Behind the walls of academic achievements, sports, and all experiences that students go through, there is a story waiting to be told. Within the school, there is a group of dedicated individuals whose work sometimes goes unnoticed. They are the Facilities Team.
They help out with security, teaching, and pitch in with skilled labor. The role entails tasks ranging from something as small as cleaning a spill or bringing tissues from classroom to classroom, to a job as demanding as bringing in larger pieces of equipment and hanging them up.
Facility team member Dante Biagini ’14 said, “The dynamic nature of my role entails varied responsibilities each day, ensuring there’s always something new and engaging for our team to be a part of.”
Throughout the summer, the team did a lot of work to help make the school clean and ready for the school year.
Director and Leader of the Plant/Facilities Team Brandon Ramsey said, “This summer, we focused on the library, courtyard, and a little bit of work on the cafeteria in preparation for this summer. We were also able to finish the renovation projects for all the classrooms, do some flooring in the science room. That’s all the main composites.”
He added, “We worked on the heating to insolent the pipes and try to get a better heating system, and new carpeting and paint in the dormitories.”
Even though the team completed these many tasks, they make sure that all maintenance needs are addressed efficiently without compromising quality or safety standards.
Jeff Ramirez, who is also part of the Facilities Team, said, “The summers are usually very busy with helping the process or remodeling certain areas of the school.”
Regarding the physical demands of the job, Ramirez added, “Stretching and eating properly has to become part of the routine if I want to perform well at my job.”
2020 was especially demanding for the team, as they carried out a variety of projects simultaneously, with only two people. “So many things were getting done at once while only with a staff of two. We were putting in 12 to 14 hour days, which was extremely physically demanding,” remarked Ramirez.
Some of the projects for 2020 included preparing for the girls after the coed transition, and for COVID-19.
Ramsey explained, “We had to work on the locker room project, to get that going and come up with a temporary option in the bathrooms in order to create two women’s bathrooms for that. All the while prepping for COVID with spacing, signing age, supplies and everything for that.”
The role the Facilities Team contributes to the school is silent, but vital to Riordan’s prospering community. Their contributions and dedication affect every part of school, and even though students might not notice the differences, it makes a quite significant impact.
Religious Studies instructor Joshua Keeney was one of the teachers who had his classroom remodeled this summer. He said, “They are responsive and quick to help, in whatever I request of them or ask of them, and they’re a positive presence here on campus.”
