August employees honored

Rick Nightingale
Unclassified employee of the month

Started at KU: Rick Nightingale started his KU career in October 1969 as a maintenance painter in the Facilities Operations paint shop.

Current title: He is an assistant director for FO.

What that means: Nightingale is responsible for supervising the carpenter shop, lock shop, paint shop, sign shop and special services.

Notable: Over the past year and a half, several departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences moved to Bailey Hall, which formerly housed the School of Education. Nightingale worked tirelessly at one of the busiest times of the year to address maintenance issues. Last fall he orchestrated the move of nearly 200 offices on the second floor of Wescoe Hall so that new carpet could be installed.

Recent feats: Nightingale often takes a hands-on approach so he can develop a reliable estimate of the time and manpower needed to get a job done. When one of his shops became responsible for emptying the trash receptacles on campus, he was told that it would take four employees a full day to complete the work. Nightingale and one FO employee took the trash route for a day, and he realized that the two of them could finish the job by noon. When roof repair and maintenance was assigned to his area, he took a similar approach.

Georgia R. Hunter
Classified employee of the month

Started at KU: Georgia Hunter joined the Facilities Operations housekeeping staff as a custodial worker in 1985.

Current title: A custodial specialist, she is the sole custodian for Stauffer-Flint Hall, with responsibilities that until about three years ago were shared by two staff members.

What that means: Every morning at 4 a.m. Hunter opens classrooms and offices. She sweeps, mops, waxes, removes trash, scrubs restrooms and dusts the three-story building every day. She does not leave until the building is spotless, and she does her work with a joyful attitude that is contagious.

Notable: Faculty, staff and students comment that they have yet to encounter Hunter without her smile and pleasant greeting. She has a great work ethic, does her job well and makes the journalism school more civilized by her presence.

Recent feat: Hunter always is willing to respond to special needs and requests. She maintains a positive attitude—even during the week of the Kansas Journalism Institute, when 240 high school journalists come to Stauffer-Flint Hall with scissors and paste-up materials that tend to be strung from one end of the building to the other.