Ray Bickford has been with the University of Nebraska at Kearney Facilities Department Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning section since 1982. He is a very versatile person, called upon often to make repairs and adjustments on equipment. When he is given a work order, he can be counted on to complete it in a timely and professional manner. This summer Ray took it upon himself to completely clean and paint the inside of the Central Heating Plant. His recommendation of removing old equipment no longer used made the Central Heating Plant a more professional and pleasant workplace. Ray never hesitates to make recommendations to make the HVAC section more efficient.
Ray is a self-starter. He sees things that he can do to make the department more efficient and works through channels to see that they are implemented. Working with other HVAC members, Ray has been instrumental in preparing the University's boilers for their annual inspection by the State Boiler Inspector. Ray always comes ready to work and possesses an excellent "can do" attitude. He is a great believer in teamwork and knows it takes all HVAC employees working together to make a good working atmosphere.
During the heating season, Ray works the shift of "boiler watch," monitoring the computer at the Central Heating plant to insure the campus boilers, pumps, air handlers, and other HVAC equipment are working properly and to insure the buildings maintain proper levels of comfort. He fields calls from students and office personnel regarding HVAC problems and routs them to personnel who can take care of the problems. Ray is very knowledgeable of his duties and responsibilities as he works in repairing pumps, replacing bearings in air handlers, repairing boilers, working on air conditioners and other major pieces of equipment that affect the comfort of university personnel and their workspaces.
Ray is a dedicated employee who strives for excellence. His positive attitude makes him someone people enjoy working with. The University of Nebraska at Kearney is pleased to recognize Ray Bickford's excellence by naming him the Employee of the Month for December 1998.