Applauding our custodial family on Custodian Appreciation Day
By Charlie Bishop, Manatee County Deputy County Administrator and Director of Property Management
Trust. Pride. Attention to detail. Those might not be the first words you think of when you think of a custodian, but they are the key characteristics of our custodial workers at Manatee County.
About 30 custodial employees work days, nights and weekends to clean and maintain more than 20 County buildings and facilities, dozens of parks and preserves, and miles of beaches.
The work is not always glamorous. For staff out at our parks and beaches, the job means working in the heat and rain, possibly encountering wildlife like snakes, raccoons or opossums. For those working in our buildings, it could mean unclogging toilets or cleaning up flooding from a ruptured pipe.
All the same, our custodians come to work with a smile on their faces and a can-do attitude. They take pride in their work, in keeping Manatee County safe, clean and beautiful, and in being a friendly face to every person they meet along the way.
Not everyone can be a custodian. This job is so much more than emptying trash cans and mopping floors.
Our custodial team is full of motivated, proactive, hard working people with incredible attention to detail. They take pride in seeing the results of our efforts, and they are constantly looking for what needs to be done. If a lightbulb is out, a tile has a crack, or an area needs cleaning, our exceptional team will see it and have it fixed before anyone else even has the chance to notice!
Before the pandemic, custodians worked behind the scenes, rarely seen for their public service. But their work has taken on a special significance over the past 18 months. Our custodial team has often been called to adapt quickly to changes due to the pandemic to ensure our facilities remain safe, professional places for the public and Manatee County staff. When they’re called to have all hands on deck, there’s no questioning, no pushback. Our custodians come together as a team and support each other to get the job done.
I am so proud of this group that is part of our Property Management family. Next time you see a custodian — at work, the park, the beach, or anywhere you go — please take a moment to offer a smile, say hello, and let them know you appreciate everything they do.
THANK YOU TO OUR CUSTODIAL TEAM!
Dennis Arentz, Leonard Barczak, Shawn Couch, James Crotteau, Debbieann Dereyna, Raymond Dukett, Jennifer Friddle, Robert Gianoni, Angel Gonzalez Martinez, Julio Gonzalez, Melissa Hamilton, Herlinka Hardy, Yvonne Johnson, Kathleen Kerekanich, Sonia Lemus Castellanos, Arcides Lopez, Gerardo Ortiz Sanchez, Terry Mobley, Josephine Musgrave, Karen Pastor, Carmen Rodriguez, Tracey Ruch, Josefina Sanchez, Cari Siracusa, Katie Steger, Philip Tagariello, Jr., Theresa Wunderlich and Andrzej Zajkowski
