Honoring Our Facilities Team on Facilities Appreciation Day

At Richfield Public Schools, our Facilities team works hard behind the scenes to ensure our schools are welcoming, safe and well-maintained. As we celebrate Facilities Appreciation Day, we recognize the incredible contributions of our Facilities staff and hear directly from them about their roles and experiences.

We asked some facilities team members to tell us more about their various jobs and experiences in our buildings. Here’s what they shared: 

Ricky Thompson
For Ricky, Richfield Public Schools is more than just a job.  “I love the people I work with,” he shared. “My kids went to school here, and it’s very close to home. Everyone I deal with is nice—teachers, principals, coaches, students—it’s like a family.”

Nikolas (Nick) Bauza
“I’m always busy, and it’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding,” shared Nick. His favorite part of the job is meeting people and learning new things. He appreciates the culture at Richfield and likes being able to work throughout the building and interact with staff and students. “It’s nice when people appreciate your work,” he said. 

Peter Fitzpatrick
Peter has been at Centennial for the last 22 years, with 10 years prior at Richfield STEM Elementary, and he’s not planning to leave anytime soon. “I ain’t movin’,” he laughed. What he loves most about his job? “The people. I like the staff in the building, definitely.” His role is about keeping things running, and he takes pride in ensuring everything is well-maintained. “I try to keep the facilities running smoothly so you don’t see it,” he explained.

Ramiro Ventura Perez
Ramiro works in the warehouse and is always busy bringing packages (and smiles) to everyone in our district. He also coordinates deliveries and is happy to jump in and help with anything and everything. “My favorite part about the job is the people,” he said, “and the times that I get to interact with our students.” Last winter, Ramiro helped guide a “field trip” for the preschool students from the Central Education Center who visited the warehouse to learn about pulley systems and simple machines.

Gustavo Martinez Cruz
Gustavo values the positive work environment and his relationships with colleagues. “I like my supervisor; he’s very nice to us, and I like everyone I work with.” Living close to work is another bonus, as well as working alongside the teachers at RHS. 

Edmond Gjondedaj
For Edmond, it’s all about teamwork. “I like working together, like a team or family,” he shared. He’s especially appreciative of his supervisor, Ricky. “He’s a good man,” Edmond added, emphasizing how much he enjoys working with everyone.

Charlie Doyle-Lovseth
Charlie has a special connection to Richfield, having attended high school here. “There are a lot of memories,” he said. The small-town feel of Richfield and the friendly, family-like atmosphere is what he enjoys most about his job. His day involves a lot of cleaning, fixing and replacing things, but for Charlie, it’s all part of what makes his job meaningful.

Lavdie Gjondedaj
Lavdie, like many others on the team, is proud to work with great people. Lavdie also appreciates the effort her colleagues put into keeping the district clean and running smoothly. “The people here do a good job each day,” she said.

Radhika Mahadeo
Radhika takes pride in maintaining a clean and welcoming environment for students and staff alike. “My older kids went to school here and I love keeping it clean for the other kids – as well as the teachers and everybody else,” she said. “Also, it’s close to home.” 

Maria Escobar Fuentes
Maria enjoys the positive environment and how nice everyone is at Richfield. “The teachers and everyone are very nice in the school,” she shared.

A Typical Day

A typical day for our Facilities team can involve everything from cleaning up messes, fixing desks and classroom furniture, helping to move tables and chairs, making sure the cafeteria is clean and more! 

The kids are Peter’s favorite part of the day. He happily receives 5-10 high fives, hugs or fist bumps every day. For others, their daily work keeping the school clean is a source of pride.

“We are the reason the school is clean and doesn’t stink,” joked Ricky. Nick agrees, saying: “It’s a great career opportunity with upward mobility. Not everyone wants to do this work, but it has to be done.”

On Facilities Appreciation Day, we are so grateful for everything our facilities team members do to keep our schools safe, clean and welcoming.