Catawba College’s Facilities Department was recognized Thursday, Feb. 17 during a community meeting held on campus.   The department received the third annual Extreme Maintenance Makeover from the MPACT Learning Center in Greensboro in recognition of the challenges it has overcome and the efforts it has made to improve the service component of the department over the past three years.

Joel Leonard, president of MPACT and a self-proclaimed “Maintenance Evangelist,” told faculty and staff members gathered that the award was originally created to recognize “the humble crafts of a profession (maintenance and facilities) that is often underappreciated.”   Catawba, he said, was the first educational institution to receive the award.

“We’re trying to get the word out that maintenance is a valuable profession,” Leonard explained, “and we’re quite privileged to be able to do this.   The true value of a good facilities maintenance department is not in the problems that they solve but in the problems that never arise.”

In making the presentation, Leonard quoted John Gardner, the former secretary of health, education and welfare in the administration of U.S. President Jimmy Carter:   “The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, yet tolerates shoddiness in philosophy, because philosophy is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing or good philosophy; neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”

Catawba’s Facilities Department is under the direction of Henry Haywood and includes James Allison, Brian Beaver, Carl Beaver, Lynn Beaver, Patsy Blackwelder, Doreen Blakeney, Dale Boardman, Jerry Boger, Taft Brown, Jerissa Clifton, Howard Collins, Rebecca Drye, Joseph Endres, Nick Foltz, Jeffrey Hartley, Tony Hillian, Norman Hodges, Joseph Hollopeter, David Kirkland, Bill Kluttz, Connie McCullen, Geraldine Mitchell, Sherri Morgan, Tammy Mowery, David Najarian, Mike Overcash, Sandra Owen, Willie Page, Margie Perry, Matt Stephens, Deborah Stinson, Beth Stipe, Cameron Thomas, Gene Trexler, Billy White, and Terrence Yarngo.

Catawba College’s Facilities Department was recognized Thursday, Feb. 17 during a community meeting held on campus.   The department received the third annual Extreme Maintenance Makeover from the MPACT Learning Center in Greensboro in recognition of the challenges it has overcome and the efforts it has made to improve the service component of the department over the past three years.

Joel Leonard, president of MPACT and a self-proclaimed “Maintenance Evangelist,” told faculty and staff members gathered that the award was originally created to recognize “the humble crafts of a profession (maintenance and facilities) that is often underappreciated.”   Catawba, he said, was the first educational institution to receive the award.

“We’re trying to get the word out that maintenance is a valuable profession,” Leonard explained, “and we’re quite privileged to be able to do this.   The true value of a good facilities maintenance department is not in the problems that they solve but in the problems that never arise.”

In making the presentation, Leonard quoted John Gardner, the former secretary of health, education and welfare in the administration of U.S. President Jimmy Carter:   “The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, yet tolerates shoddiness in philosophy, because philosophy is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing or good philosophy; neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”

Catawba’s Facilities Department is under the direction of Henry Haywood and includes James Allison, Brian Beaver, Carl Beaver, Lynn Beaver, Patsy Blackwelder, Doreen Blakeney, Dale Boardman, Jerry Boger, Taft Brown, Jerissa Clifton, Howard Collins, Rebecca Drye, Joseph Endres, Nick Foltz, Jeffrey Hartley, Tony Hillian, Norman Hodges, Joseph Hollopeter, David Kirkland, Bill Kluttz, Connie McCullen, Geraldine Mitchell, Sherri Morgan, Tammy Mowery, David Najarian, Mike Overcash, Sandra Owen, Willie Page, Margie Perry, Matt Stephens, Deborah Stinson, Beth Stipe, Cameron Thomas, Gene Trexler, Billy White, and Terrence Yarngo.