2022 Outstanding Unit

The Lake Campus Facilities staff, from left: Ed Morris, Russ Kerfoot, Gary Westgerdes, Kerry Zuercher, Brandon Oakes and Dennis Ray.

The Lake Campus Facilities staff received the 2022 Outstanding Unit Award for the incredible impact they have on the appearance of the Lake Campus grounds. Their hard work ensures that the campus makes a good first impression on prospective students and their families.

While most faculty and staff who work at the Lake Campus are not directly involved with the groundskeeping team, the Facilities staff’s work and efforts are appreciated by everyone.

Over the past two and a half years, the Facilities staff have made an incredible effort to update the look and branding of the Lake Campus.

These efforts include indoor and outdoor work, including large painting projects, rearranging of furniture, hanging outdoor banners and murals and maintaining outdoor spaces. With each of these projects comes a large amount of preparation, including planning, prepping walls, taking down items and more.

Regardless of the project, the Facilities team is responsive, quick to act, kind and understanding. Lake Campus staff say the team members are awesome and always do a wonderful job. The projects, colleagues say, always come out beautifully.

Recently, the Facilities staff installed lighting to make the campus and residential areas safer for all. They have also improved parking lot pavement and paths across the Lake Campus, making the campus more accessible.

Facilities staff members understand that while the appearance of campus is not directly tied to academics, the Lake Campus’ appearance makes an important first impression. Facilities staff go above and beyond what is required to make sure everything on the campus, from the grounds to the classroom spaces, looks beautiful.

Over the last six years, the Facilities staff has also worked with Lake Campus Housing to address maintenance needs in residential buildings.