Recent graduates contribute to sustainability.
The contributions that building service contractors and in-house facility management personnel make to environmental wellness and safety are worthy of recognition. The following organizations recently demonstrated their commitment to the health of their building occupants by completing the Building Wellness Certification Training program.
Service Employees International Union is the fastest growing union in North America with more than 2.1 million members, 225,000 of whom work in the building cleaning and security industries. In mid-December, ten training experts from SEIU graduated from from the Building Wellness Institute's GS-42 certification training program.
BACK ROW-left to right:
Richard Grande, Instructor, 32 BJ Training Fund, James Barry, Manager Program Development, 32 BJ Training Fund, Juan Fernando Hidalgo, Assistant Superintendant, Instructor, 32 BJ Training Fund, Geoff Gusoff, Teacher, Organizer, SEIU Local 615 Training Fund, Joel Globerman, Admin. Superintendant-CUNY, Instructor, 32 BJ Training Fund, Jose Gonzalez, Site Manager, D.C.,VA,MD, Instructor, 32 BJ Training Fund, Victor Nazario, Superintendent, Instructor, 32 BJ Training Fund
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Carmelo Loran, Consultant, Instructor, 32 BJ Training Fund, Joanne Van Syckel, Supervisor Janitorial, Instructor, 32 BJ Training Fund, Marion Stecklow, Building Wellness Institute Instructor, Ellen Honigstock, Director, Construction Education, Urban Green Council
On December 2, Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA became the first college in the nation to offer The Building Wellness Institute training program. During this session, eight cleaning professionals from the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind(VSDB) and six from Western State Hospital(WSH) learned the latest scientific facts and techniques involved in cleaning to protect health and the environment.
Comments from graduates:
“Everyone has to be trained and understand [how to clean for health and the environment] so that the program will work. You have to change, without change it will not work. “
“There are ways of cleaning without destroying our health or the environment. I believe in going green now that I have had a chance to learn about green cleaning.”
BACK ROW-left to right:
Rhonda Clatterbaugh-WSH, Linda Arehart- WSH, Norma McMillion-VSDB, Karen Ferguson-VSDB, Mark Jordan-VSDB, Robert Cooke-WSH
SECOND ROW-left to right:
Pat Johnson-WSH, Marcella Williams-WSH, Patricia Chavis-VSDB, Margaret(Cindy)Boyd-VSDB, Effie Campbell-VSDB, Lois Shiflett-WSH
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Frances Brooks-VSDB, Debra(K) Williams-VSDB
On November 16, five managers and supervisors from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) graduated from the Building Wellness Institute Green, Healthy Cleaning-GS 42 training program. The following verbatim comments from two different class participants illustrate the value received.
"I had no idea that I had been cleaning wrong all of these years. The course really opened my eyes to a whole new world of cleaning.“
"[I learned that] we have to change our perspective about what we do. We have to take pride in our jobs and realize that we are providing a service that is affecting us personally, the environment and the future in a positive way.”
BACK Names from left to right:
Mark Foster, Joyce Walker, Linwood West, Kirby F. Smith Isiah Brachter
Thirteen supervisors from Building Maintenance Services (BMS) New York office, all of whom manage the cleaning of LEED buildings, gained new insights on how the performance of their jobs help to protect health and the environment. During their participation in the recent Building Wellness Institute training program they learned that by following the Green Seal Standard for cleaning along with adopting procedures for cleaning for health, they are protecting the health and safety of their employees as well as the occupants of the buildings they clean.
BACK ROW-left to right:
Sherif Prelvukaj, David Kabashi, Rafael Herrera, Irwin Zindman, Steve Cosovic, Ali Yahya, Jack Pastwa, Naser Gjeloshi
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Stephanie Osmanovic, Samira Mustafic, Jackie Joseph, Aida Dzaferovic, Oscar Morales
Fall graduates include project managers and supervisors from Building Maintenance Services, PMM Companies, Queen Anne County Schools, Clean Solutions, Gali Services Industries, University of Maryland and The Atlantic Services Group.
BACK ROW-left to right:
Jeff Collins: Building Maintenance Services, Byron Coleman: University of Maryland, Sid Pinder: Queen Anne County Schools, Kiril Apostolov: PMM Companies, Jose Barrios: Clean Solutions, LLC
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Rafael Alvarez: Gali Service Industries, Solomon Palmer, University of Maryland, Mario Garcia: Atlantic Services Group, Inc., Corey Hayes, PMM Companies
Building Services employees for the City of Austin Texas graduate from the Building Wellness Institute GS 42 accredited training program.
BACK ROW-left to right:
John Slater, Jim Guthrie, Sheldon Swaney, Cesar Cavazos
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Jose Aguilar, Larry Fischback, Jurline Williams
Project Managers and supervisors for crs Facility Services, Lee-Crown Enterprises and The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority graduate from the spring Building Wellness Institute GS 42 accredited training program.
BACK ROW-left to right:
Miguel Silva-crs Facility Services, Garey T Morgan- WMATA(Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority), Benjamin Foster- WMATA(Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority), Christopher Moore- WMATA(Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority), Julio Alfaro-crs Facility Services
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Darlene DeBerry-crs Facility Services, Luis Vasquez- crs Facility Services, Nikki Pelbano- crs Facility Services
Irene Lee-Crown Enterprises, Nora Poteat- WMATA(Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority), Freddie Ross- WMATA(Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority)
Project Managers, supervisors for Building Maintenance Services (BMS) Crystal City, VA and the new Vice President, General Manager for BMS-Washington, graduate from the Building Wellness Institute GS 42 accredited training program. BMS-New York and Washington Metropolitan Area is preparing for Green Seal 42 certification.
BACK ROW-left to right:
Juan Funes, Project Manager, Joel Birner, Vice President, General Manager, Napoleon Salvador, Project Manager
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Gina Olivares, Director of Tenant Services, Jose Olego, General Manager, Dorothy Olego-Smith, Payroll Administrator, Yuleimys R Mirabal, Supervisor
Leading Expert on occupational and environmental Medicine Addresses First Graduating Class of 2011
Dr. Tee L. Guidotti, a physician, author and leading expert in occupational and environmental medicine, addressed recent graduates of the Building Wellness Institute. In his remarks, Dr. Guidotti commented on the lack of understanding about the correlation between cleaning and public health, and congratulated graduates on their vision and industry leadership in adopting the GS-42 standard. Dr. Guidotti, who has authored several books on occupational and environmental medicine, reminded graduates of the vital role that cleaning industry professionals play as stewards for protecting public health and the environment.
BACK ROW-left to right:
Estella Walker. MS Clean Services, Inc.; Jorge Massa, Palm Facility Services; Valerie Byers, Howard County Public School System; Sergio Serafini, GSI Eco Healthy Cleaning; Alan Burt, Building Health Sciences; Jean C. Moncada, GSI Eco Healthy Cleaning;
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Dr. Tee Guidotti, MD, MPH, DABT, FACOEM, Vice President for Health /Safety, Environment and Sustainability Medical Advisory Services; Gloria Lopez, Total Quality Building Services; Flora Suyo, GSI Eco Healthy Cleaning; Marion Stecklow; Manuel Prado, GSI Eco Healthy Cleaning; Antonio Mariscal, ISS; Jose Suarez, Total Quality Building Services;
Class of Eight Graduates from the Fall GS-42 Training
Graduates from the Fall Building Wellness Institute’s GS-42 Training Program include professionals from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area as well as Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas and California.
BACK ROW-left to right:
Susan Heaton, Green Seal Organization, Washington, D.C.; Dave Prewitt, McLemore Building Maintenance, Houston, TX, Stan Salinas, E&S Janitorial Services, Bethesda, MD, Carly Baumann, San Francisco, CA, Donald Shockley, Pura, Inc., Wrightsville Beach, NC,
Mathhew Thayer, Roca, Chelsea, MA
FRONT ROW-left to right: Loba Ojo, GSI Eco Healthy Cleaning, Bethesda, MD, Roberto Chavez, GSI Eco Health Cleaning, Bethesda, MD., and Edwin Montero, Bolana Enterprises, Washington, D.C.
Class of Thirteen Graduates from Summer Kick-Off GS-42 Training
Congratulations to all of the recent graduates of the Building Wellness Institute GS-42 Green Cleaning Training Program. Graduates included cleaning industry professionals throughout Maryland and Virginia, as well as executives from Markham, Illinois and Bellevue, Washington.
Back row-left to right:
Eric Kelly- GSI ECOHEALTHY CLEANING, Bethesda, MD, Robert Jenkins- Alliance Building Services, Bellevue, WA, Quintis Millsaps- Q's Cleaning Services, Markham, IL
Scott Smith- Alliance Building Services, Bellevue, WA
Jose Rivera- GSI ECOHEALTHY CLEANING, Bethesda, MD, Ray Slye-All Seasons Corporation, Leesburg, VA
Gustavo Chiarelli- GSI ECOHEALTHY CLEANING, Bethesda, MD,
FRONT ROW-left to right:
Carlos Rodriguez-All Seasons Corporation, Leesburg, VA, Olivia Resendiz- GSI ECOHEALTHY CLEANING, Bethesda, MD Lisseth Quijada- GSI ECOHEALTHY CLEANING, Bethesda, MD, Gustavo Garcia- Executive Maintenance, Inc., Elkridge, MD, Judi Slye- All Seasons Corporation, Leesburg, VA, Esther Guzman- Executive Maintenance, Inc., Elkridge, MD
Howard County Public School System
Howard County understands that while procuring green cleaning products, as mandated by Maryland House Bill 1363, is a great start to achieving environmental wellness, maintaining a sustainable green cleaning program also requires best practices and procedures designed to document effectiveness and measure success.
Congratulations to Howard County Public Schools on becoming the first K-12 school system in the state of Maryland to complete a green cleaning certification program.
Department of Custodial Services Director Olivia Claus (second from left) celebrates her team’s certification with (from left to right) the Building Wellness Institute’s Wendy Pohanka, Mark Felton and Marion Stecklow.
Palm Facility Services
Palm Facility Services is a leading provider of commercial janitorial services, with over 30 years of experience in the Washington, D.C. area. Palm recently demonstrated its commitment to staff training and environmental wellness by completing the Building Wellness Certification Training program.
Congratulations to the Palm team and to our own Wendy Pohanka (pictured below on the right), who passed her GS 42 accreditation evaluation during the Palm class.
The newly certified Palm Facility Services team poses with Building Wellness Institute trainer Wendy Pohanka.
Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
A leader in sustainability, energy and resource conservation since the late 1970s, Montgomery College has a proven track record over the years of getting everyone on campus involved in minimizing its environmental footprint. Montgomery College’s Facilities Department is contributing directly to the success of the College’s sustainability goals by maintaining safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly buildings.
Takoma Park/Silver Spring graduates are, from left to right, Constant Mirand, Norma Salmon, Rodney Boone, James Gilbert, Dwayne Malloy, Subha Rao Ramudu and Terry Evelyn.
Building Wellness Institute’s December 2009 3-Day Training Event
On December 1, 2009, eight cleaning professionals from several companies assembled in Linthicum, Maryland to complete an accelerated three-day Building Wellness Certification Training class. Congratulations to our eight graduates, who are now ready to share their new knowledge and skills with the rest of their green cleaning teams.
Graduates from the December training event are, from left to right, Peg Kowalski (Total Quality Building Services), Manuel Rodriguez (Bolana Enterprises), Francisco Romero (Total Quality Building Services), Tamara Ojo (Bolana Enterprises), Leah Devine (Daycon), Ricardo Alvarado (Gali Service Industries), and Al Mejia (Building Maintenance Service). Not pictured: Augie Miceli (Comprehensive Building Services).
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Building Wellness Certification Training: Participating Organizations
The following businesses, schools and other organizations have completed (or are in the process of completing) our Building Wellness Certification Training program. Congratulations to you all for your commitment to the health of your building occupants and our environment.
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