Rick Smith, elevator mechanic II, and Phil Ramirez, trades aide, showed care and dedication to their work by making sure two recent campus conferences ran safely and efficiently.

Smith and Ramirez were called to Hubbard Hall during finals week, May 4 to 8, because of a report that an elevator was down. Luckily, they were able to fix it in time for student move-out and before the first conference, the Michigan Envirothon, began on May 14.

According to the Michigan Envirothon website, the conference is a way for high school students and their adult advisors to learn about their natural resources. The purpose of the Envirothon is to provide environmental education throughout Michigan.

To the surprise of Smith and Ramirez, "elevator four" had developed two short circuits by the time they arrived on the scene. The duo kept the elevator online, managing to keep Hubbard Hall running smoothly through the conference.

After the conference ended, the elevator’s generator had to be pulled and replaced. Smith and Ramirez had impeccable timing because neither the student population nor the conference groups were disturbed by the elevator being down for a brief time.

Weeks later, during the preparation for the 4-H Exploration Days, Smith and Ramirez were asked back by Michael Zieleniewski, Housing & Food Services assistant facilities manager, to repair an elevator that had been reported as being down.

4-H is an organization of young people across the United States learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. According to the 4-H website, 4-H Exploration Days is an annual MSU pre-college program that attracts about 2,500 youth participants and chaperones representing Michigan's 83 counties. This year, the conference was hosted in Hubbard Hall June 24 to 26.

When the men arrived on the scene, the elevator was running well. They stayed on site to make sure the elevator continued to run properly.

“Rick and Phil stuck around during both conferences to be sure they ran smoothly for the participants and to guarantee the elevators were working properly,” said Matt Wright, skill trades supervisor.

“They were fantastic and such a good representation of the care that MSU has for the people who attend the conferences,” said Zieleniewski.

July 23, 2009