Grounds Department responsible for beauty
If you’ve been outside lately you’ve likely noticed the bounty of vibrant spring flowers planted across campus by MUSC’s Grounds Department. Under the direction of Tom Thurman, MUSC grounds supervisor, the 13 employees of the Grounds Department maintain more than 65 acres of landscaped areas throughout the MUSC campus.In addition to planting flowers throughout the year, the Grounds Department performs all of MUSC’s landscaping needs including mowing, tree trimming and replacement, planting shrubs, litter control, pest and weed control, and landscape construction. They also maintain the landscapes of several off-campus MUSC properties, including Fort Johnson and Arco Lane.
The
Grounds Shop is presented with a trophy honoring the shop for being
selected
as the Engineering and Facilities Shop of the Quarter for the fourth
quarter
of 2004. From left are: Bruce Mills, Michael Carcueva, Tim Farmer, Jim
Strobel, Richard VanDross, Benjamin Coleman, Paul Grant, John
Groover,
Gerhard Shanks, Garan Woods, and Tom Thurman. Not pictured: Michael
Buttel,
Jackie Brown, James Horne, Isiah White, and George Melfi.
The Grounds Department provides vital services to the MUSC community during emergencies. Last fall they worked through the threat of three separate hurricanes to prevent destruction to MUSC’s buildings and grounds. For each storm they worked around the clock to fill and place hundreds of sandbags across campus, minimizing flood damage. They also tied down loose objects and once the storm threats passed, cleaned up debris.
The
Grounds Department supports the MUSC community during special events as
well as ensuring the campus looks its best for each event. Last year,
they
repotted hundreds of flowers in the early hours before the graduation
ceremony
due to a last minute vendor error. They also assisted with the rapid
set-up
and removal of chairs and barriers, which allowed the horseshoe area to
quickly reopen after the ceremony.
Ranked number one in customer satisfaction in the most recent
Engineering
and Facilities campus survey, the members of the Grounds Department
often
work off-hours and weekends, rain or shine to complete tasks with
minimal
disruption to the MUSC community.
Friday, April 15, 2005
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