8 minute read
Welcome to the EFMA
W e l c o m e to th e
By Tammy Schuster
EFMA
We’ve all heard somewhere or another that membership has its privileges. The benefits of becoming a member of the EFMA actually come from other members. The EFMA welcomes all the new members to the association, and would like to introduce you to a few.
Gordana Vuckovic, supervisor facilities services, School District #35, Langley.
Gordana Vuckovic joined the Langley school district in February after moving from Victoria, B.C. Prior to leaving Vancouver Island, she worked in facilities for the provincial government, as well as in the private sector, including colleges, private schools, the healthcare industry, and at a museum.
At SD #35, Vuckovic oversees the custodial department and enjoys working with the district team.
“Our primary goal is to make our schools clean and safe,” she says. “Sometimes it’s a bit of the challenge with all the little hands and little feet that bring the germs into the building.“
As a supervisor, Vuckovic says celebrating the small successes are just as important as celebrating the large ones, and she especially enjoys seeing the appreciation given to the custodial staff. “It’s a big thank you to me and to our crew when they are recognized for their hard work.”
Another element that is important to her is the environmental commitment the district has made in pioneering recycling and energy consumption savings programs. “I’m excited that all of our facility staff, teaching staff, as well as students are involved in promoting green initiatives. From kindergarten and up.”
As a new EFMA member, Vuckovic says the vast networking abilities and sharing of ideas is what prompted her to become a member. “Each district and school has it’s own challenges, so the ability to be a part of a group where you can share your concerns, your successes, and your failures – if there are any – is great,” she says.
Vuckovic is expecting to attend the next EMFA conference that takes place in Penticton each June. “I’m definitely looking forward to learning new and innovate ways to improve upon our productivity, as well as health and safety, and to meet suppliers with whom we work.”
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John Hayer, manager of custodial services & community rentals, School District #42, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.
Working at the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district for just over a year, John Hayer came from the healthcare industry where he held positions at Langley Memorial Hospital, Surrey Memorial Hospital and the now closed Riverview Hospital. At SD #42, he over-
sees over 80 custodians, and looks after community rentals.
“Coming from healthcare to the school district was different, but adding community rentals to the job is a whole different dynamic,” he says.
Interacting with film scouts and community groups in an effort to rent out school facilities and buildings, Hayer looks for ways to create revenue opportunities for the school district. “With all the space we have here, we should be able to utilize it and offset some of our operating costs.”
Hayer says he heard about his current position with the school district from a former boss, and says the draw was immediate. “I had a good vibe at the interview and started telling them my life story,” he says laughing. “I love working with the entire team, and the atmosphere here allows you to be yourself and to grow in your position.”
Hayer says he joined the EFMA at his boss’ recommendation and says the support he has received is like nothing he has ever experienced. “Managers help each other to be successful. It’s good for those coming into the school district because you can learn from people with more experience. The tools are there to be successful.”
Cintha Winters, assistant manager, service operations, School District #36, Surrey.
Cintha Winters first started with the Surrey school district in 2012 as a caretaker before taking an acting position as an assistant manager in service operations. “It was a great opportunity to peek behind the scenes and see what goes on organization-wise.”
After a number of retirements in the district, her time as an acting assistant manager allowed her to accept the position as an assistant manager, which she began in January of 2015.
Winters works the evening shift, overseeing 70 caretakers and approximately 30 buildings. “It’s a fast-paced job and every night is different,” she says. “There are a lot of phone calls, a lot of last-minute issues, and a lot of prioritizing.”
She says she receives a lot of support from her team within the district and at the EFMA. “We discuss problems that come up within all five zones and discuss better ways to do things.” She says management has an open-door policy, which adds to the positive working environment.
Winters had the opportunity to at-
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tend the EFMA conference this year and says it is a great networking opportunity, and a great way see how other districts operate. She says the conference provides a lot of information and feedback, and it’s nice to meet the vendors, and see new products on the market.
On a typical day, Winters starts with some administrative office work and then performs site visits to address any issues and see that caretakers are following safe work procedures. “Each day involves ensuring the caretakers are fine and that schools are clean,” she says. “It’s a problem-solving type of job, so if you like that you will love the work.” Ronald Lam, energy specialist, School District #35, Langley.
Ronald Lam transitioned into his position with the Langley school district from a co-op student in June 2015 after receiving his Masters of Engineering from UBC. In his position, he observes the electrical consumption and natural gas consumption in an effort to reduce energy consumption.
“My energy manager and I walk through schools to observe behaviours to see how we can reduce our electrical consumption.”
Behaviours such as leaving the lights on in an empty classroom, or a lone person eating lunch in a lab with all the lights on are deemed unnecessary. “It’s actually very interesting and a big eye-opener to see how energy is consumed,” he says.
Not all districts have an energy management team. The Langley school district is one of the bigger districts with 45 schools, and Lam says working in schools is an interesting way to learn about energy management.
His team is currently working on an eight-school pilot project to educate and change energy consumption behaviour. Depending on the success and findings of the pilot project, Lam hopes to expand it to more schools throughout SD #35.
Lam says he attended the EFMA conference as a co-op student and looks forward to being a part of the association. He says he joined the EFMA to meet people from other districts, and learn about what projects they are working on. He also is more than happy to take advantage of the weather and lakes of Penticton while
he’s there.
Matt Garbelya, assistant maintenance manager, School District #23, Central Okanagan.
Matt Garbelya began his new position as assistant maintenance manager in June 2015 after approximately 13 years as a mechanical coordinator with the Central Okanagan school district.
“I was coordinating for many years,
~ Gordana Vuckovic supervisor facilities services, School District #35, Langley
I wanted a change with some different responsibilities.”
He says with this position he is still in the business of coordinating, but now he works with a much larger group of people. “Before I dealt with 12 guys, now I have somewhere around 50 people reporting to me.” He says this means the phone is always ringing and the emails are constant.
A typical day for Garbelya includes responding to calls from principals, reviewing invoices, and checking up on the crews, and he says he enjoys solving issues. “You have to act fairly quickly, but we have budget protocols so you just can’t turn around and say yes to things. You have to consider your limitations.”
He joined the EFMA after a recommendation from a co-worker, but Garbelya has not yet had the opportunity to attend the EFMA conference or utilize the resources of the association, but is looking forward to next year. “I started on June 1st, so the summer was a bit of a whirlwind, but things are starting to calm down.”
With bigger responsibilities, a bigger team, and more issues to fix, Garbelya says it’s the attitudes of his colleagues that help make the fast-paced environment enjoyable.
“We have a good manager, a good energy manager, and everyone works together very well here.” b
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