Facilities

Author: Facilities Communication

Meet the 2025 Summer Internship Cohort

George Mason Facilities & Campus Operations (F&CO) extends a warm welcome to our new Summer 2025 interns! The interns will gain meaningful and applicable real-world experience through targeted projects throughout the summer.

Featured from left to right:

  • Mayur Ravikumar, Project Management
  • Abdallah Abdallah, Land Development
  • Andrew Graf, Waste & Recycling
  • Quinn Bethel, Sustainability
  • MK Essandoh, Building Automation
  • Linda Melendez, Human Recourses
  • Kiersten Mullins, Events Management
  • Kenna Sarver, Communications & Marketing
  • Wendy Agutu, Project Management

May 2025 Facilities Employee of the Month – Rick Coulson

Congratulations to Rick Coulson, HVAC Tech III, for being recognized as the May 2025 Employee of the Month! Coulson was nominated by Ronnie Wells, Zone 2 Manager, and Wallace Riegel III, Zone 2 Supervisor. 

Coulson played a critical role in resolving a persistent temperature issue at the Potomac Science Center located in Woodbridge, VA. Despite facing multiple challenges, Coulson’s commitment to excellence, diligence, and solution-focused thinking led to the identification and repair of a malfunctioned chilled water actuator.

In addition to fixing the immediate issue, his work has also helped ensure the long-term reliability and efficiency of our HVAC systems. “Rick’s dedication, professionalism, and technical skill make him highly deserving of this recognition.” Said Wells. "I am pleased to submit this nomination in appreciation of his outstanding contributions."

Coulson is also an incredible team player by supporting his team members whenever possible. "He has a great attitude all the time, and he is always willing to help anyone that needs his help," Said Riegel, "he is always willing and ready to teach others in any way he can."

Interested in submitting a GMU Facilities Employee of the Month nomination? Check out the new process here! 

Earth Month 2025 Recap

This April 2025, F&CO, University Sustainability, and university partners celebrated Earth Month! Here are a few highlights from the events that took place during the month. Remember that you can celebrate the Earth, all year round – not just in April! Thank you for helping us #sustainMASON!

Earth Month 2025 Highlights: 

  • Earth Month 2025 Video: In partnership with George Mason Student Government, a long-form video and a series of reels were produced to encourage on-campus sustainability actions and educate about different ways to be more sustainable on campus. 
  • Seed Library: Funded by the Patriot Green Fund, the Seed Library, located in Fenwick Library, provides patriots with seeds that they can take home, plant, and even return! To celebrate, the seed library hosted various interactive events. 
  • Food Redistributions: Hosted by University Sustainability’s Greenhouse & Gardens program, fresh food redistributions were held twice a week. The fresh produce included leafy greens, microgreens, tomatoes, and more! 
  • Waste Audits: F&CO hosted the following waste audits to encourage students to learn about waste and proper disposal methods: 
    • Weigh the Waste in partnership with Mason Dining 
    • Better Bins Preview 
  • Patriot Packout (PPO): Patriot Packout 2025 is ongoing until May 14! Donate like-new and gently used items at various locations on the Fairfax, SciTech, and Smithsonian School of Conservation campuses. This last April, PPO hosted various Swap & Hops and workshops. 
  • Stream Cleanup: This month, participants volunteered with F&CO’s Land Development team to help clean up the Fairfax campus and preserve our waterways. In total, over 45 lbs of trash were picked up! 
  • Leaf a Life you Love: Hosted by Greenhouse & Gardens, students tasted various salad greens and won prizes, including houseplants and grow kits. 
  • Facilities & Campus Operations Complex Tour: This month, Mason Facilities held a tour of the Facilities complex. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the 24-hour operations that keep Mason campuses thriving. 

2025 Outstanding Achievement Awards

Human Resources is excited to announce the 2025 Outstanding Achievement Awards recipients! 

The ceremony was broadcast by GMU-TV and a link of the recording is on the Outstanding Achievement Awards website. As we enter awards season at George Mason, it's important to us at George Mason Facilities & Campus Operations to recognize our fellow Patriots for their success. Congratulations to the following award winners within F&CO!

Goldie and Dianne Hattery Award for Excellence

  • Claudia Flores, SciTech Housekeeping Supervisor

Sustainability Hero Award

  • Makenzie Gold Quiros, Chief Housing Officer Executive Assistant, HRL Office Manager

Patriot Pathbreakers Award

  • FUSE and LSEB Operations Team
    • Laura Bayr, Sr Interior Designer
    • Colby Grant, Director of Operations, SciTech 
    • Sara Hawes, Director of Operations, Mason Square
    • Mike Herman, Sr Project Manager, PD&C
    • Cathy Pinskey, Director, Program Management, PD&C
    • Greg Rahimzadeh, Construction Field Representative
    • Mirwais Safi, Building Construction Inspector
    • Virginia Steele, Director, Program Management, PD&C

April 2025 Facilities Employee of the Month – Joseph Knight

Congratulations to Joseph Knight, Zone 4 General Maintenance Tech II, on being recognized as the April 2025 Employee of the Month! Knight was nominated by Said Bouiftilen, Zone 4 F&CO Housing Manager.

With his tendency to volunteer on weekends and holidays, Knight’s exceptional work ethic and dedication have played a huge role in supporting his team. According to Bouiftilen, his “willingness to go above and beyond to assist the rest of the team and the team player attitude rubs positively on all of us.”

Interested in submitting a GMU Facilities Employee of the Month nomination? Check out the new process here! 

March 2025 Facilities Employee of the Month – Mathew East

Congratulations to Matthew East, Events Services and Production Supervisor, F&CO SciTech, on being recognized as the March 2025 Employee of the Month! East was nominated by Erin Iacangelo, Events Coordinator, F&CO SciTech Campus. 

Since becoming a full-time team member, East has shared his expertise in the field and helped his team make consistent improvements to our auto and visual services. Constantly going above and beyond by making recommendations on system upgrades to benefit our clients, East has also reached out to vendors he’s built relationships with to assist with large projects and was once able to secure a vendor to meet the needs of a client within a 48-hour window.

“Matt has been a great addition to the team.” Said Iacangelo. “His humorous personality, willingness to help, enthusiasm, and overall general outlook on life makes him a joy to be around and a true Mason patriot.”

With recognition from HR and his team members for his outstanding service, East has shown himself to be a strong team player and works for the betterment of the University.

Interested in submitting a GMU Facilities Employee of the Month nomination? Check out the new process here! 

SEAHO Service Award Winner: Said Bouiftilen

Congratulations to Said Bouiftilen, F&CO Housing Manager, for receiving the Southeastern Association of Housing Officers (SEAHO) Award! The annual award is given to housing staff members who have significantly contributed to residence hall students and the housing organization. According to Shannon Jordan, Associate Dean and Chief Housing Officer, Bouiftilen has displayed “excellent leadership, flexibility, and commitment to delivering the best facilities to our residents.”

Turning “Trash” into Treasure: Diverting Surplus Property from the Waste Stream

 

Since the arrival of Steve Pulis, F&CO Purchasing Manager, in 2017, George Mason University has earned over $1M in surplus property sales. As a result, the university is now ranked at number 7 among other higher education state agencies for total surplus sales through GovDeals in Virginia. 

When the university’s offices and departments declare surplus, F&CO staff members from Central Receiving store the items in the warehouse on the Fairfax campus. The items are free to internal departments and other state agencies. Surplus items are also auctioned via GovDeals.

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Flexible Work Policy Reminder

This is a reminder to follow the below flexible/telework guidance in case of snow/weather closures. For further questions regarding the Emergency Closing, refer to the George Mason Inclement Weather/Emergency Closings policy.

Supervisors are encouraged to be flexible with employees and allow additional telework days during inclement weather OR allow for unscheduled leave to be taken.

Telework Closure Guideline Reminders

Telework eligible employees with a current telework agreement:

  • Are REQUIRED to work or take leave during a closure - even if the closure is NOT on their normal telework day.
  • During a delayed opening/early closure, telework eligible employees, with a current telework agreement, are REQUIRED to work a full schedule
    • Delayed opening: Telework in the morning before coming to campus if they are scheduled to be on campus that day. Planned telework should continue as scheduled.
    • Early Closure: Telework in the afternoon after leaving campus if they are scheduled to be on campus that day. Planned telework should continue as scheduled.

Non-designated, Telework Eligible employees without Telework Agreements:

  • With supervisor approval, are expected to telework, provided they have the necessary tools at the home location to meet system security standards for telework.
    • If they cannot perform work at home, should use University Leave for closures or delayed openings.
Flexible Work Policy - University Policy 2202

Flexible Work includes full-time telework/remote work, hybrid telework, compressed schedules or flextime options.

  • The employee or supervisor may terminate an existing Flexible/Telework Work Agreement at any time.
  • Flexible work duties will be arranged so as to neither alter the essential job responsibilities nor to compromise the level of service provided to the customer, either by the employee or the department.
  • Flexible work arrangements work best when they contribute positively to employees’ work/life balance, while not negatively impacting their productivity and availability.
  • Failure to follow policies, rules and practices may result in termination of the arrangement and/or disciplinary action.
Telework Policy - FAQs

Telework is only considered successful if there is NO drop in productivity, responsiveness, or availability during the telework day.

  • The goal is to create a win-win situation that effectively balances the needs of the department and its employees
  • Supervisors need to assess the impact of Flexible Work arrangements on their department’s continuity of operations, customer service, and goals when making scheduling decisions.
  • Employees are expected to attend all scheduled meetings, respond to emails, and be available via phone (Teams) during telework hours the same as they would during a day in the office.
    • If an employee is unreachable during their telework hours, or does not attend scheduled meetings, they may be written up as "no-call-no-show.
  • Telework is NOT a substitute for taking leave, but may help reduce the amount of leave an employee needs to take.
    • For example, if an employee needs to leave early to pick their child up from school, they might need to take leave starting at 2pm if they were in the office, but wouldn’t need to take leave until 3pm if they are teleworking. This saves the employee an hour of leave and gains the department an extra hour of productivity.
  • Telework is NOT suitable when acting as primary child-care.
    • Employees are encouraged to work directly with their supervisors to take unscheduled leave if they are unable to fulfill job responsibilities and meet business unit needs during the university closure.
  • All Telework eligible employees should take their laptop home every day - you never know when inclement weather is coming.

February 2025 George Mason Employee of the Month: Kenneth “Kenny” Darby

Congratulations to Kenneth "Kenny" Darby, Senior Events Manager, for being recognized as the George Mason University February 2025 Employee of the Month! Since joining the team in 2017, Darby has played a vital role in seamlessly managing high-profile events, demonstrating his strong commitment, empathy, and incredible attention to detail.

As highlighted by his colleagues, Darby’s unwavering dedication and customer service skills have earned him the trust to ensure the success of our events. “Kenny is the role model for how customer service should be provided at this university.” Said Alison Price, Director of Operations, Law and Economics Center.

“Kenny has become an invaluable asset at Mason Square,” said Frank Strike, VP of Facilities & Campus Operations. “He provides excellent customer service, and his attention to detail allows him to seamlessly integrate multiple complex tasks to deliver an exceptional experience to all stakeholders. His dedication and commitment to excellence is an inspiration to his colleagues and enhances Mason's reputation.”

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