Dec. 6, Emotional Intelligence Seminar
• Dec. 14, New Employee Welcome Experience

Please work with your supervisors to attend these or future trainings. Online registration is available at www.colorado.edu/hr/employee-learning.