SPOTLIGHT ON A MCCS STAR

The June, 2008 "MCCS Star of the Month" is Facilities Director Thomas Minaudo. Tom has worked for the district for almost eighteen years.

Tom is the District's facilities director responsible for all aspects of building maintenance and appearance. He is responsible for preparing schedules for adequate custodial and maintenance staff at each building, and supervising the work of about twenty individuals.

Tom was born at the Mount Clemens General Hospital in Mount Clemens, Michigan and he says that he has lived around here all of his life. Currently he lives in Clinton Township with his wife, Annette, and his children. Tom says that as of June 11, 2008, he and his wife have been married for twenty-five years. The longevity of his marriage gives you an important clue about Tom. He is very much a family man who really enjoys spending time with his family. His youngest son is a very good baseball player who plays in a travel league, and despite the enormous commitment in time, Tom says that he likes to watch his son's games. Tom was a good baseball player when he was a "younger man", but he says that he played left field and had to give up the game when he "threw his shoulder out".

Tom's job as Facilities Director also requires a tremendous commitment in time, and Tom receives calls at all hours of the day and night. Tom is responsible for providing the day to day supervision and management of the custodial staff and maintenance staff who work in all of our buildings, including snow removal, grass cutting, tree trimming, plumbing and all other maintenance issues that come up. He and his staff are also responsible for keeping our buildings functioning properly, clean and safe.

Like many of us in public education, Tom's job requires him to perform a wide variety of duties. Recently Tom was sent to a conference in Baltimore, Maryland to obtain information about emergency response procedures and building safety and security. Tom has also been extensively involved in the construction of the many bond projects and improvements that have been going on in the District the past few years. He has also been instrumentally involved in the construction and opening of the Cairns Community Center. More recently, Tom has been involved in a project to install security cameras and "card reader" door access controls in each of our school buildings. The system was designed after Tom and the District's architect met with building principals and the District's safety personnel to determine where electronic security was needed. In another project, Tom is involved in the improvement of the outside appearance of the secondary complex. A distinct "entrance" sign will be installed on the western end of the secondary complex, the Cass Avenue side of the building will be nicely landscaped, and the small parking lot adjacent to the now demolished administration building will be improved. As you can tell, Tom is involved in many aspects of the operation of the school district. He has been described as a "pretty straight up" guy, who is really committed to his job.

Tom has a background in heating, ventilation and air conditioning. He has retained his EPA's refrigeration license that allows him to purchase Freon gas and service chillers and refrigerators.

Tom's favorite hobbies include hunting, fishing, boating and golf. He does not like winter sports. He is an avid "bow hunter" who says that he really enjoys being out in the woods during the fall. He has a friend who has some acreage up near Wolverine Lake, and he really likes to get up there with his friends. He says that he also likes to fish for perch and walleyes in the St. Clair River. Tom takes great pride in his work and he is committed to maintaining a clean, safe and orderly environment for our staff and students. While it is sometimes easy to overlook the vitally important roles that "support staff" play in the operation of our schools, in Mr. Minaudo's case, his personal motivation, enthusiasm and commitment to the District make him an exceptionally valuable addition to our educational community.

When you see Tom out in your building, as you certainly will, take a minute to talk with him, and commend the excellence that he demonstrates to all of us every day.