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The ubiquitous Buildings and Grounds team

The Buildings and Grounds Team after a morning meeting. (Not pictured: José Gonzalez, Yenis Burgos, and Sonia Ferman.)

By Rita Deurdulian

As we settle into the first month of school let's celebrate the team working behind the scenes to ensure our school functions seamlessly. Potomac’s Building and Grounds crew’s efforts to keep campus beautiful go far beyond aesthetics. They don't just maintain our campus; they make it an inviting space for learning, employment, and recreation.

Everything that you see and touch has been impacted by this team. Their work is discreetly ubiquitous. From keeping Potomac’s hallways well-lit, the classrooms comfortable, and the HVAC systems running smoothly, they ensure that our campus supports the learning of every student, the work of every staff member, and the needs of the community. 

With more than 110 combined years of care for the Potomac campus, this team endeavors to create a unique sense of place that supports Potomac’s mission while instilling in our students and staff a sense of pride, belonging, and ownership. 

B&G also administers the day-to-day operations of Potomac’s campus. This service-oriented team provides a wide range of services for the campus community, including maintaining buildings to ensure a safe, clean, and healthy environment and event services for our plethora of gatherings on our beautiful 90-acre campus. 

They set the stage. Every assembly, athletics event, or parent meeting has been set up by this crew to transform our spaces into event-ready venues with precision and speed, ensuring every event is a success. They respond to emergencies. The team stood ready when the Middle School ceiling was leaking over the summer and when a pipe burst in the Arundel Family Library last year. During the pandemic, the Buildings and Grounds team set up tents to serve as outdoor classrooms, moved furniture to provide for physical distancing, and adjusted cleaning protocols to support community health and safety. 

Their unwavering commitment has not gone unnoticed. Facilities technician Jose Gonzalez – a Potomac employee since 1994 – demonstrates The Potomac School’s core values on a daily basis, earning him the Generosity of Spirit Award in 2021. Like his colleagues, Jose cares deeply about his work and is committed to helping to ensure that the campus community benefits from safe, clean, functional spaces – supervising more than 140,000 square feet of campus facilities.

Whether working to maintain the campus spaces assigned to their care or leading the set-up for special events like the annual Fall Frolics carnival, the B&G team members work thoughtfully, with respect for the school’s facilities and the people who depend on them.