Tommy Gallegos
It is truly amazing what a simple field trip can accomplish. Facilities Services arranged to send the Grounds Department to visit the Dallas Arboretum for a day. The Business Office called the arboretum to inquire about ticket prices and got a really big surprise —there would be no charge for our staff. All we had to do was to fill-out the necessary forms, and they were off on their field trip.
In the days leading up to their trip, I noticed the staff was getting excited about the opportunity that was provided for them. This was the first time they would enjoy such an experience as a form of staff development. The staff inquired about what to expect and was very curious about the size of the facility.
The morning of the trip, Juan Sanchez, grounds supervisor, made sure his crew provided the campus with its early morning sprucing. I was very impressed with their dedication in doing this work before they left the campus for the day. They are always very willing to make sure the campus is in tip-top shape. At around 9 a.m., they took off to spend the rest of the day at the arboretum. They made their way back to campus around 2 p.m.
To see their faces and how impressed they were by the presentation at the arboretum was worth a million dollars. The Dallas Arboretum staff provided our personnel with a guided tour covering their full facility. Our staff mentioned all the beautiful flowers and how well groomed it all was. They got great ideas for our campus and are eager to see some of them applied at Brookhaven College.
It reminded me just how important a simple field trip can be in promoting good will. The Grounds Department at Brookhaven College is worth a million of those field trips. We want them to know that on a daily basis.
Grounds Department staff members include Juan Sanchez, Larry Hurtado, Enor Mandujano, Jose Garcia, Ausencio Sanchez and Jose Ugalde.
