Oct/Nov 2018 Newsletter

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A Season of Thankfulness

SSC SERVICE SOLUTIONS Newsletter OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER 2018

Giving Back On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, the Navasota SSC team was attending the Navasota ISD Educational Foundation Annual Banquet when they met a friendly Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris! The Navasota ISD Educational Foundation goals are to help teachers and students by awarding grants for innovative classroom instruction, academic tutoring programs, career and technology education, and other specialized projects and Chuck Norris was also in attendance when he approached the SSC table to say ‘Hello,” and talk with them about the Kickstart Kids program he supports in 62 schools across Texas.

PGMS Awards Grounds Tips for your Home Sohn-Employer of the Year Compass Night of Stars

Student Reflections Recruiting Spotlight Employee Appreciation Giving Back Making a Difference

In This Issue

Teams Honored

Tarleton State University:

The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) recognized Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas with a Grand Award in the Society’s 2018 Green Star Awards® competition. The award was given in the University and College Grounds category for exceptional grounds maintenance. Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas and West Texas A&M University were presented with Honor Awards. Winners were honored during the Society’s 2018 Awards Dinner held Oct. 18 in conjunction with the School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 16-19. The Green Star Awards program brings national recognition to grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence, complimenting other national landscape award programs that recognize outstanding landscape design and construction.

Grand, Honor and Merit Awards are offered in 15 categories. The judging criteria are: overall aesthetics, staff professionalism, response to grounds related challenges, sustainable practices, and safety. West Texas A&M University: In the arid climate that is the panhandle of Texas, the SSC Services for Education West Texas A&M Grounds Department diligently maintains the campus that has earned the nickname “Oasis on the Plains.” From the annual planting of trees and to the daily challenges of maintaining 176 acres that see 60 degree temperature fluctuations in a single day, the team stands apart in their dedication to the beautification of the campus community and their passion for upholding West Texas A&M University as a diverse and inclusive student-center community of learners.

From the Trogdon House at center of campus which students helped construct in 1923, to the Tarleton Iris bread by J.V Laird to perfectly showcase Tarleton State University’s colors, to the daily challenges of maintaining 180 acres that contain over 5000 Knockout Roses, the SSC Services for Education Tarleton State University Grounds Department stands apart in their dedication to the beautification of the campus and community, honoring its history and tradition, and partnering in their passion for Tarleton

State University’s mission to develop moral and ethical thinkers, scholars, and leaders who demonstrate civility and integrity, while contributing meaningfully and responsibly to a global society.

Prairie View A&M University: From working with 20 student organizations that have dedicated trees, to installing new irrigation systems to optimize water usage, to beautification and restoration of constructions sites at an ever expanding university, the SSC Services for Education Prairie View A&M Grounds Department diligently strives to uphold the Prairie View A&M University values of: access and quality, accountability, diversity, leadership, relevance, and social responsibility.

SSC | SERVICE SOLUTIONS | NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018

Join us in cheering on our Manager of the Year, Zachery Robinson from Stephenville ISD and Regional Director of Operations of the Year, Bennie Montgomery. These two were chosen by the Regional Vice Presidents and Seth Ferriell, President, based on their performance at their sites. The awards were presented at The Compass Night of Stars in Orlando where winners from all of the Compass sectors enjoyed multiple days of food, fun and entertainment under the Broadway Gala theme at the Hard Rock Live hotel. 2018

Grounds Tips for your Home: Look at that Smile! Let’s talk a little about rose care going into the winter, all roses are pre-disposed to diseases, and I don’t care what the garden centers or other horticulturists say – some roses are resistant but not 100%. So, for the fall the best way to prevent disease is to gently rake/ collect all fallen debris from the ground below your roses – disease over winter on spent foliage on the ground and wait for an nice spring rain to release their spores. After cleaning add some fresh mulch NAME Congratulations to Sohn Stancell, Director at SSC Services for

Education at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor! Sohn was chosen as the Bell County 2018 Employer of The Year for his positive influence on the community and his dedication to hiring individuals with disabilities. Stancell is an employer of many individuals with disabilities and is a strong encourager. Stancell collaborates with the Belton and Salado school districts to provide various job training skills for students in special education, Marek said. He continues to hire the students once they complete the social, emotional and assessment learning program and he participates in programs with Texas Workforce.

around the base of too buffer winter temperatures (you can add some organic fertilizer designed for roses or just use Rose Tone by Espoma). Mulch can range from one inch to three inches in colder climates. (Remember in the spring if you put down 3 inches to pull back lightly after hard frosts for the year). If you did have disease pressure a treatment with lime sulfur after the first Hard frost (dormant spray). Happy Gardening! George Bernardon Regional VP of Grounds

SSC | SERVICE SOLUTIONS | NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018

SSC partnered with Weathermatic to upgrade the irrigation systems at the campuses we serve to help better manage water usage. This simple goal grew into aiding in a mission to provide clean water to at risk communities across the globe. Most recently SSC sponsored 6 students to travel to Guatemala to help dig a well in a small village called El Amatillo. Featured are reflections from the students’ experiences. SSC in the Community The morning before the trip began like any other normal school day. The buzzing of my alarm pulled me from my dream world and returned me to reality. With a groan I slowly made my way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. As I brushed my teeth I let the water run to warm-up before I got in. A morning shower is perfect for washing the sleep away. Once I was out I walked to my daughter’s room to let her know it was time to wake up for school, then I headed to the kitchen to fix her breakfast. A quick on-the-go Eggo waffle fresh from the toaster. As I walked back to my room to start getting myself dressed for work I saw that my daughter was still in bed. I looked up at the clock and my cool- calm attitude went out the window. Like the sound of banging pots I asked her why she wasn’t dressed yet. She darted out of bed and headed for the restroom as though her life depended on it. Ah yes, just another normal school day morning at my house. Twenty-four hours later I was in a van driving down a bumpy road headed for El Amatillo, Guatemala. As I exited the van I was immediately greeted by blazing sun rays. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness I began to see all the lush greenery around me. Once my eyes completely adjusted I began to see the houses behind the trees.

Desiree Espericueta, Senior, Texas A&M Unviersity—San Antonio

it dawned on me that this day was Monday; a normal school day morning. I thought back to my daughter’s school attire; her school uniforms were always nicely cleaned and pressed, and her black shoes were neatly polished. In my ignorance I thought to myself, perhaps they were going to help us with the water well and did not want to ruin their school clothes. But my ignorance was validated once the kids were directed to return to school following the morning prayer. I could not help but feel helpless. What could I do to help improve the lives of the people of El Amatillo? I had to remind myself that we were there to build a water well. It wasn’t long before my feeling of helplessness was replaced with motivation. The town of El Amatillo was in need of a clean source of water and I was going to help make that happen. No language barrier or lack of drilling experience would stop me. However, my eagerness might have been slightly premature because there was no competing with the sun. As I went for my second drink of water I noticed that the volunteer town workers had not had their first drink of water. Their work ethic was like none

I had ever seen. Across the street from my office back home there has been street construction going on for over a year on a stretch of road a block long. Those workers work under a canopy with a warehouse fan to keep them cool. They seem to work for 15 minutes then take a 45 minute break. In our case about three or four hours elapsed before the town workers took a break. The town workers stood around the igloo water cooler like office personnel stand around the office water cooler. The difference was these men were not holding cups of coffee while devouring donuts. They were drenched in sweat and trying to cool off for two minutes under the trees. As I sat back cooling off, I looked around and could see the happiness in the townspeople’s faces. The men stood around the cooler joking and laughing, the children laughed and played, and the women talked and laughed as they prepared our lunch. Everyone in the town worked together regardless of social status or kinship. I will never forget how the people of El Amatillo cope with life and endure life without enjoying all the things that we as Americans take for granted.

Cinder brick houses covered with stucco and shaded by metal roofs. The local residents slowly began to greet us. It was no surprise that they were hesitant for we were strangers. But it wasn’t long before the ice was broken by the children of the local school with a parade and welcome banner. Everyone was asked to stand in a circle for morning prayer. There was something peaceful about seeing a diversity of people, whether praying or not, remain silent. As everyone stood in a circle I began to notice that most of the children were not wearing any shoes. As I looked closer to the quality of their clothing I could see the tears and stains on their little shirts. And

SSC | SERVICE SOLUTIONS | NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018

Maureen McClellan, Senior at Texas A&M University

At the beginning of August my mom dropped my off at IAH; I was on a mission to check-in to my flight to Guatemala and meet up with eight strangers at gate E14. Both of those tasks were quickly accomplished and the start of my adventure had finally begun. Once arriving at the gate it was easy to spot the other members of the team as we were all wearing matching shirts Living Water- the organization SSC partners with to do these trips- had provided us with. Introductions were made and I got to know Sasha and Desiree (the students from TAMU-SA), Marilyn and Seif (the students from A&M Prairie View), and Razan (the other student from College Station) while we waited to board the plane and throughout our three hour flight. Upon arrival to Guatemala City we waited for our bags, went through customs, and then found Manuel and Nestor, our leaders for the week, waiting for us with the cars. I had only been in the country for a short amount of time but I could already tell that I was in for a life changing experience: everything was so different than what I was used to and I was excited to see how I would learn from this opportunity. The first day was spent driving to Antigua which is only about 45 miles from the airport but due to traffic takes about two hours to get to. I didn’t mind the drive as I got to soak in the a little more of the country on the way there. We checked into our hotel and then went to dinner and afterwards buy groceries for the week. The next morning we went to a church service in town and then were we off to El Amatillo, the community we would spend the rest of the

week serving. It took almost the entire day to get to there since it was in a different part of the country but the scenery was gorgeous the entire way. It was time for dinner when we finally arrived at our new location and following that we went over the details as to what we would be doing in the village- drilling a well, giving hygiene lessons, and building relationships. Monday was our first day in the community and as soon as the team got out of the car we were greeted by all the school children carrying signs and balloons to welcome us. The gesture was touching and just a hint as to the warm hospitality and generosity we would be shown for the next few days. We quickly started our work on drilling the well. It was inspiring to see the men of the village working side by side with us. They weren’t looking for handouts, they took pride in their home and were striving to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of their family and friends and wanted to help in any way possible. Around midday we took a break for lunch that was cooked by the women of the community. It was much needed and appreciated; we had been laboring in the hot sun for hours but the progress I could see made it all worth it. The next couple of days we arrived early in the morning as usual and immediately got to work. Half of the team continued work on the well and the other half did a community walk throughout the village knocking on everyone’s door inviting them to the hygiene lesson we were giving later in the afternoon. Everyone we spoke to was so kind and it was eye-opening to see how they lived. We got to the school and the kids were so excited

to see us and show us the river they often swam, played, and bathed in. When it was time for us to go back to the classroom all the kids wanted to play with my hair so they braided it and picked flowers from

was short, the impact it had on me will be lasting. The people I met, the things I learned, and the conversations I had will stay with me forever and these memories are something I will always treasure.

the garden to adorn it with. This made me feel like a princess even though I was stinky and sunburned; their act showed me that love is unconditional and it’s the little things that bring joy and happiness in life. On our last day we put the finishing touches on the well which led to the moment we had all been waiting for- clean water! Everyone’s hard work had paid off and everyone was so proud of what we had accomplished in our week. We had a dedication ceremony and took lots of pictures to commemorate the moment. Even though my time in Guatemala

Share your stories, and let us know how you get involved in your communities on campus, locally, and abroad!

SSC | SERVICE SOLUTIONS | NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018

our employees as much as we do!

Spotlight Do you know someone looking to grow their career? Do you want to grow your spending money? The solution to both is to help SSC and Compass Group fill open positions!

LOCATION

POSITION REQ 227385 Plant Operations Manager

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227387 Grounds Manager 225288 Facility Director 228382 Facility Director 229071 Construction PM 22730 Unit Director (2)

Prairie View Galveston

TX TX TX

Houston

221373 Assistant Ath. Field Supervisor 218230 Brand Marketing Manager

Charleston SC

Knoxville

212258 Custodial Manager 228313 Assistant Unit Director 224894 Grounds Manager

Ridgeland SC

Columbia

SC TX

Laredo

226524 Construction PM 228381 Construction PM

College Station TX Corpus Christi TX

227721 Assistant Unit Director

Rochester Rochester

MI MI

Refer and earn an extra $750+

227717 Unit Director

SSC | SERVICE SOLUTIONS | NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018

Many local businesses gathered and were Diff rence recognized on Sept. 20th at the annual award luncheon hosted by the Texas Workforce Solutions of the Brazos Valley.

Two Texas A&M university Kingsville students were recognized as the first recipients of the Tavo Tanales memorial scholarship. Alexis Acosta , accounting major and Armando Gonzalez , kinesiology major, were awarded on September 11, 2018. Each student received a $1000 scholarship for the Fall and Spring semester. and Giving Back

The scholarship was initiated in 2016, in memory of Octavio “Tavo” Canales, SSC TAMUK central plant operator. Mr. Canales passed away suddenly on December 20, 2015. Mr. Canales was also an air force veteran. Silvestre Chapa, Director of Utilities for the Physical Plant, has spearheaded the Tavo Canales memorial fishing tournament, for the past 3 years, to

help raise funds for the scholarship. The third annual fishing tournament was held this year on august 11, 2018. The event had 62 participants and fortunate to have several sponsors to make it a successful fundraiser. The family of Mr. Canales have been very thankful for the support of the physical plant and the community, to have the scholarship become a reality.

SSC was honored and presented an award for “Large Employer of the Year.” Peggy Cruse, Human Resources Manager was invited to accept the award on behalf of SSC. Faleen O’Rourke, Executive Assistant attended as well. Key Note speaker for the event was the Honorable John Raney, Texas House of Representative, District 14 where he spoke about current employment challenges for the state and local area, including opportunities for training in key areas such as for trades positions and retail positions.

Awards were also presented for “Small Employer of the Year,” Employer of Excellence, and Adult Education and Literacy Partnership and with many service awards for Workforce employees and officers.

Would you like to contribute to next month’s newsletter? Please contact us with your idea! SSC Service Solutions PO Box 52370 Knoxville, TN 37950 865-546-8880 Contact@sscserv.com www.sscserv.com

SSC | SERVICE SOLUTIONS | NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018

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