OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi has announced the Physical Plant Department has been reorganized and renamed the Facilities Management Department, which will consist of three divisions. The change takes effect Wednesday (April 1).
The Facilities Management Department will continue to be led by Director Ashton Pearson, but it will include Health and Safety, Facilities Operations and Facilities Services divisions.
“This reorganization and renaming brings the university’s facilities organization more in line with that of our Southeastern Conference peers and provides greater emphasis on current customer service to the University of Mississippi,” Pearson said.
The department’s workforce remains intact through the restructuring process.
Ed Movitz will continue in the role of health and safety officer and he will direct the Health and Safety Division. Its primary mission is to reduce the risk of illness or injuries at UM by developing, implementing, enhancing and improving programs. This will be done through training, guidance, technical expertise and support services to all campus activities and programs. The division’s aim is to ensure campus facilities and programs operate in compliance within the spirit and letter of health, safety and environmental regulations.
“Health & Safety will strive to be recognized as a division of the Facilities Management Department that fosters excellence through honest communication, technical expertise and teamwork,” Pearson said.
Russ Buchholz will lead the Facilities Operations Division with the title of associate director. This change reflects the utility services, infrastructure and energy management work that has been the mission for the staff that operates within this division. Automated control systems, interconnected digital metering, variable frequency drive systems, and high-efficiency central heating and cooling systems are being installed campuswide by this division. The work will help keep UM capable of meeting 21st century demands.
“The Facilities Operations Division will continue to provide work that will reflect a spirit of building for the future of the university while maintaining a high standard of delivery of the various trade services to the campus community,” Pearson said.
Donna Mooney will take charge of the new Facilities Services Division as associate director. This division provides a variety of services, including daily cleaning, campus event setups, vehicle fuel and maintenance services, departmental moves and the administration of Facilities Management work orders. The division will oversee personnel services for the Facilities Management Department, including human resources, information technology requests, safety, training and accounting.
The Facilities Services Division will also manage the university’s “building mayors,” a program that establishes a primary contact person in each building to be responsible for coordinating and submitting work requests for maintenance operations and cleaning services. This person also serves as the building liaison for infrastructure matters and campus communication.
“The restructuring to include the creation of the Facilities Services Division of the Facilities Management Department allows a greater emphasis to be placed on customer service,” Pearson said.
Additional information about the new Facilities Management Department can be found on its website.