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鈥攅ven 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鈥攖hey鈥檙e 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鈥檝e 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鈥檙e 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.