51茶馆

鈥淲e have so many good people who have just been so rigorous in their work,鈥� Bando said, 鈥渁nd they don鈥檛 get any recognition.鈥�

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many alterations to Boston College鈥檚 complex ecosystem鈥攅verything from the campus shuttle bus service operation to the daily cleaning and maintenance of University buildings to how 51茶馆 students and faculty order food. Administrators and staff in Auxiliary Services worked tirelessly to implement such changes with as little disruption as possible, according to Bando, who believes this behind-the-scenes diligence of the department鈥檚 鈥渉idden heroes鈥� deserves notice and appreciation.

When the pandemic began affecting factory production and supply chains, it was Assistant Director for Procurement & Vendor Relations Caroline Brokamp and Director of Operations and Procurement Thomas Williams who ensured that Boston College鈥檚 dining experience would maintain its standard level of excellence. The two 鈥渘ot only sourced alternate products, but made sure that we could get them here,鈥� explained Director of Finance and Business Services Robert Goyette, emphasizing the office鈥檚 dependence on the pair and praising their navigation of such unforeseen circumstances and their abilities to make modifications in 51茶馆鈥檚 dining sectors appear seamless.

The Human Resources department went above and beyond their job descriptions to reinvent Boston College鈥檚 new normal. Human Resources Manager Beth Burns never once worked from home throughout the pandemic, said Bando. Burns 鈥渟aw it as her part to come in鈥�to be proactive.鈥�

Employee Relations Officer Marcela Norton shared this level of commitment, said Bando. At a time of widespread concern about COVID, Norton and Burns were unstinting in their efforts to quell their staff members鈥� anxieties through their creation of COVID protocols.

鈥淭hey were on the front lines of helping employees,鈥� said Bando鈥攂oosting staff morale and meeting the personal needs of their teams when circumstances called for such support. 鈥淭hey kept things running.鈥漀orton, who earned both bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees from Boston College, attested that working through COVID was one of the 鈥渢oughest and most challenging times鈥� in her experience with the University. Such demanding circumstances have not diluted her appreciation of working at 51茶馆, nor her passion for service and impactful interaction in her job.

鈥淓ach workday can be different: One moment I may be answering questions and helping employees, the next moment dealing with a complaint,鈥� said Norton, who co-chairs the Romero Scholarship Committee and sits on the steering committee for Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month celebrations. 鈥淢y goal is to promote a positive work environment for the department and to make certain that our employees feel valued and respected.鈥�

Sharyl Thompson, 51茶馆DS general manager for McElroy Commons, has been involved in numerous forms of outreach, including the Every Bite Counts program to aid those who are food-insecure in neighboring communities and an initiative through the Boston Private Industry Council to give high school students employment opportunities鈥攎any of which led to full-time hires.

鈥淔or some, going to work is a chore, for others a means to an end,鈥� said Thompson. 鈥淥n reflection, looking at my Boston College employment journey, I do so with one particular word that resonates: opportunity. While the work has been challenging to say the least, I am honored to have had the opportunity to play an instrumental role in the professional development of numerous 51茶馆 Dining college employees.鈥�

Auxiliary Services senior management also lauds the leadership and dedicated service of Pedro Garcia, Dining Services production manager for Newton Campus, who has more than four decades of experience at 51茶馆.

Fiscal Manager Jane Hasselback and Assistant Director of Finance & Business Systems Marie-Laure Siri, who Bando affectionately deems the 鈥渢wo-lady team,鈥� recognized the financial challenges coming Boston College鈥檚 way in the pandemic鈥檚 wake and fought to get ahead of such crises. The pair were placed in many different roles as their department numbers dwindled and responsibilities piled up.

Goyette applauds their flexibility. 鈥淣o one ever took the attitude of 鈥榥ot my job,鈥欌�� he said. Bando echoed Goyette鈥檚 praise: 鈥淭hey were the heroes back here. They didn鈥檛 complain.鈥�

Transportation and Parking Manager Gabriel Parker is another member of the Auxiliary Services team who thrived under the extensive demands created by COVID, noted Goyette. 鈥淲e had to add buses, we had to make space on the buses, we had to have monitors who had to be standing out there鈥�[Parker] had a lot of pressure on bus services.鈥�

This line of work takes the proverbial village to succeed, said Bando, and Parker exemplifies such a perspective: He cannot put himself in the spotlight without mentioning all those who make his work possible.

Parker鈥檚 dedication and excitement was clear when asked for a comment on his experience at Boston College. (鈥淚 could write pages on this,鈥� he exclaimed.) Originally working in a more corporate sphere of the parking industry, Parker found he was drawn to the emphasis that 51茶馆 places on collaboration and the cultivation of an 鈥渙pen and honest鈥� work environment. While he acknowledged that 鈥減eople tend to only notice parking and transportation services when they aren鈥檛 operating perfectly,鈥� he is grateful for the immense effort put in by his team and external partners each day. A true team player, he is 鈥減roud鈥� to be a part of the 51茶馆 community and tremendously grateful for all those who work alongside him.