Leachman – just like Cloris, he says, but apparently no relation… Grounds Keeper II, Robert Leachman is our August 2011 Employee of the Month, and had been unavailable for interview for a while. You’ll now see Robert out riding his lawn mower on the south side of our Administration Building again, caring for the sunken lawn and other areas near the Theater, and detailing the area around the Community Services Building. He enjoys his outdoor job and making things look beautiful on our campus – and in his care, they do!
It all started with a ticket for a missing tail light and being the victim of identity theft. Robert’s license was suspended and it was going to cost him $1000 to get it back, so he was doing community service on our campus to work off the fine, picking up trash after the Swap Meet, which led to a job working at the Swap Meet, which led to being Swap Meet Supervisor, which put his skills and dedication on display and led to a full time position at GWC. Did you follow all that? Sometimes, a ticket can be a very good thing!
Living close to the campus in Westminster, Robert appreciates the short commute and is especially fulfilled when a big job on campus is finished. Working at the Swap Meet certainly offered him that kind of satisfaction, removing 13 TONS of trash on Saturdays and another 8-9 TONS on Sundays! He has worked for the owner of the Pumpkin Patch (formerly staged on the CVS corner and now located in Ivine) for over 15 years and used to pick out Christmas trees for staff members.
When he’s not working his area, you may see Robert involved in various on-campus events, cooking hot dogs or helping out in other ways. A repeat recipient of the EOM award, Robert was also recognized in 2007, so apparently he is not resting on his laurels but continuing with his high level of performance, generating comments such as this, “He works so hard to make this campus beautiful. The Edinger parking lot is so well kept that I really enjoy my walk into the office. Plus, he’s very friendly and even brings us flowers when he trims the plants. I think it’s employees like [Robert] who make GWC really feel like a family.”
Outside of campus, Robert likes to do some fishing or deer hunting up north – outdoors again. He’s definitely found his niche and we’re so happy it’s here on our campus!
Congratulations Robert on a job well done.
