Creating meaningful connections

FACILITIES FOCUSSpring 2013

final PRinTED issuE See page 6

COVER PHOTO | Creating meaningful connections |From left: Advocacy Coordinator Erica Schmittdiel from MSU’s Safe Place, MSU’s Director of Building Services Gus Gosselin and Grand Valley State University’s Associate Vice President of Facilities Services Tim Thimmesch gather on stage during the MiAPPA conference’s raffle fundraiser, with proceeds going to MSU Safe Place.

COVER STORY | MiAPPA Winter Conference 2013 | 2The MiAPPA Winter Conference 2013, hosted by MSU, fostered collaboration between facilities professionals.

FEATURE | A new organization | 3-4Infrastructure Planning and Facilities is the new unit under the governance of Ron Flinn, recently appointed Vice President for Strategic Infrastructure Planning and Facilities.

FEATURE | Moving from print to web | 5, 9This is the last printed issue of Facilities Focus as the new unit transitions to online resources.

AT A GLANCE | Summer construction | 6-8 Take a look at the campus construction set to take place this summer.

CAREERS | 10

KUDOS | 11-14

Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy

FACILITIES FOCUS

ipf.msu.edu | twitter: MSUFacilities | find us on facebook | watch us on youtubeP

This newsletter is printed with soy ink on 100 percent recycled paper (100 percent post-consumer). Please recycle in “Mixed” recycling bins.

Facilities Focus is published for all Infrastructure Planning and Facilities employees. It is also distributed to campus customers and key business contacts.

Our goal is to recognize the staff’s accomplishments and activities. If you have questions, comments or corrections, contact us at communications@ipf.msu.edu or via phone at 517-432-0235.To receive an electronic notice for each issue, subscribe

to our listserv: e-mail listserv@list.msu.edu with “SUBSCRIBE FacilitiesFocus <your name here>” in the body of the message.

EDITORWill Whelton

STUDENT EDITORTaylor Hajek

DESIGNERKayla Iansiti

A quick guide to navigating MSU’s summer construction.

Summer construction beginsPage 6

AT A GLANCE

“People were pleased to see that most of our presentations were done by MSU employees; it gave us an opportunity to highlight what we are doing at the university.”

-Acting Director of Engineering and Architectural Services Dan Bollman

BREAKING NEWS

Peers, partners gather at MiAPPA conference

Attendees at this winter’s MiAPPA conference enjoyed visiting with friends and

colleagues, participating in specialized presentations and tours, and contributing to a charitable cause.

Michigan State University hosted the Michigan Association of Physical Plant Administrators 2013 Winter Conference Feb. 12 to 13, at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.

MiAPPA is the Michigan chapter of the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, the largest international association of educational institutions and their facilities and physical plant departments.

This winter’s conference had three focuses: sustainability, operations and partnering with campus. Subject-matter experts presented on topics that fell into one of the three categories.

“People were pleased to see that most of our presentations were done by MSU employees; it gave us an opportunity to highlight what we are doing at the university. Not only did attendees compliment the fact we used our own employees, but also university members. We have such a big organization, it’s often hard to know what everyone else is doing,” said Acting Director of Engineering and Architectural Services Dan Bollman, who is also a MiAPPA board member.

In addition to the presentations, attendees toured some of the high-profile campus projects, including the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, the new addition to Wells Hall and the Molecular Plant Sciences Building.

“We sent out an e-mail to our staff asking if they had any ideas for presentations. We then took the top responses that we felt would interest attendees the most,” said Director of Building Services Gus Gosselin.

Spring 2013 | 2

The MiAPPA Winter Conference 2013, hosted by MSU, fostered collaboration between physical plant professionals. Story by Taylor Hajek

Photo by Kayla Iansiti

MiAPPA members gather to discuss the latest trends, challenges and solutions facing facilities organizations within colleges and universities.

Attendees also took the opportunity during presentation breaks to visit the vendor room, where business partners and sponsors set up exhibits to demonstrate their services. Sponsors included companies that would appeal to the attendees. A majority of the sponsors this year were engineering and architectural consulting firms, but there was a wide variety ranging from companies that sell specialized seating to security companies. More than 40 sponsors registered this year, the most in MiAPPA conference history.

Associate Vice President of Facilities Services for Grand Valley State University and President of MiAPPA Tim Thimmesch praised the conference. “The staff here at MSU has done a great job putting together this winter’s MiAPPA conference; it has been a huge success,” said Thimmesch.

This year’s winter conference also saw the highest attendance

of any MiAPPA conference with more than 400 registrants. As part of the conference, a raffle raised $6,129 for MSU Safe Place, a domestic violence shelter.

“The conference was great. Attendees were very pleased with the level of professionalism of the conference and how smoothly it ran, and our sponsors were pleased with the number of attendees. A huge thanks to all of the staff involved in helping create a great experience for MiAPPA members,” said Bollman.

“The number of attendees this year proves the success of MiAPPA as a whole. The conference has really grown in popularity over the past 10 years. It started with only university members attending and now we also have business partners attending. It has developed into something that everyone in this industry sees value in,” said Thimmesch.

FEATURE

FACILITIES FOCUS

As reported last issue, Ron Flinn has been named Vice President for Strategic Infrastructure

Planning and Facilities at Michigan State University. The appointment has brought with it significant change to the operations units at MSU.

The new organization that has emerged as a result of those changes is Infrastructure Planning and Facilities. All of the departments within the former Physical Plant Division are part of IPF alongside the departments of Campus Planning and Administration, Land Management and Sustainability (which includes the MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center). As a result of the reorganization, the building formerly known as the Physical Plant Building

is now the Infrastructure Planning and Facilities Building.

IPF brings the talented professionals from those former units together to create a culture focused on superior customer service and providing expert analysis for university objectives, sustainability initiatives and long-term planning goals.

According to Flinn, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon gave him this charge: “As vice president, you will be responsible for restructuring the units reporting to you. You will establish appropriate processes and benchmarks. It is critical that a new organization and culture be established during your tenure as vice president.”

Infrastructure Planning and Facilities: Establishing a new organization and culture

This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available:

ipf.msu.edu/neworganization

January/February 2013 | 4

The restructuring and culture change includes focusing on customer-service improvements to ensure IPF is the service provider of choice on campus.

To gather input from employees and customers, a series of internal and external town-hall meetings was held throughout April to discuss the reorganization. Attendees heard about the new organization and culture, asked questions about the change and offered suggestions for improvements.

To ensure the developments are communicated in an open and transparent manner, this web page will serve as a public repository for organizational information: ipf.msu.edu/neworganization. Any decisions regarding the reorganization are also discussed at the weekly meeting between Flinn and his executive-management staff.

Meet the new unit:ADMINISTRATION The Administration department oversees the unit, and includes the Contracts and Facilities Information Services office.

BUILDING SERVICES Building Services operates and maintains academic and administrative buildings and utility distribution systems, and performs related services. It includes Custodial, Maintenance and Commissioning services.

CAMPUS PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION Campus Planning is responsible for the long-term physical development of the MSU campus, and includes W.J. Beal Botanical Garden.

ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES Engineering and Architectural Services provides planning, design, construction inspection and management services for campus facilities.

FACILITY FOR RARE ISOTOPE BEAMS - CONVENTIONAL FACILITIES The FRIB Conventional Facilities Division Director directs the design, fabrication, installation and commissioning of all aspects of FRIB civil construction activities.

LAND MANAGEMENT Land Management manages university off-campus properties and facilities. The properties total over 25,000 acres at approximately 60 locations.

LANDSCAPE SERVICES Landscape Services maintains all horticultural material and outdoor litter and debris control. The staff also maintains roads, bridges, walks and ornamental pools.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE The safety officer coordinates and manages safety programs across departments, as well as conducting regular safety inspections.

POWER AND WATER Power and Water operates the power plant, reservoir and wells, which provide electricity, steam and water to MSU’s campus.

SUPPORT SERVICES Support Services supports the unit by managing expense operations, communications, computer applications and systems and human resources.

SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is composed of Campus Sustainability, Recycling and Surplus. Sustainability provides resources to all Spartans to take action to “Be Spartan Green.”

TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS Telecommunication Systems provides services such as cable TV, telephone, voicemail, two-way radio and wire management.

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES Transportation Services operates a charter bus service, leases vehicles to university departments and provides a fueling and vehicle repair facility for the university fleet.

Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy

Even before the reorganization of MSU’s operation units and the creation of the Infrastructure

Planning and Facilities unit, the Communications office was working toward a “web-first” strategy. That strategy involves ending the bi-monthly “Facilities Focus” newsletter in favor of having news distributed online first, using the unit website, a soon-to-be-launched internal website (or “Intranet”) and social-media channels.

‘Web-first’ strategyThis is the final issue of Facilities

Focus. The new strategy will allow IPF to distribute news and information more quickly and without dedicating materials to a scheduled publication. Aside from being environmentally

friendly, the web-first approach will mean that stories will be published in a timelier manner.

Discontinuing the printed version of Facilities Focus will allow IPF to focus on releasing news, alerts and other forms of communications as soon as possible by making them available online. An e-mail alert, detailing the latest website updates, will be distributed to subscribers and all unit employees on a regular basis. To subscribe, e-mail listserv@list.msu.edu with “SUBSCRIBE FacilitiesFocus <your name here>” in the body of the message.

An annual magazine, combining a selection of stories from throughout the year, as well as unit business highlights, is being planned as the sole printed publication.

In October 2011, the Communications office sent out a survey to the readers of Facilities Focus and the results proved that a move to more online content was necessary. Small steps have been taken since then to reach the ultimate goal of eliminating the bi-monthly publication in favor of web content. New website

The Communications office is currently revamping the Infrastructure Planning and Facilities website, which will launch in summer 2013. The new site will be more in line with the MSU brand (meaning it will look more like other MSU websites), more accessible, more user-friendly and an excellent “digital face” for customers.

New communications strategy keeps fresh news first

FEATURE

FACILITIES FOCUS

Continued on page 9

New website, Intranet to launch in summer 2013

Summer is here and it’s time to start thinking about the seasonal campus construction at Michigan State

University. This summer, there will be a variety of projects happening all over campus. Provided here is all of the information needed to navigate campus during the hectic season.

There are a few ways to stay ahead of the curve and know what projects are taking place.

Attend the monthly Construction Junction meetings dedicated to informing the MSU community about construction projects going on around campus. Every month, project representatives give presentations regarding the progress of construction on campus. There are also updates on detours around campus.

Construction Junctions take place the second Thursday of every month. Check construction.msu.edu for more details regarding times and location. Can’t make the meetings? The meeting minutes and presentations are posted the Tuesday following the meeting and are filled with all of the information provided by the presenters.

Other online resources on the construction.msu.edu website include regularly updated detour maps. The maps are always up-to-date and are posted ahead of time for summer construction.

Be sure to use all of the resources that MSU provides to make the commute around campus as efficient as possible.

AT A GLANCE

Campus construction continues this summer

Photo coutesy of Communications and Brand Strategy

Spring 2013 | 6

Stay up-to-date on construction projects at:construction.msu.edu Created for MSU visitors, neighbors, students, faculty and staff, this site is designed to:

• Help inform about upcoming construction projects and their impacts;

• Help users navigate

campus during construction projects;

• Explain what goes into designing and constructing projects and the corresponding approval processes;

• Offer an opportunity to comment on upcoming projects and ask questions.

Story by Taylor Hajek

Turn to page 7 for an overview of campus construction.

Du�y Daugherty Building

Olin Health Center

CaseWonders

Auditorium

Berkey

Armstrong

Bailey Emmons

Bryan

RatherButterfield

Wilson

Engineering

Holden

Infrastructure Planning and

Facilities

Spartan Stadium

Hannah Administration

Main Library

IM Sports Circle

JenisonField House

Music Building

MSU Museum

MSU Union

IM Sports West

Munn Ice Arena

Breslin Center

Kellogg Center

Brody Hall

Comm. Arts and Sciences

Kresge Art Museum

Natural Science

Plant Biology

Veterinary Medical Center

LifeScience

Wharton Center

Cyclotron

Food Stores

Surplus Store and Recycling

Center

Broad ArtMuseum

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MSU Construction Summer 2013

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FACILITIES FOCUS

Campus construction continues this summer

1. InfrastructureImprovementson KalamazooStreet—EastLansingProject Kalamazoo Street will be completely closed to traffic from Clippert Street to the west entrance of the University Village Apartments (east of Marigold Avenue) from April 1 to May 5. Kalamazoo Street will be completely closed to traffic from Clippert Street to Harrison Road from May 6 to Aug. 23.

2. BrodyNeighborhood—UtilityImprovements—Phase5 This project involves replacing the steam and condensate distribution system and creating a loop from the Harrison Road bridge to Brody Hall. The loop provides redundancy so the complex can continue to be fed steam if there is a line break. Construction began in April 2013, with substantial completion in August 2013.

3. ButterfieldHall—MajorRenovation Green space will be added between Butterfield and Brody halls. Additional study rooms, lounge space and gaming areas will be added as well.

4. MichiganAvenueandM-43RoadWork—MDOTProject Construction will stretch from Harrison Road to Park Lake Road. During construction, at least one lane of traffic will be open in each direction. Access to business and residents will be maintained at all times during the project.

5. WestCircleSteamLoopSegment2 The 2013 work on West Circle Drive is the second segment in a four-segment program to replace deteriorating steam tunnels. Work began in mid-January and will continue through Aug. 16.

6. AuditoriumRoadConstruction Utility work will include repair of storm sewer, installation of new water main and installation of new gas lines. Work begins May 13 will end June 3.

7. BogueStreetandShawLaneIntersection ReconstructionandSteamSystemRepairs Complete closure of the Bogue Street/Shaw Lane intersection begins May 5. It will reopen in time for student move-in before the fall semester, Aug. 16. Bogue Street between Shaw Lane and Wilson Road will be permanently closed to accommodate Facility for Rare Isotope Beams expansion.

8. FRIBUtilityRelocation—Phase2 Site preparation activities for construction of the conventional facilities have been completed. Final design of the technical systems—accelerator and experimental equipment—is underway and anticipated to be complete in 2014. Project completion is expected in 2021, managing to a goal of early completion in 2019.

This list does not include all construction projects on campus. For a comprehensive list of projects occurring this summer visit construction.msu.edu.

Du�y Daugherty Building

Olin Health Center

CaseWonders

Auditorium

Berkey

Armstrong

Bailey Emmons

Bryan

RatherButterfield

Wilson

Engineering

Holden

Infrastructure Planning and

Facilities

Spartan Stadium

Hannah Administration

Main Library

IM Sports Circle

JenisonField House

Music Building

MSU Museum

MSU Union

IM Sports West

Munn Ice Arena

Breslin Center

Kellogg Center

Brody Hall

Comm. Arts and Sciences

Kresge Art Museum

Natural Science

Plant Biology

Veterinary Medical Center

LifeScience

Wharton Center

Cyclotron

Food Stores

Surplus Store and Recycling

Center

Broad ArtMuseum

SOUTH SHAW LANE

NORTH SHAW LANE

SERVICE ROAD

BO

GU

E S

TRE

ET

CH

EST

NU

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BIR

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FAR

M L

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EAST CIRCLE DRIVE

RED CEDAR ROAD

GRAND RIVER AVENUEMICHIGAN AVENUE

KALAMAZOO STREET

WILSON ROAD

WEST CIRCLE DRIVE

HA

RR

ISO

N R

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FAR

M L

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MOUNT HOPE ROAD

N. CRESCENT ROAD

S. CRESCENT ROAD

AUDITORIUM ROAD

TROWBRIDGE ROAD

BEAL STREET

MSU Construction Summer 2013

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Spring 2013 | 8

Continued from page 5

Instead of organized by department, the new site will be organized by service and subject matter. The news will have a prominent face on the new site, allowing visitors to see the latest news and events.

In addition to the work of the Communications office, the Computer Applications office is revamping the online service requests to allow customers greater ease when requesting service. Several improvements have already been made during the past few months, and even more enhancements are planned.

An internal website (or “Intranet”) for employees is underway as well.

The new website will adapt to whatever size screen it is being displayed on. Regardless of what devices visitors are using, they will be able to access the content.

Named “The Hub,” it will launch in summer 2013. This will be used to communicate internal messages— such as internal events, work protocols and meeting minutes—that are solely for IPF employees.

IPF employees also receive a weekly e-mail (Infrastructure Insider) and will soon have access to an internal TV system to keep them updated on unit and university news.

In addition, web users can learn more about Infrastructure Planning and Facilities through its social-media channels on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

New organizationWith the unit reorganization (see

page 3), there will be more news than ever before to communicate to the public. The Communications office, working closely with Vice President for Strategic Infrastructure and Planning Ron Flinn, will make sure both internal and external audiences are kept aware of all of the latest news. The unit website will be the official source of all IPF news.

IPF thanks all of the loyal readers of the newsletter over the years, and asks that everyone please check out all of the latest news on the new IPF website at ipf.msu.edu.

FACILITIES FOCUS

Subscribe to our listserv!An e-mail, detailing the latest website updates, will be distributed to subscribers and all unit employees on a regular basis. To subscribe, e-mail listserv@list.msu.edu with

“SUBSCRIBE FacilitiesFocus <your name here>” in the body of the message.

Philip L. Anderson, age 62, of Portland, Mich., passed away Feb. 1, at the Hospice House of Holland. He was born Oct. 9, 1950, in Grand Rapids to Oscar and Millie (Hopkins) Anderson. He formerly lived in Fruitport, Holland and Grand Rapids. Anderson started working for the university in

2004 as a power plant technician. He had many interests, but mostly centered around the 4 C’s: Cars, Computers, Cameras and Craftsman Tools. On March 14, 1980, he married Marie Ball in Grand Rapids, and she survives him along with two children, Jim (Tobie Cunningham) Anderson of Oklahoma City, and Mark and Katrina Anderson of Grandville; and two grandchildren, Travis and Emily Anderson. He is survived by two brothers, Dan Anderson of Grand Rapids and Dave (Liz) Anderson of Cedar Springs; father-in-law, Bill Ball of Ferrysburg; two sisters-in-law, Brenda (Dan) Rose and Nancy (Charlie) Neinhouse. He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Millie, and mother-in-law, Jane Ball.

Danista “Danny” Waggener, 33, of Lansing, Mich., passed away on April 15. She is survived by her three daughters. Waggener was employed at MSU for 12 years as a custodian II. She was recently a member of the Building Services department’s award-

winning audit team for the MSU Natural Sciences Building. Friends said she was a very positive person and someone they could always rely on for help.

Gordon Barkley Rapelje passed away on April 14. Rapelje started working for the university in 1946 and retired as a fuel systems operator II in 1987.

CAREERS

Spring 2013 | 10

New Hires | Promotions | Retirees*As of April 30,2013

New HiresJannene Andrews, administrative assistant II/S Matthew Bailey, greenskeeper IIJohn Barnett, planner/inspector/analyst IJermane Beard, custodian IBrian Connolly, plumber IPaul Crosby, preventative maintenance workerDanny Francis, engineer/architect IITheresa Jones, custodian IMartin McDonough, planner/inspector/analyst IPatricia McPherson, secretary IICraig Meyers, preventative maintenance workerChristopher Perry, information technologist III/SCalvin Simpson, custodian INicholas Smith, plumber IJoseph Testa, boiler operator INathan Verhanovitz, engineer/architect III/SChristopher Wayne, greenskeeper IIJohn Young, custodian IAnthony Yuhasz, administrative assistant I

PromotionsTeresa Christle, custodian IIIJohn Fishbeck, information technologist IIIScott Geisenhaver, custodian IIIChris Grewe, planner/inspector/analyst IAmanda Groll, planner/inspector/analyst IIScott Harding, information technologist IIJohn Jonckheere, landscape services/site construction group leaderKaren Newman, custodian IIShawn Pohl, systems analyst IIDavid Robinson, operations supervisor IChris Slater, custodian IIAnthony Ward, custodian II

RetireesGeorge Goerge, mechanic metal worker IIGreg Houghtaling, engineer/architect IIISteven Huyser, systems analyst IIMichael Rockstad, information technologist ILarry Yarbrough, electrician IIDoris Willoughby, custodian II

*Facilities Focus makes every effort to contact all retirees for our regular “A look back” feature.

Memorials

Infrastructure Planning and Facilities

Infrastructure Planning and Facilities received the following kudo from Mary Faloon, secretary III for the Department of Human Development and Family Studies:

Way to go for recycling aerosol cans! We love green.

FACILITIES FOCUS

KUDOS

WELL DON

E KUDOS

Building Services

Custodian III Peggy Brooks received the following kudo from Sonia O’Connor, clerk/receptionist II for the Department of Anthropology, for work completed in Baker Hall:

I just noticed the super clean light covers in the 307 kitchen. You did an excellent job! Also, whoever cleaned the main office last Tuesday did a super job ! Everything was “spick and span.”

Kudos to you and your staff!

The Communications office received the following kudo from Beverly Stehlik from the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities regarding the work of Carpenter II Mark Therrian:

We recently had an office remodeled in our department. There were a lot of challenges because the room had a countertop mounted to three walls and there was soundproofing material that had been installed on the walls around it. We wanted to remove the countertop, but leave as much of the soundproofing material as was possible and still have the room look like a professional office for a new employee.

Not only did Mark Therrian from Carpentry come up with some ingenious ideas to make the space work exactly the way we wanted it to, but he also worked hard to put the finishing touches (like a beautifully painted chair rail) on the room to make it look absolutely wonderful. His work was exemplary right down to the last detail, and his helpful attitude and friendly personality made it a pleasure to work with him. Thank you, Mark!

Central Control Supervisor Stacy Nurenberg received the following kudo from Karen Klomparens, associate provost for the Graduate Education Graduate School, regarding the work of Planner/Inspector/Analyst I James Kieselbach:

A big thank you from the Graduate School for your work last night.

Whoever was helping us from the Trouble Truck, Maintenance and especially Jim who came back to campus to turn on the air in the Kiva: thank you! This was the MSU Way...helping out when asked, and going above and beyond. The 300 students in the Kiva and I appreciate it! It was much easier to stay focused and learn at a cooler temperature.

Carpenter II Rick Kennedy and Maintenance Assistant II Austin Townsend received the following kudo from Marsha Walsh, the office manager for the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science, for their work in creating and installing a petrified wood display:

I’m following up with our phone conversation this afternoon to tell you how happy we are with the job that two of your staff did on a petrified wood display on loan to us from the MSU Museum. I came into work one day to find the plexi-glass cover gone and the slice of wood leaning up against the wall. I sent a service request to have it re-mounted on the stand and to have a new plexi-glass cover made for it. Two nice men came over and measured it up, and I told them as long as I had it fixed by the time school began in August that they could take their time. One man traced the outline of the slice of wood so that he could make the plexi-glass cover roughly the same shape.

They came back over (not sure exactly when) and attached the wood securely to the display base, and then put the plexi-glass over the specimen, and it looks great! It’s nicer than it was even when we first received it on loan with that nice, clear plexi-glass on it! We often have students comment on it (we are an academic unit with close to 5,000 students enrolled every semester), and many members of our unit and some of our professors have commented on what a nice display it is.

Director of Building Services Gus Gosselin received the following kudo from Valerie Geyer, graduate secretary for the School of Planning, Design and Construction, regarding the work of former Custodian III Kevin Dickerson and Custodian II Robin Garber for their work in the Human Ecology Building:

I wanted to let you know what a wonderful job our custodians, Kevin and Robin, are doing at the Human Ecology Building. It is obvious they take pride in their work and strive to do a great job! They pay attention to the small details that keep a building looking good and feeling welcoming to those who work here and visit. A small thing like requesting new faucets for our restrooms and really taking extra time to clean our old sinks have made them look better and no more dripping leaks!

I spilled a large bottle of pop on our carpet in the reception area of our office a couple of weeks ago. I tried to soak it up the best I could but feared it would be a daily reminder for years to come. I talked to Kevin and

*Many of the kudos in this issue were received prior to the unit reorganization. As a result, some may reference the Physical Plant Division, which formerly encompassed several of the departments that now make up Infrastructure Planning and Facilities.

Spring 2013 | 12

Social Media

SALUTES

We are using social media to keep students, faculty and staff abreast of unit happenings.Visit our pages on:

facebook.com/MSUFacilitiestwitter.com/MSUFacilities

youtube.com/PhysicalPlantMSU

@rhyliebrown: @MSUFacilities Wow thank you! No worries, I still love this place :)

@capmsu: Meeting with @MSUFacilities to discuss summer construction projects

@jrosenberg6432: Thanks Gay from @MSUFacilities for your help. New photo hangings upstairs. @Erickson Hall

@MSUCollegeofEd: @MSUFacilities Thanks for the #MSUKin shout out. Hope you’re having a great day, campus is looking great.

@dom_knows_best: @MSUFacilities thanks for following. . . And for keeping MSU running smoothly

@KCollins15: Go Spartan Green! RT@MSUFacilities: The green roofs on many MSU buildings help insulate from extreme temps and saves on energy!

@SojoAlex: Yay! “@MSUFacilities: The Shaw Hall Dining Center will begin serving food to students on Jan 7th, Called “The Vista” #msuconstruction”

@MSUredcross: Sleeves up @MSUFacilities! It’s the last day of the #msuvsuofm blood battle! Donate today 10a-4p in the East/West Conference Rooms. #gogreen

The following “tweets” are taken from the Infrastructure Planning and Facilities Twitter account (@MSUFacilities). The bolded text is the name of the Twitter user who sent the tweet.

Robin about it when they came in and the next morning our carpet looked good as new. I so much appreciated the time and effort they took right away to attend to getting it cleaned. Kevin and Robin are both friendly and pleasant to see each afternoon, and their smiles are a nice way to close out the end of my working day. I just wanted you to know we appreciate both of them and the great job they are doing!

Director of Building Services Gus Gosselin received the following kudo from Sonia O’Connor, secretary II for the Anthropology Department, regarding the work of Set-Up Worker I Kurt Wagner and Laborer I Jason Murphy:

Kurt and Jason did an excellent job moving out old tables and chairs from our library and putting in new ones.

We appreciate their hard work.

Skilled Trades Supervisor Sue Alchin received the following kudo from Paul Trudell, assistant director of Alumni and Donor Relations, regarding HVAC Mechanic II John Miller and Dispatcher/University Operator Nancy Sehlke:

I would like to thank John Miller and the dispatch staff for his assistance in re-setting the blowers in room 208 in the IM West on Tuesday, July 24. When we arrived for this important training meeting, the room was extremely hot despite the request to have the AC on prior to the start of the meeting. We discovered that the blower was not working properly and required some attention. John reacted promptly which allowed the meeting to continue … thank you!

Skilled Trades Supervisor Sue Alchin received the following kudo from Jim Hensley, facilities manager for the MSU Libraries regarding the work of HVAC Mechanic Craig Fedewa:

I wish to share with you that Craig was extremely nice upon arrival and then followed up today as well. If you’re able to relay that sentiment, I’d appreciate it.

Structural/Paint Skilled Trades Supervisor Deb Russell received the following kudo from Lori Garza, director of operations for the College of Music, regarding Painter II Marsha Clark:

Marsha is brilliant! The old trim looks fantastic and the new trim matches so much better than the previous. Please pass on to Marsha how pleased everyone is with her work. This was most certainly the right direction to go in.

Material and Logistics Planner/Inspector/Analyst I James Peaney received the following kudo from April Meersdom, secretary II for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, regarding Laborer Is Cody Boutell and Joe Murphy for their work at Agriculture Hall:

I want to personally thank you for the outstanding job your team did in regards to moving furniture and fixtures from the hallway of Ag Hall—third floor. You were very helpful in the “mess” that we needed to get cleaned up after the two office moves, and the crew that you sent was very quick and efficient. They had a big task in front of them, and they worked at it with a smile and very kind attitude. Your willingness to assist us was very much appreciated and your team was outstanding. Thank you and have a great day.

FACILITIES FOCUS

Custodial Services Supervisor Angela Zell received the following kudo regarding the work of Custodian I Aaron Burgess and Custodian II Casey Serr from Kathy Stuut, facilities coordinator for IT Services:

Hi Angela—I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to e-mail sooner, but I definitely wanted to let you know how much we appreciated working with you and your crew and what a fantastic job they did. The group in Instructional Media Center immediately felt the improvement to the rooms after the cleaning. I’m so glad we had this arranged and that you could work around the furniture and even move some of it to get all the areas.

The “Spartan Steamer” is a great tool and service to offer to the MSU buildings/offices. We’ll definitely be calling again to use it for other areas. Thanks for all your help, Angela!

Custodial Services Manager Brandon Baswell received the following kudo from Karen Wampler, professor and chair for the Human Development and Family Studies department, regarding the work of former Custodian III Kevin Dickerson and Custodian II Robin Garber:

Mr. Baswell, I wanted to write and thank you for the wonderful new processes you and your colleagues have implemented. Kevin and Robin are doing a terrific job in Human Ecology. It really does make all the difference and we appreciate it.

Custodial Services Supervisor James Jones received the following kudo from Rose Baxter, secretary I for the Department of Military Science, regarding the work of Custodian II Errol Jackson:

I just wanted to pass along thanks to our custodian for shaping up our building to get it ready for our commissioning ceremony this past Saturday. The hallway, ballroom floor, and bathroom stall walls all looked great!

Truly appreciate the extra effort! Please pass on the commendation to him!

Custodial Services Manager Brandon Baswell received a kudo from Tom Wood, operations supervisor II for the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, regarding the work of Custodian III Ralph Endsley:

I wanted make you aware of the great job that Ralph Endsley is doing at the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. He refinished my lab floor last night and it looks really good.

Custodial Services Supervisor Angela Zell received the following kudo from Martha Ribbens, administrative assistant II/s from Statewide Campus System, regarding the work of Custodian I Aaron Burgess and Custodian II Casey Serr:

I want to give a big kudos to the staff who cleaned our carpets last night. Our carpets look practically brand new. What I thought were permanent stains are completely gone. It is amazing and I want to say a big thank you to someone who worked very hard last night. I know you will know who to pass this on to. Will you please see that it goes to a supervisor so they know what a great job their crew did for us.

Metal Worker Mechanic II Don Meyers and Carpenter II Rob Wummel received a thank-you card with the following message from Jane Miller, administrative associate I/supervisor in the Office of MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, for their work:

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise and helping us to come up with the perfect gift. Your patience, attention to detail and professionalism are greatly appreciated.

Director of Building Services Gus Gosselin received the following kudo from Mike Hudson, director of the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, regarding the work of Painter I Jesse Capetillo:

All too often, people take the time to write if there is a problem. I want to reverse that trend by recognizing the talents and recent effort of Jesse from the paint team as he helped us rejuvenate parts of our departmental entrance. His work quality, combined with the talents of our staff who picked the colors, made a winning combination. The paint is up and the compliments are flowing in. Please help me pass on the words of appreciation for Jesse’s attention to detail as he patched and painted, resulting in this fresh new look.

Gus, thanks to you also for your recent attendance/presentation at our staff meeting. I am confident the new green clean concept will create new efficiencies as it promises to create new levels of environmental friendliness.

Vice President for Strategic Infrastructure Planning and Facilities Ron Flinn received the following kudo from Hancock Turf Center Manager Mark Collins regarding the work of Plumber I Alicia Jacobsen and Dispatcher/University Operator Laura Stevens:

On Tuesday, I arrived at the turf center and found my water lines had frozen during the night. This was also the same week as the Michigan Turf Conference. My conference room was to be used for the mechanics school being held. At 6 a.m. I called your dispatch center and put in a request while letting them know of my class. Within minutes a plumber showed up, assessed the situation and started thawing my pipes. It didn’t take long and we had water. I appreciate the promptness of your staff. It would have been difficult to move to a new location.

Director of Building Services Gus Gosselin received the following kudo from Patrick Scheetz, retired director for the Alumni Career Services for Michigan State University, regarding the work of Custodian IV Tom Bemrose, Custodian II Domenica Porco, Custodian II Jeremy Stevens, and Custodian I Steven Rouse:

After the last home men’s basketball game at Breslin Center (the Purdue game), I told the seating attendant that there was some dried ice cream on the floor in front of my seats. Evidently, he told your custodial staff as requested because it was removed by the time we attended the Nebraska game tonight.

Thank you for keeping the Breslin Student Events Center clean and attractive for athletic fans that attend activities there. Your extra efforts are most appreciated. Keep up the fine work!

Spring 2013 | 14

Engineering and Architectural Services

Construction Superintendent Leisa Williams-Swedberg received the following kudo from Angela Brown, director of Auxiliary Resources for the Division of Residential and Hospitality Services, regarding the work of Construction Planner/Inspector/Analyst I Tony Rhodes:

As we near the completion of the Union First Floor Renovation, I wanted to bring to your attention the assistance and support we received from Tony Rhodes. Tony has been an invaluable partner in this project and has been the glue to keep all parties together. Because of his project management skills and construction knowledge, many issues were averted. He continually made sure that our needs, the customer, were met. Given the number of “business partner” areas involved in this project, it was a major effort on his part to keep everyone going in the same direction. We are very appreciative to have talent and dedication from MSU staff like Tony. I would be happy to expand on any of these comments at your convenience.

Landscape Services

Mark Hollis, executive management director for Intercollegiate Athletics, sent the following kudo to Campus Arborist/Landscape Services Coordinator Paul Swartz regarding the work of Landscape Services for ESPN’s College Game Day. To see a full list of staff involved, go to ipf.msu.edu/game day:

Once again, thanks for all your efforts. The university looked amazing for three hours on ESPN. More important than the trees and buildings ... people like you make working at MSU an amazing place to be. Let me know if I can ever do anything for you. Thanks again!

The Landscape Services department received the following kudo from Andrea Rafferty, secretary II for the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics Program:

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for taking care of the paths and parking lots, I really appreciate it! I know it’s not easy to keep everything clear, but you’re doing a great job!

Custodial Services Supervisor Melanie Pollard received the following kudo regarding the work of Custodian III Aaron Jackson, and Custodian IIs Marty Martinez and Kevin Kelso from Tim Potter, marketing and sales coordinator for MSU Bikes:

I wanted you to know that our floor looks fantastic, Melanie. Please pass along my thanks to your crew.

Acting Landscape Services Manager Sean O’Connor received the following kudo from Nancy Perkins, office assistant III for the School of Social Work, regarding the work of all Landscape Services employees:

I wanted to take a minute to let you know how appreciative I am of your staff in the Landscape Services department. Almost every day, I take a walk on campus during my lunch hour. Often times during my walk, I encounter an employee from Landscape Services either mowing, leaf blowing, snow blowing, etc. Every time I encounter someone from your department, they always stop what they are doing until I (or whoever may be walking by) pass by so we don’t get leaves, grass or snow blown our way. Yesterday, I came across two gentlemen cutting down a tree. The one man tapped the other on the shoulder to alert him that a pedestrian was passing by and that he needed to stop for a moment. Little things like this, although they may not realize it, are so very appreciated! Thank you!

Landscape Architect II/S Adam Lawver received the following kudo from Jeff Magnuson, manager of The James B. Henry Center for Executive Development, regarding the work of Materials/Logistic Worker II Steve Wallace, Gardener Tim Stokes, Groundskeeper I Jesse Langham, and Irrigation Systems Maintainer James Kane:

Please thank your team on our behalf. They did a terrific job of moving snow today and were sensitive to the timing.

I know our unique business mix and all of the unknowns of the weather make for a logistical challenge. Your team aced this one for us!

Infrastructure Planning and FacilitiesInfrastructure Planning and Facilities Building1147 Chestnut Road Room 119East Lansing, MI 48824

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