The Grounds Customer Service Award
In Recognition of Steve Kaupas, Grounds Services Employee
1999 - 2004

The Grounds Services Department wishes to encourage and recognize the qualities that Steve Kaupas demonstrated through the Grounds Services Customer Service Award for superb customer service, excellent leadership and teamwork skills, and a desire to always strive for the highest quality work.

This annual award is open to all current regular staff in the Grounds Services organization. Criteria for the award includes excellence in teamwork skills, recognized leadership skills, high quality craftsmanship and attention to detail, dedication to their job, department, and the University, pride in work accomplished, safety awareness on the job, positive attitude, good attendance, professionalism in craftsmanship and dress, and taking initiative and responsibility. The selection committee consists of Grounds staff, supervisors and previous year winners evaluate written nominations and the winner is selected by a vote of the selection committee members. The recipient of the award is announced at a staff meeting on or near Steve's birthday every year. There is a stone with a plaque just outside of the Grounds Services yard that displays each year's winner.

The 2007 winner of the Customer Service Award
in honor of Steve Kaupas

Mary Nolan, Grounds Supervisor for Academic Maintenance

Mary is an inspiration to work with and an excellent role model for her staff as well as for everyone in the department. She shows professionalism in communicating, the handling of issues, and with timely follow-up of required paperwork. Mary helped to conceive and implement morals and skills developing programs for the department and for individual staff including cross-training opportunities. Mary has a way of making each customer feel as if their wants are all that matters. Her dedication to the department goes beyond the everyday duties by organizing off duty group activities including fishing trips, fund raisers, and she coordinates the annual holiday Grounds video that has become a favorite tradition. Mary has an eye for recognizing quality work and has recruited and hired many of the “stars” currently working for Grounds. You can always depend on Mary to be at work, rain or shine, bright and early every morning with a great attitude and a smile for everyone. Mary never looses her cool and handles all types of situations with grace. If you have a question, it's probably a good bet that Mary will have the answer for you or point you in the right direction. Great job, Mary!

Also nominated were:

Dave Birnie, Garage Mechanic
Julie Day, Horticultural Technician
Jose Escanuela, Gardener
Jose Nunez, Groundskeeper
Catherine Parrish, Academic Lead
Ted Tucholski, Landscape & Construction Supervisor
Jose Vasquez, Groundskeeper
Elissa Watters, Administrative Associate
Tthe Academic Cleanup and Shrub Crew
Tthe Grounds Administration Team

The 2006 winner of the Steve Kaupas Customer Service Award

Danny DaRosa, Lead for Academic Maintenance

Danny has 20 years of service with Grounds Services. Originally hired as an Equipment Operator, Danny worked his way through various teams to successfully obtain the Academic Crew Leader position.

Danny brings loyalty, reliability, accountability, responsibility, caring, and excellent customer service to his team and to the department. He regularly assists with training programs, positively interacts with customers on a daily basis, and supports the other leads in their roles. He clearly has an “open door” policy and offers advice and support to his teammates and others. He is a mentor, a “go between” for the technicians and supervisors. If something is brewing, he'll step in and guide and coach the team through the issue.

This past year, he successfully served as acting supervisor for six weeks. During this time, Danny was responsible for one of the largest crews within Grounds. He also coordinated the Grounds work requests for Student Orientation, which is one of the biggest annual events on campus. Big kudos to Danny!

We are also proud to recognize those who were nominated:

Art Chacon, Lead for Special Housing Mow Crew
Chirs McGilvery, Groundskeeper for Faculty Staff and Student Housing
Greg McCoy, Supervisor for Faculty Staff and Student Housing
Luis Melo, Equipment Operator I for the Tree Crew
Mary Nolan, Supervisor for Academic Maintenance
Ted Tucholski, Supervisor for Construction and Irrigation
David Zollo, Gardener for Special Housing.

Read more Grounds Services news in the Grounds News Archive