On President Johnson’s 100th day at BCC, his office held an Appreciation Luncheon for more than 50 Physical Plant Services (PPS) staff members, including custodial and maintenance workers, laborers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and power plant trade workers. It was the first recognition of its kind in recent memory,

“Your voice and your role is so critical to how we move forward,” President Johnson said. “Student retention is not only about what happens in the classroom. It starts when they walk through the gates and see how beautiful this campus is – with all the vegetation, the plants and the flowers; that is retention. Students see a campus they love, and they want to come back.”

He added, “You are the backbone of what we do at this institution. This day completes my 100 days at BCC. How great it is to spend it with the PPS staff!”

Anthony Colon, Chief Administrative Superintendent of PPS, who has served at BCC for a decade and been part of the CUNY system for 40 years, emphasized the importance of the luncheon in lifting team morale.

“Our staff works incredibly hard year-round, often without recognition,” Colon said. “You finish one job and immediately move on to the next. The fact that President Johnson took the time to do this really means a lot.”

Many PPS staff members have been with BCC for more than a decade. Among them is Omayra Beauchamp, who began her career at the College 35 years ago as a custodian. She has since risen through the ranks and now supervises 39 custodial staff members. She says the camaraderie and teamwork are what keep her here.

“This has been a great event seeing people who I believe never had a voice, but only had a ‘to do’ list being recognized as the individuals who do that list,” said Interim Vice President for Administration Octavio Gomez. “It’s a lot easier to say, ‘Hey how are you, Can you fix this?’ than, ‘Hey how are you? Thank you.’ This to me is a thank you moment. They’re getting the thank you they deserve.”