Stephen Ankoma and Quan Lee for restoring a unit at JBKO: “They were efficient, polite, and left everything the way they found it!”
Joe Pack and team for repairing a door Hinge at 2208 F St: “They came to fix the problem. They troubleshooted, and it took maybe 15 minutes. They were quick and effective”
Conor Doremus for resetting a lock at Amsterdam Hall: “Good/fast timing. Didn’t even see the worker. Appreciate the work.”
Jose Melgar for fixing a leaky toilet at Shenkman Hall: “Great technician thank you very much!”
Edward Thompson and Christopher Gammon fixing the A/C and thermostat issue at Dakota: “The crew came buy and quickly fixed our AC issue with great customer service. They were extremely helpful in helping me understand how to use the unit. Shoutout to the guys that came they were fantastic.”
Jose Melgar for unclogging a bathroom sink at Shenkman Hall and restoring water pressure: “Fast, quick, and successful”
George Clemmons for removing spiders in an International House bathroom: “George did a great job! And was very kind when greeting us”
Jeffrey Kinard his attentiveness in fixing an A/C unit at Somers Hall: “We appreciated the timely manner in which our AC was fixed and the technician even left a nice note telling us why hot air was coming out.”
Gary Lee and Stephen Ankomafor for adjusting the temperature in a South Hall dorm: “This is the only time Fix-it technicians have actually listened to our needs. Gary and Stephen were extremely courteous and solved our AC situation that has been an issue since last fall. I was told last fall that nothing could be done about it being hot in our dorm, but Gary and Stephen found the issue and fixed it.”
Leule Ambaye for securing the door hinges and locks all bathrooms door in a Thurston Hall dorm: “It was done in an extremely quick fashion and it works perfectly now.”
Bobby Brown for repairing 3 major wall issues at a Thurston dorm: “Bobby was an incredible person and did an amazing repair.”
Roderick Garrett Jr for repairing interior lights and a cord switch at Madison Hall: “My technician was very friendly, a very hard worker and a pleasure to be around!!”
Crystal Brown for replacing a window screen at Madison Hall: “I heard from my roommates the worker, Crystal, was very polite, so that is a bonus.”
Christopher Gammon for restoring cool air to a room at Madison Hall: “Very fast and polite.”
It’s the time for recognition! Congrats to this weeks Kudos recipients!
Julio Martinez for creating a new insert sign for a cubicle at Ross Hall: “The tech went above and beyond, even repairing one of the plate (blue part)”
Terry Snowden for repairing an office desk at USC: “Nice and quick”
Edwin Hernandez and Duke Nyangau for restoring the A/C at a room in FSK: “Excellent and professional staff, completed the task effectively and in a timely manner, and did not leave a mess”
Carl Bryant and Brian Johnson for assisting with a minor move at USC: “Brian and Carl are always quick and responsive!”
Eric Hamilton for swapping out a broken refrigerator at Somers Hall: “I’m very impressed with the speed and quality of the help I received.”
Jesse Bargas, Christopher Gammon and Alvaro Loza for replacing an in suite A/C unit at Dakota: “The fix-it workers were amazing. My suitemates and I had no AC in our dorm and were becoming miserable. The fix-it workers were so kind, professional, and caring, They really assured us that even when they left, that they were not leaving us and would come back to solve our problem. They are amazing GW staff members”
Ethan Ophir for delivering a new trashcan to a customer at FSK: “Really fast support and worker who delivered my new trashcan was super nice and lovely!”
Stephen Ankoma and Aries Taylor for replacing an old A/C unit in a dorm at 1959 F Street. : “Completely fixed the issue and were very nice !”
Roderick Garrett Jr for replacing bedroom lights at Shenkman Hall: “The technician was absolutely wonderful, he was very helpful and went above and beyond.”
Jose Ventura for installing a new medicine cabinet and providing a missing plunger in Potomac House: “It was a great experience and the worker was very nice, professional, and timely.”
William McKnight for replacing a broken thermostat at Thurston: “There was very good communication on when the technicians would be around to help and my issue was gotten back to in one day.”
Jose Ventura for his assistance in locking a stubborn window and replacing the window screen: “Technician was very kind and went above and beyond! Thank you!”
Charles Johnson and William Vigil for fixing a toilet at Merriweather Hall “It was fixed really fast. I really appreciate the speediness.”
Valerie White for her management on a relocation project to Support Building: “Valerie is always willing to go the extra mile, and she does it with enthusiasm!”
Anthony Jones for replacing a series of interior lights at Shenkman Hall: “This technician was outstanding. Courteous, respectful, and kind. He was short one bulb and actually left and returned with the last one. He went above and beyond. Please give kudos.”
Antoine Swilling for inspecting building L and placing roach traps: “Thank you so much for the prompt visit!”
Andrea Smith for vacuuming an office at 1922 F St: “Thank you!”
Anthony Jones for his assistance restoring power to a room in Shenkman Hall: He was very helpful and very nice”
Rodderick Garrett Jr for replacing a damaged GFCI and thus returning power to International House: “The electrician that came and replaced our outlet was absolutely amazing. He was so nice and helpful. He even explained the issue with one of our outlets in layman’s terms, which I really appreciated. This was the best fixit experience I’ve ever had.”
Anthony Baylor for restoring water pressure to a bathroom sink at District house: “It was so easy and quick! We waited one day for someone to come fix the sink and when he got here, he was very polite. He had the sink working in 2 minutes!”
Good vibes continue to roll in through the FixIt survey. Keep up the great work and thanks for setting a good example to the people listed below!
Thomas Queen and facilities team for their quick responses.
Christopher Gammon for fixing the A/C in Amsterdam: “Chris was my technician and he was swift, respectful, and capable.”
Gerson Parralez for getting the A/C back up and running at 1922 F St: “Thanks for the speedy response and fix!”
Raymond Wallace and Souk Vongs for replacing an arm on an instructor chair at Innovation Hall.: “Appreciate the speed at which the request was completed. Thank you.”
Julio Bonilla for creating detailed signage for BIG at Support Building : “Julio Bonilla always does a five-star job with his signage! He is detail-oriented and exact about his work, which serves him well.”
Jose Avila, Terrence Branch and the Gworld Team for their attentiveness and assistance fixing an electric door lock at The Fowler Career Center: “We had several people follow up so we felt very taken care of! Thank you!”
Aaron Ferebee for repairing a soap dispenser at 2013 H St: “He did a great job”
Terrence Branch for providing an additional key for a customer at Samson Hall: “Thank you for the quick response.”
Michael Akyea for his assistance and communication regarding the replacement of inteiror lights at SEH: “I mainly worked with Mike in electrical and he was great. Very communicative about what needed to be done and any delays that would hit the timeline.”
Mike Okoh and Kevin Moorefield for their timely service getting the elevators at Jacob Burns Law Library back online: “The service we received was timely, quick, professional and courteous, and having the elevator brought back online so quickly was a help to the entire law school. Thank you very much for your assistance with this issue.”
Freddy Espinoza and Gerson Parralez for regulating the A/C in an office at MPA : “Process was handled very quickly, thank you.”
Carl Bryant and Brian Johnson for their assitance on a minor move at Support Building: “Brian and Carl are always efficient and attentive to our specific needs. They think smart and work smart!”
Tim Lindsey and Souk Vongs for placing rolling trash bins at Research Place: “Unbelievably great service”
Anthony Hillman, Brian Johnson and Victor Saunders for their help with a bulk trash pickup at 814 20th St: “The gentlemen who came for my lift were professional, kind, and very fun, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly after I submitted the request that I got the call to coordinate the pickup. 10/10 for the team!”
Raymond Wallace for fixing the A/C at Research Place: “service was way above what was expected – cannot be more appreciative”
Julio Martinez for creating and installing a new cubicle sign at Ross Hall: “Placard was delivered promptly”
Charles Johnson for replacing lights at a West Hall bathroom: “He was lovely and super quick. Thank you!”
Lavern Mason, Ebony Malone and team for their event set up and support during a retirement party at SEH: ” Ebony Malone and her crew were on top of their game! Our big retirement party ran smoothly, thanks to their preparation in plenty of time and their ongoing attention to the cleanliness of the lobby.”
Antoine Swilling for treating a room at Ross Hall for ants: “Fast, efficient, and professional”
Charles Johnson for unclogging a sink and shower drain at West Hall.: “Mr. Charles is AMAZING!!”
Jose Guzman for fixing the JBKO exterior door: “I appreciate how quickly this was addressed!!”
Souk Vongs and Raymond Wallace for assisting a customer with a minor move at Enterprise Hall: “The staff were professional, customer focused and super helpful.”
Quan Le for fixing the A/C at an office in Phillips Hall: “Thank you for repairing the HVAC in my office efficiently.”
The reviews are in: Fall Move-In 2023 was a tremendous success. Baxter and Sharon have already shared their praise for all the work that went into getting our campuses ready, but we thought we’d add a little more context with numbers and pictures. The effort and thought that went into the whole process is truly impressive, especially when compared to years gone by. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
Over 2,200 student FixIt requests have been completed since August 16.
Over 3,500 cards issued in person by the GWorld Office.
Another 2,500 cards preprinted and issued through Housing check-in sites.
About 1,300 VEX trips during move-in.
Nearly 1,500 meals served by the BIG admin. That includes about 500 breakfasts and almost 1000 lunches.
Almost 200 sets of windowsreplaced in residence hall student units.
Almost 130 beds added to Guthridge.
Almost 400 new lower bowl seats added to Smith Center.
1 new grocery market and 30 new banquettes added to District House.
3 new food venues, 70 new tables, and over 200 new chairs added to USC.
Over 700 shoppers at Sustainability’s first ever Reuse Market.
Almost 4,000 items given away at the Reuse Market. That’s nearly 6,000 pounds of home essentials, clothing, and kitchenware.
And here’s a quick look at busy DSF staff across campus, with special appearances by President Granberg and Vice Provost Coleman.
The positive reviews are still pouring in from earlier in 2023! Keep up the great work!
Terrence Branch for creating cabinet keys for Support Building: “Terry got the job done within a 24-hour period! Fastest ever! He is always so accommodating.”
Carlos Danbney for Vacuuming floor at Science and Engineering Hall: “Thanks so much!”
Raymond Wallace for fixing a door lock in Enterprise Hall: “Immediate service much appreciated.”
Julio Martinez for creating and installing new cubicle sign at Support Building: “Julio is always courteous and efficient and does an excellent job.”
Leule Ambaye for replacing a door holder at Bell Hall: “Thank you for the prompt service.”
Michael Akyea for replacing lamps at Ross Hall: “Mike always does a phenomenal job and has excellent customer service skills. He is friendly and a great electrician who is able to explain everything to me in laymans terms”
Julio Martinez for creating and installing a nameplate insert at Enterprise Hall: “It was quick”
Adolfo Palacios for changing the lock and securing the door to the roof at Tompkins Hall: “Great job, done very quickly and professionally”
Tony Standard for unclogging a bathroom sink in Francis Scott Key: “Thank you for handling this in a timely manner”
William Perez for fixing HVAC unit at Phillips Hall: “No problems. Thanks”
Giovanny Ruiz for fixing HVAC unit at Grad School Of Education and Human Development: “Not sure who did it, but it worked! The classrooms had air conditioning and the students rejoiced.”
Brian Johnson and Victor Saunders for completing a large ecycling pick up: “Thank you for completing this bulk waste electronics pickup this week. Warmly, Kris”
William Vigil for his maintenance service to a stove at West Hall: “thank you so much! I know it was something small but they were noticeably getting pretty bad and I didn’t want it to become a hazard. I’m glad it was handled quickly and am overall very appreciative!”
Yared Yirgu for fixing thermostat issue at Ross Hall: “Thank you for your follow-up and assistance.”
Jose Chevez for unclogging shower drain at South Hall: “Great and quick !”
Benyam Ngussie, Yared Yirgu and Stephen Ankoma for cooling several classrooms at Phillips Hall:”You got the job done! Thanks!”
Souk Vongs for replacing a Peloton bike seat at Enterprise Hall: ” Appreciate the immediate installation of the replacement bike seat post in the VSTC gym for safety reasons.”
Anthony Baylor for unclogging a toilet and shower drain at District House: “Timely and friendly, thank you”
Brian Johnson and Mark Jones for the bulk trash pick up at Support Building: ” Thank you!”
Brian Johnson and Mark Jones for the ecycling pickup at Science and Engineering Hall: “Thank You!”
Brian Johnson and Victor Saunders for ecycle pickup at Science and Engineering Hall: “Thank you for performing this bulk pickup quickly and cleanly.”
Roger White for his in person check in regarding an event set up at Enterprise: “I appreciate Roger checking in with me in person to ensure all was set up as requested. All needs met, thanks!”
Sara Bautista for doing a thorough vacuum at Enterprise Hall: “It looked beautiful – I was so embarrassed for spilling my nuts, but the cleanup was phenomenal. Thank you so much.”
Tim Lindsey and Souk Vongs for setting up and taking down a room at Exploration Hall: “We appreciate the immediate response to setting up and taking down the room for the Loudoun County Election Polling group which is scheduled 2-3 times a year.”
Souk Vongs for resetting a thermostat at Innovation Hall: “Technician was courteous and helpful.”
I want to take a moment to recognize your efforts and express my sincerest appreciation for a tremendously successful move-in. The planning, collaboration, hard work and, most of all, your dedication made this a truly extraordinary experience for our students and families. Compliments for this year’s move-in have been pouring in. And, importantly, the data shows that we are improving our performance year over year. As an example, let’s look at our move-in urgent and emergency work order phases. The number of phases reflects our level of readiness. During the 2021 move-in, we responded to 1,628 urgent & emergency work order phases. In 2022, we serviced 1,189 phases and this year, our move-in phases dropped to 884. That is a decrease of 46% since 2021 and is a clear indication of how much we have improved!
That level of improvement only happens through exceptional leadership, working towards a common purpose and a relentless pursuit of excellence. And I firmly believe that the Zone structure we established nearly two years ago is paying dividends. This year’s results prove that “Own Your Zone” is not just a slogan — it’s key to proactive maintenance, efficient customer service and continuous improvement. Equally important are the many building improvement projects (large and small) that occurred throughout the summer.
Of course, accomplishing such a feat is never about one department — it takes the entire FPCM team moving together towards the FPCM Mission: “Fostering an inviting campus environment through exemplary delivery of facilities services.” And this year’s move-in was truly a team effort. Facilities, Buildings and Grounds (FBG), Transportation and Logistics (T&L), Construction Management and Campus Planning (CM/CP), Utilities, Energy and Engineering (UEE), the Business Integration Group (BIG) and our ABM partners all played critical roles. Thanks to all of your efforts, the Academic year is off to a great start.
DSF: Here’s an opportunity to learn about our brand new President, Ellen M. Granberg, from her own point of view. Learn more about her professional journey in academia and industry, her early impressions and discussions with the GW community, and what leadership means to her at this pivotal moment in higher education. Dean Anuj Mehrotra will serve as moderator. Registration is required to attend.
Lets give a round of applause to this weeks Kudos Recipients!
Aaron Ferebee for repainting a kitchen faucet and replacing toilet at 1959 E ST: “he was great!”
Julio Martinez for creating and installing a new/updated cubicle sign at Support Building: “Julio used an old sign and was able to add a third name to it, therefore not wasting materials! I am always impressed by his work.”
Gary Lee and HVAC team for resetting a thermostat to cooling setting at South Hall: “The gentlemen who came in to fix our AC were swift and extremely polite. Would want them to come every time I had an issue.”
Carl Bryant, Brian Johnson, Mark Jones and Shaunte Wilkins assisting with move from Kogan Plaza to Student Center: “Brian, Carl and the rest of the team were a delight to work with”
Julio Martinez for creating and installing a new cubicle sign at Ross Hall: “Thank you”
Gregory Rinks for disconnecting smoke detector and rerouting to United Security: “Super prompt response!”
Jose Melgar for unclogging the bathroom sink drain at Madison Hall: “Great job, quick response and left much better than when it was working prior to the issue with the sink.”
Nestor Fuentes for Unclogging a bathtub drain at International House: “Very polite and professional. He explained what caused the issue clearly, and was quick and efficient in resolving the problem. Very happy with the service.”
Michael Akyea for replacing lights at Ross Hall: “Mike was great installing the light timer and fixing all lights out.”
The Event Set Up and Support Team for assisting in a move and set up at Science and Engineering Hall: “The guys came back quickly when we needed an extra table. They were the BEST!”
Esther Eshun for providing housekeeping services at Support Building: “Thank you so much!”
Anthony Bethea for patching and painting a wall in District House: “I wasn’t home when they came to fix the wall, but I came back and it looked brand new! A relief with move-out being soon.”
Jodien Gordon for repairing a dresser at Somers Hall: “The employee was very courteous and helpful!”
Tony Standard for mending a leaky valve at Guthridge Hall: “My technician was so kind— he not only fixed the issue professionally (a leak under my sink) but actually put the items that go under my sink back for me. He also fixed the water pressure on my bathroom sink as well after noticing it wasn’t very strong. I unfortunately did not get his name, but am so grateful for the kindness he showed me!”
Yared Yirgu for restoring lab to a comfortable temperature at Science and Engineering Hall: “GREAT”
Victor Aguilar for cleaning services to the white boards at Enterprise Hall: “The request was fulfilled in a timely manner.”
Yared Yirgu for fixing a thermostat issue at Ross Hall: “He was amazing!! He kept coming back to make sure the job was done well and complete!”
Benyam Negussie and Freddy Espinoza for adjusting the temperature at Jacob Burns Law Library: “Thank you so much! I appreciate the communications regarding the status of this ticket, the timely response to the ticket, and the results – our staff have responded that the temperature is noticeably cooler and much more comfortable. We are grateful for the Facilities team!”
Michael Graham for disconnecting an overhead light at Media and Public Affairs: “Very quick and effective response. Thank you!”
Benyam Negussie and Freddy Espinoza for adjusting the temperature at Bell Hall: “Thank you for the quick response.”
Two more valuable FPCM teammates are leaving us for new beginnings. John Kane was always a friendly face during his 46 years at GW and he knew every inch of our campuses. He’s headed into a richly deserved retirement, though we’re sad to see him go. Meanwhile, Steve Ferrara had a much shorter tenure as part of FPCM, but he made his mark by shepherding us through the major Thurston renovation. He and his family are off to Brown University where he’ll no doubt once again prove himself to be a major player in construction management. Below you’ll find photos from their goodbye parties.
August always ushers in the busiest time of year for this team as you all diligently prepare to welcome our students back for the new academic year. I wanted to take a few moments to say the campuses look great, inside and out! Thank you for all your work and effort this summer to get us to this point.
Today we are ready to welcome new and returning students alike, as well as their families. We are ready because of you. Thank you for all you have done individually and collectively throughout each unit and department of Safety & Facilities to prepare for the fall semester while still maintaining excellent daily operations. You have truly made a difference.
There is still much work to be done, especially over the course of the next few weeks. Based on all that I have seen I know this team will continue to deliver and help make our entire community comfortable and happy to be back, and proud to be GW Revolutionaries. Raise High!
I look forward to seeing you during move-in!
With thanks and appreciation, Sharon Reich Paulsen Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer
