Auxiliary Adviser

"Providing Services That Power Education"
Volume 1, Issue 7
July 2001

Welcome Back

"My job is to come in and clear a path for our guys to do what they need to do," said Joe Desormeaux, the new senior director for maintenance and operations. "I find the resources employees need and then let them go out and do their thing."

Desormeaux (pronounced "desire more") is excited to be back in Raleigh where he earned his mechanical engineering degree from N.C. State University 20-plus years ago. Since then, he has climbed up the ranks to facility maintenance director at the Kelly Air Force Base in Texas.

"With his extensive facility and maintenance experience, Joe will be a tremendous asset to our team," said Ray Massey, associate superintendent for auxiliary services.

Desormeaux's transition to the school system should be fairly smooth due to the similarities between his position with the Air Force and the new one here. He managed 350 engineers and technicians (civilians and military) through six directors; led the privatization of water, sewer, gas, and electric utilities with the city of San Antonio; and supported "Team Kelly" - 20,000 personnel, an airfield and 15 million square feet in over 560 facilities.

By comparison, the Wake County Public School System has 126 campuses, over 500 school and administrative buildings, and more than 500 mobiles, totaling over 14 million square feet. Here, the three school system maintenance directors will report directly to Desormeaux, who in turn will report to the assistant superintendent for facilities, Mike Burriss. As of July 2, Desormeaux will be stationed in the Operations Building at Rock Quarry Road.

According to Desormeaux, one of his greatest accomplishments with the Air Force is building a 2,000-person tent-city and aircraft parking ramp in the desert during Operation Desert Storm. "It took everyone working together toward a common goal," he said. Similarly, maintenance and operations will be successful if everyone works together.

Desormeaux attributes joining the Air Force to two factors: his father was in the Air Force and he received a ROTC scholarship at NCSU. After graduating from NCSU, he earned his master's degree in information resource management from Webster University in Florida. Next stop for Desormeaux was the Kelly Air Force Base. Now, on board with WCPSS, he is searching for a home in Wake County with his wife, Amy, and his daughter who will be entering middle school in the fall.

Miss Popularity

With each issue, our Auxiliary Adviser newsletter grows more and more popular! I continue to receive positive feedback from people inside and outside of the Auxiliary Services Division. As the newsletter's readership grows, it provides a great opportunity to share your message. If you have an article to include, please e-mail it to kwood@wcpss.net.

Currently, the newsletter is e-mailed to subscribers in the school system and the community; and posted on the Intranet, Internet, and Auxiliary Services Tao bulletin board. A hard copy of the Adviser is also posted on bulletin boards in the Maintenance and Facilities Buildings, placed in each maintenance shop's box, and one is sent to the head custodian and child nutrition staff at each school.

To have the newsletter e-mailed to you directly, simply send an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject line, to kwood@wcpss.net.

It's All Good

Maximo training is in full swing and going extremely well. Currently, Denise Boughton is teaching an average of three classes a day for the schools and the comments have been positive.

"I haven't heard any negatives. Actually, everyone is coming out of class saying it is much easier that they expected," said Boughton. The schools are excited to see the status of work orders, and that gives maintenance employees reason to be happy, she said.

A review class for select maintenance staff will be held July 5 and July 10 at 1 p.m. Please let Boughton (dboughton@wcpss.net) know which date works best for you. Maximo's go-live date for all schools is scheduled for July 30, 2001.

Strawberry Fields

North Carolina's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner visited Dillard Drive Middle School, May 29, to promote locally-grown strawberries as part of the "Farm to School" program.

Decked out in a strawberry-red suit, Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps ate lunch in the cafeteria, helping herself to plenty of state-grown strawberries, before speaking to several classes. She asked a 7th-grade science class how many of them ate strawberries at lunch. "You were eating strawberries grown right here in our state. I know our farmers really appreciate it," said Phipps.

WCPSS Child Nutrition purchases strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and broccoli for school breakfast and lunch through the "Farm to School" program.

Phipps discussed the food pyramid, the history of the strawberry and several fruit facts. Strawberries can be grown in all 100 counties in NC, which ranks fourth in the country for the number of strawberries we grow, she said. Students were quick to name their favorite ways to eat strawberries - in smoothies, yogurt and dipped in chocolate.

WCPSS has participated in the farm program since the NC Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense established it several years ago. The program seeks out local farmers who produce large volumes of fresh fruits and vegetables with the purpose of introducing students to locally grown products and supporting local farmers.

"Roofer Guy" Takes Charge

"It's a new day," said Greg Clark, the new director for general services as of May 2001. "We're going down the right road - bringing services closer to home."

The goal to move services back to school sites, he explained, is tied to the division's vision "providing services that power education." Locating maintenance employees at the schools, as opposed to all at Rock Quarry, improves response time and enables employees to learn particular campuses, address preventive maintenance and plan accordingly. "You'll end up with jack-of-all-trades at the schools and the licensed tradesmen at Rock Quarry Road," said Clark.

A year ago maintenance began a pilot cluster program to do just that - bring services to the schools. Each cluster has four maintenance people assigned to it: three multi-tasked employees (MTEs) and one area facility manager (AFM). AFMs report to a regional facility manager. Five to seven schools form a cluster, and four of five clusters make a region.

Clark hopes to have personnel in place to roll out a new region of 28 or 29 schools by the end of July. Although the director of building and grounds also has a region of 29 schools (southern Wake), it will still take some time before the program covers the entire system.

Part of the reorganization of maintenance and operations Clark has been charged with includes bringing parity in salaries to those in trades - both tradesmen at Rock Quarry and those in the cluster program.

As maintenance prepares to reorganize, Clark wants to clear up some misconceptions in his new department. "Your job isn't going away. What you do tomorrow may be a little different than today, but your job isn't going away."

In addition to managing the general services' trades, Clark, often referred to as the "roofer guy," will carry roofing projects over from his previous role as construction project manager. Although it is a heavy load, "it's the right thing to do," said Clark. "I want to make sure the projects keep moving." Clark's roofing work should finish in about 18 months and a new project manager started in mid June to help handle the day-to-day roofing operations.

General services includes the following areas: AV repair, carpentry, fire extinguishers, flooring, furniture repair, glass repair, intercoms, locks, masonry, master clocks/bells, millwork, painting, roofing, smoke/fire alarms, and vehicle repair.

Clark has served WCPSS since 1984, when he began as a masonry foreman. Since then, he spent 10 years as a general services supervisor and another four years as a construction project manager before being named director of general services.

Clark traveled with a band for a year-and-a-half between graduating high school in Chesterton, Indiana, and beginning college. But, he did not just go to college…. He worked for Inland Steel while he studied business management at Indiana University and management and drafting at Indiana Vocational Technical College. Starting as a labor foreman at Inland, he worked through a masonry apprenticeship and two years as a masonry supervisor before moving to North Carolina.

Now, married with three children and a new granddaughter, Clark knows he has much to be thankful for.

All Hail the Chief

Wake County schools' director of environmental health and safety was named president of the North Carolina chapter of the Environmental Information Association, May 30.

Frank Koontz will represent not only the school system, but all of N.C. as head of the non-profit organization, advocating for environmental issues and regulations. WCPSS is the only active participating school system in the state chapter, and is one of the few that attends the EIA national conference.

"My goals are to increase chapter membership and improve communications," said Koontz. The NC/EIA is in the process of granting two scholarships to students in the environmental science field. In addition, 40 active members contributed $1,000 for flood relief in eastern N.C. and are organizing a workday to help further.

Koontz was nominated by the board and elected by the whole chapter. Last year he was named president-elect and for the past three years, he has served as a board member of the NC/EIA.

He has a long history with WCPSS and public schools in general. After going to Western Carolina for his undergraduate degree, and NCSU for graduate degrees, Koontz taught elementary and middle school. He spent the next 24 years as an elementary principal - 20 of those years were served here in Wake County. Koontz has been the director of environmental management since 1994.

His wife is a fourth-grade teacher in Wake County, and his two children were educated here before graduating college and entering the business world. For more information on NC/EIA, please visit www.nceia.org.

Our Own Roads Scholar

The Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) named Ricky Beasley, building and grounds grading foreman, a North Carolina Roads Scholar, May 23, 2001.

Beasley received this honor for significantly increasing his knowledge of road maintenance procedures and improving his technical and managerial skills. He successfully completed seven of the 12 Roads Scholar courses offered through the North Carolina Technology Transfer Center at ITRE.

The Roads Scholar Program is funded through a Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

Jenny, Don't Forget My Number

The school system has a process for tracking long distance telephone calls and for reimbursing the system for local mobile phone calls as well as all personal emergency long distance calls. Please share this information with your co-workers and comply with the guidelines.
· Employees should only use school system telephones to make personal long distance calls in the event of an emergency (Source: Wake County Finance Manual).
· Employees are required to keep a phone log to record all long distance telephone calls made from school system telephones, with the exception of mobile cellular or digital phones.
· Employees must submit their individual monthly phone log to their immediate supervisor at the end of every month.
· Supervisors must submit their individual phone logs for their department employees to Peggy Johnson in the Risk Management Department each month.
· Employees will be responsible for reimbursing the Wake County Public School System for all personal long distance calls made from school system phones. For actual charges, request a copy of your phone bill from Peggy Johnson at 850-1808.
· Employees must review their mobile cellular and digital telephone bills monthly and clearly mark all personal local and long distance calls. Approve bills for payment and submit them to the accounting department for processing. Include reimbursement for all personal local or long distance calls. Reimbursement must be at the rate per minute established by your service provider.

Thank you for helping us manage our telephone use in a responsible way.

Just Say No

If you want to stop receiving junk e-mail, this site may help: http://www.unsubscribelist.com/.

Cool It
By Robin Pace

Summer is here, and we can expect the usual 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity days. Certain individuals are at greater risk of developing heat-related problems during these conditions.

The very young and elderly have a more difficult time adjusting to extremely high temperatures, as do obese individuals and those who are out of shape. "People who work outside for extended periods need to be cautious and especially aware of their body's physical changes and what they mean," said Dr. Randy Stephens, prominent local physician and triathlete.

To stay cool and avoid heat emergencies, drink plenty of fluids, especially water. If you are at risk, stay out of the sun as much as possible during the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Stephens also recommends using sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or greater to avoid sunburn (and skin cancer in the future). If you must be outside during extreme heat, take frequent breaks in a shady, cooler location.

The three most common heat-related emergencies are heat cramps (least serious), heat exhaustion (serious) and heat stroke (very serious).

HEAT CRAMPS
Symptoms: Muscle cramps and heavy perspiration
Actions: Move to a cooler place, sip water, rest affected muscle(s)

Heat cramps are muscular pain and spasms due to heavy exertion, usually involving the abdominal muscles or legs. This condition is caused by loss of water and salt (when sweating). Heat cramps can usually be avoided by increasing fluid intake when active in hot weather.

HEAT EXHAUSTION
Symptoms: Cool, pale and clammy skin; heavy perspiration; headache; dizziness; nausea
Actions: Move to a cool place, sip cool water, apply coldpacks/ towels, elevate legs, and seek medical attention if no improvement in 30 minutes

Heat exhaustion is more serious than heat cramps. It is caused by fluid loss, which decreases blood flow to vital organs, resulting in a form of shock. IMPORTANT: WHILE HEAT EXHAUSTION IS NOT A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY LIKE HEAT STROKE, IT CAN PROGRESS TO HEAT STROKE IF LEFT UNTREATED!

HEAT STROKE
Symptoms: Skin is hot and dry, little or no perspiration, loss of consciousness, fast and weak pulse, fast and shallow breathing Actions: Call 911 immediately, move to a cool place, elevate head and shoulders, cool the victim as quickly as possible (wrap in wet sheets or towels, etc.)

This is the most serious type of heat emergency. It is LIFE THREATENING and requires immediate and aggressive treatment! Heat stroke occurs when the body's heat-regulating mechanism fails. The body temperature rises so high that brain damage - and death - may result unless the body is cooled quickly.

By learning to recognize the symptoms of heat-related medical emergencies, and how to treat each condition, you minimize the chance of overheating this summer. During the upcoming hot and humid days, please stay cool, look out for vulnerable fellow workers and citizens, and offer assistance.

Auxiliary Services Division
Vision
Providing Services That Power Education

Mission Statement
Provide quality facilities and support services to ensure safe, healthy, inviting and optimal learning environments.

Goals
1) Recruit and retain qualified employees
2) Secure funding to provide quality facilities and support services
3) Provide a safe and comfortable working environment