FM News

I&S is now I&R

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 18:26:48 +0000

I&S is now I&R Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/17/2024 - 12:26

Dear Infrastructure and Sustainability team,

I am writing to share with you some sustainability-related organizational changes we are making within Strategic Resources and Support, including changing the name of the Office of Infrastructure and Sustainability.

Why we’re making these changes

With Chancellor Justin Schwartz’s creation of a new vice chancellor for sustainability position that will lead the university’s efforts to combine strides in academic, research and operational sustainability, SRS is making these strategic changes now to best align our people and operations in support of university goals and the new campus structure.

What’s changing

The Office of Infrastructure and Sustainability will become the Office of Infrastructure and Resilience, and Chris Ewing’s title will change to vice chancellor for infrastructure and resilience. This will not fundamentally change the work of the organization. Taking action to incorporate sustainable operations across our campus and deliver upon the goals of the Climate Action Plan will remain a key driver of the team’s work. However, the name change will help avoid overlap/confusion with the new vice chancellor’s office.

Chief Sustainability Officer Heidi VanGenderenwill take on the title of senior advisor for sustainability and climate, reporting to Deputy COO Jennifer McDuffie in my office. Heidi’s duties will include, among others, advising campus leadership, advancing strategic sustainability initiatives, onboarding of the new vice chancellor for sustainability, collaborating on implementation of the Climate Action Plan, and continuing to help broaden the local, regional and international reputation of CU Boulder.
The Office of Infrastructure and Resilience is creating a new director of sustainable operations role that will help I&R continue to infuse sustainability across its full portfolio of work in coordination with the new VC for sustainability. The director will focus on implementation of the Climate Action Plan and other campus sustainability recommendations in our built environment.

Timeline and next steps

The I&S name change and Heidi’s new position take effect immediately, though there will be a transition period for the name change as we work to inform campus partners and update websites and other collateral. The new director of sustainable operations role will be posted online in the coming weeks, and I encourage you to share the posting with your networks.

Gratitude

I am grateful for Chris and Heidi for their university-first approach and flexibility as we navigate this period of transition. And I am grateful for all of you for your dedication and adaptability. Climate action and sustainability, now more than ever, are the work of everyone on campus – but particularly so for this group, whose efforts will play such an important role in decarbonizing our campus and achieving the ambitious goals laid out in our Climate Action Plan. These changes will help us augment the collective efforts we will be making as a university.

Sincerely,

Pat

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The Operations Control Center has moved

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 19:56:43 +0000

The Operations Control Center has moved Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/06/2024 - 13:56

After being located in the Folsom Field stadium for over 20 years, the Operations Control Center (OCC) has moved to the East District Energy Plant (EDEP).

The OCC, which operates around the clock, including on weekends and holidays, serves as campus’s first point of contact for facility-related service calls and other urgent situations. Moving to EDEP puts the OCC team in the same building as the utility plant operators, who also occupy the space 24 hours a day. In addition, this move eliminates the challenges staff have encountered associated with coming and going during large stadium events.

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New sunflower bed celebrates CU pride

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 19:54:13 +0000

New sunflower bed celebrates CU pride Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/06/2024 - 13:54

This year, I&S’s Outdoor Services team planted a new “campus colors” garden featuring the CU red cockeral sunflower. The garden creates a beautiful gateway to campus on the west side of the broadway multi-use path, south of Pleasant Street and west of Hale Science.

The garden design features the university's colors with dark millet and three kinds of rudbeckia: Denver daisy, Indian summer, and prairie sunset. To add contrast, we included Artemisia “Parfum d' Ethiopia” for a touch of silver and “white imp” Bidens for early blooms. We hope you enjoy this vibrant and thoughtfully curated garden!

Sunflowers can also be found in other locations on campus, such as the north side of Regent and in a roundabout near Fleming.

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I&R hosts zero waste outdoor picnic

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 19:45:02 +0000

I&R hosts zero waste outdoor picnic Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/06/2024 - 13:45

Our recent Staff Appreciation event resulted in a 93% diversion rate thanks to the enthusiastic support from I&R employees and event planners. By using reusable dishes and silverware and scraping plates into a “food-scraps-only” bucket, we achieved zero waste. An event, household or operation is considered “zero waste” when 90% or more of its discards are diverted from the landfill.

As you may be aware, changes in acceptable compost feedstock made items like “compostable” plates, napkins and service-ware no longer acceptable. These rule changes made it nearly impossible to host zero waste events on campus for the last couple of years, so this really is a milestone accomplishment for campus. Thanks to all who made this possible!

2024 I&R zero waste picnic, by the numbers

We had 7.9 pounds of trash (almost exclusively paper napkins), which is going to the landfill.

We had:

31 pounds of aluminum
21 pounds of cardboard/fiberboard
9.6 pounds of recyclable stretchy plastic film
48.3 pounds of food scraps

All of which will be diverted from the landfill. Using the standard diversion rate formula: Diverted/(Diverted+Landfill)= 109.9/(109.9+7.9)=.933= 93.3% diversion rate.

Anything 90% or greater is considered Zero Waste, so we absolutely, bona fide, crushed it. Keeping almost 50 pounds of food scraps out the landfill alone is extremely impressive! And there was absolutely no contamination in the food-scrap bin, being monitored as it was.

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Congratulations to our new assistant director of Outdoor Services

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 18:49:47 +0000

Congratulations to our new assistant director of Outdoor Services Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:49

It is with great pleasure that I announce we have selected Ryan Heiland to be the new assistant director of Outdoor Services. In this role, Ryan will be overseeing the Facilities Management grounds maintenance activities, which includes the grounds maintenance, horticulture, irrigation, arboriculture/forestry work units as well as turf and equipment maintenance. Ryan has worked within Outdoor Services for over 22 years and previously held the assistant manager position. Ryan will begin his new role effective August 1st.

Please join me in congratulating Ryan.

Thanks,

Jessica Bradley, ME, CEFP

Director, Facilities Services

Facilities Operations and Services

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Scott McCarey named new director of transportation services

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 21:52:00 +0000

Scott McCarey named new director of transportation services Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/10/2024 - 15:52

Scott McCarey was named the new director of transportation services, effective Monday, June 3. Scott brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success to CU Boulder. He served as the multimodal planning manager for Boulder County from 2008-2022, where he managed a team of eight professional transportation planners focused on transit, bike and pedestrian projects and programs. In 2022, Scott left Boulder County to spend more time with his family, although he also started his own consulting firm in the fall of 2023.

Scott holds a bachelor of arts in mathematics from Emory University and dual masters degrees in civil engineering and city planning from the University of California, Berkeley. Scott is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Scott moved to Boulder in 2003 and lives in south Boulder with his wife, 11-year old son, 3-year old daughter and brown lab. When not at work, Scott plays mandolin and sings in a bluegrass band, and plays guitar in a Grateful Dead cover band. He looks forward to getting to know all of the staff in the department in the coming weeks and months.

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Congratulations to David Byrne, Jr. (PD&C) for winning one of eight 2024 campus sustainability awards

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:34:28 +0000

Congratulations to David Byrne, Jr. (PD&C) for winning one of eight 2024 campus sustainability awards Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/26/2024 - 10:34

David's leadership and proactive approach were instrumental in the successful relocation and protection of around 200,000 bees as part of the 2024 Old Main preservation project. Recognizing the threat posed to the historic bee hives by construction work, David initiated a well-planned collaboration with campus and community stakeholders, ensuring transparency and adherence to the highest standards of pollinator protection. The careful extraction of the bees and relocation to a new hive, along with the collection of over 60 pounds of honey, demonstrated David's dedication to ensuring the well-being of the bees. This collaborative effort, praised in multiple media reports, not only upheld the campus's commitment to pollinator protection but also set a new standard for integrating environmental stewardship into construction practices, all while staying within budget and timeline constraints. Congratulations David!

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Justin Schwartz named CU Boulder’s 12th chancellor

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:51:29 +0000

Justin Schwartz named CU Boulder’s 12th chancellor Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/26/2024 - 09:51

Dr. Justin Schwartz was selected in a nationwide search and will start his term July 1, succeeding Chancellor Philip DiStefano. Schwartz joins the campus from Penn State and has spent his career as an engineer, researcher, educator, entrepreneur and academic leader.

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Erin Lind promoted to Assistant Director of Accounting and Finance for I&S Business Services

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:13:09 +0000

Erin Lind promoted to Assistant Director of Accounting and Finance for I&S Business Services Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/11/2024 - 17:13

We are happy to announce Erin Lind has been promoted to Assistant Director of Accounting and Finance for our Infrastructure and Sustainability Business Services division. In this new role she will be responsible for development and oversight of the I&S annual operating budgets, and will assist Vice Chancellor Ewing and our team of I&S AVC/Directors with planning and projecting expenses to allow departments to manage their budgets. This new role for Erin will be effective on April 11. Please join me in congratulating Erin!

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Staffing Changes in I&S Human Resources

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 15:53:27 +0000

Staffing Changes in I&S Human Resources Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/09/2024 - 09:53

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to let you know about a few upcoming staff changes in the I&S Human Resources (I&S HR) group:

Tanya Patzer has accepted a new position in the City of Boulder Human Resources department. Her last day will be this Friday 4/12. I want to thank Tanya for her many years of dedicated service to CU Boulder and wish her all the best in her new endeavors.
We have a new staff member, Aliyah Vigil, joining our team on Monday, 4/22. Aliyah will be our new payroll coordinator. Aliyah comes to us with over five years’ experience in the accounting, payroll and human resources world. She worked previously at Stamped Concrete as an HR manager/accounting clerk. We are very excited to have Aliyah as our newest team member!

While I realize staffing changes can be disruptive to our day-to-day operations, I want to assure you that I have a transition plan in place.

For leave questions including FML, FAMLI and paid parental leave, contact leave@cu.edu.
For on-the-job injuries (OJI), contact ucbleavequestions@colorado.edu and donald.fitzpatrick@colorado.edu.
For payroll and timecard questions, until Aliyah is up to speed, contact christina.sumaya-orozco@colorado.edu.
For AiM questions, please submit a FMIS service ticket (VPN or campus network required) and a member of our FMIS team will follow up with you.
For new hires, resignations, retirements, and new employee onboarding, contact christina.sumaya-orozco@colorado.edu.
For employee recognition and performance management plans (PMP), contact kerry.howard@colorado.edu.
For professional development and training opportunities, contact kelsey.draper@colorado.edu.
For communications and website questions, contact nancy.portner@colorado.edu and benjamin.neeser@colorado.edu.

Please reach out to me directly if you have any other needs.

Thank you,
Terri

Terri Willis, SHRM-SCP, PHR
Executive Director, Human Resources and Communications
Infrastructure and Sustainability
453 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309
303-492-1208 (office)
303-492-3980 (fax)

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