Bahelebi “Bobby” Medhane

Bahelebi Medhane has been our custodian for the last several years. His sustained dedication to excellence in his job performance, his thoughtful planning in carrying out his duties in the most effective manner and his respectful, gracious manner make him an excellent candidate for the Distinguished Staff Award. As I approached staff and faculty on our own floor to seek their input about Mr. Medhane the consistent responses I received highlighted his excellent attention to details, his willingness to go above and beyond, and his wonderful, kind, positive attitude. The eagerness of staff who work on other floors assigned to Mr. Medhane to support this nomination is evidence that our high regard for Mr. Medhane is shared by all with whom he works. It is an honor to nominate him.

The excellence and consistency of Mr. Medhane’s job performance speaks to his personal integrity. He does a careful, thorough job maintaining our work area and his behind the scenes diligence provides a base of operation for us that increases our comfort and the professional appearance of our work area. When he is present, all details are addressed. Our work area receives particularly heavy use, with close to 200 faculty, staff and graduate students working and learning on our floor each day. Mr. Medhane keeps our area looking cared for and professional. We never run out of paper supplies in the bathrooms, all the floors, including corners, are clean and garbage cans are fastidiously emptied. Never are scraps left behind on the floor, or spots missed when dust mopping. We notice the difference when he has a day off, or is sent to cover other areas. Mr. Medhane goes beyond the standard cleaning schedule, making sure the floors in the classrooms are cleaned on a regular basis, including extra sweeping, stain removal and washing of surfaces well beyond what had previously been done by other custodians assigned to our area. Before he arrived on our floor, the carpets in our offices were vacuumed at most once per year. Now, they are done on a regular basis. He goes out of his way to make sure that his work has minimal impact on ours, scheduling time with noisy cleaning machines early, before most staff members have arrived, and making sure that he has finished our floor before students begin class. Always, he is willing to do whatever is needed and takes pride in the stellar job that he does. Besides completing the huge job of managing his regular floors, I see him in various areas of Health Sciences, helping out in other areas as well. His standard of excellence has been unwavering in all the time that he has worked on our floor. The integrity and dedication to excellence Mr. Medhane applies his work increases our respect for our physical space. One might think that performing custodial duties is mundane, however, Mr. Medhane’s intelligent and thoughtful approach to his tasks is evident. He has shared with me on several occasions how he dynamically changes his work flow to make sure he minimizes his impact of staff on his floors. For example, he alters his usual flow on the days that he washes or vacuums the floors to make sure the noisy jobs are completed prior to staff arrival. Typically, he completes his duties on our floor early to make sure we are ready when our students begin class. On days that he is called upon to cover for other custodians, he still manages to do a thorough job with his usual duties. His strategies are very thoughtful and deliberate, adding to his stellar performance of his work.

The manner in which Mr. Medhane performs his work reflects his respect and comfort working with a diverse group. He is always willing to help out by completing extra chores, helping unlock doors when we’ve forgotten keys, and offering assistance as he is able. The warmth demonstrated while he works makes everyone’s day improved. He is sincerely respectful, caring and in good spirits on a consistent basis and with all with whom he has contact. I arrive to work quite early, and often he is the only other person on the floor. It always makes me smile to hear his whistle down the hall. He sets a positive tone for my day. He is most mindful of being unobtrusive. Mr. Medhane is always neatly dressed, with his shirt tucked in, adding to his professionalism. In our brief morning chats, it has become clear to me that he holds high standards regarding honesty and hard work. He treats all people he encounters with kindness and positive regard. His positive demeanor makes our work a better place. The power of sharing a positive attitude and dedication to excellence is remarkable. Mr. Mudhane’s grace improves the entire work environment. Little things make a profound difference and we are grateful for Mr. Mudhane’s influence.

In summary, we deeply value Mr. Medhane’s integrity, intelligence, grace, and his consistently high work standards. We hope you will act favorably upon our nomination of Mr. Bahelebi Medhane for the Distinguished Staff Award.