Facilities

Author: Facilities Communication

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.

Read More

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.”

Click here for the full story!

February 2025 Facilities Employee of the Month – Kevin Jones

Congratulations to Kevin Jones, F&CO Condition Assessment Inspector, on being recognized as the February 2025 Employee of the Month! Jones was nominated by Tim Weber, F&CO Condition Assessment Program Manager. 

Not only is Jones incredibly committed to his role, but he also fosters an environment of collaboration and teamwork, showing his pride for individual and team successes. By creating a space where his colleagues feel encouraged to contribute ideas and solutions, Jones is able to elevate the department by significantly boosting team performance and morale. 

Aside from his exceptional leadership skills, Jones has also excelled in the following areas: 

  • Being a vital contributor in the effort of updating the Facilities Asset Database. Because of his efforts, F&CO can better maintain and repair installed equipment and provide more accurate and detailed planning for future maintenance projects. 
  • Developed the scope-of-work manual for the university's annual asphalt and concrete projects cataloged deficiencies and ensured accuracy while never compromising quality and safety.

Most of all, Jones exemplifies our core values of “integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement.” His approach to identifying critical maintenance needs reflects his commitment to the long-term sustainability of our university. 

“Kevin Jones has made a remarkable impact through his technical skills and his ability to foster a collaborative and excellent working environment.” Said Weber. “He is a true asset to our team, and I wholeheartedly recommend him for Employee of the Month.”  

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

George Mason University Earns 2024 Recycling Excellence Award

George Mason University has received the 2024 Recycling Excellence Award for contributing over 300 tons of recycled paper with vendor International Paper (IP).

As a partner since July 2021, IP has played an integral role in assisting George Mason University with its recycling efforts. On average, our Waste and Recycling team is able to produce 23 cardboard and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic bales to be picked up every two weeks by IP. In addition to cardboard and plastic, our team is also able to fill about 10 - 14 gaylords (a type of heavy-duty box used for shipping and storing bulk materials) of mixed and shredded paper that has been recycled by the George Mason community.

January 2025 Facilities Employee of the Month – Marylou Holly

Congratulations to Marylou Holly, Senior Applications Analyst, on being recognized as the January 2025 Employee of the Month! Holly was nominated by James Paul Ewing, IT Systems Specialist.

Holly has an “outstanding work ethic, exceptional customer service, and consistently positive attitude”, is incredibly helpful, and is always willing to assist her colleagues. She also has an impressive technical ability to work with various complex programs including e-Builder, and the implications setup of AE.

“She is an exemplary steward to George Mason University and sets the bar high for all of us to aspire.” Said Ewing. “Marylou demonstrates a strong commitment to her responsibilities, effectively managing tasks and deadlines.”

Because of her constantly exceeding expectations and inspiring those around her, Marylou Holly has shown to be an incredible asset not only to F&CO, but to George Mason University as a whole.

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