The work of the Facilities Management department at Western Michigan University hardly goes unrecognized. They are, after all, responsible for the beautiful infrastructure on campus--not to mention their constant efforts to keep campus looking fresh and new.
But while it’s easy to appreciate the work of the facilities management team, sometimes it’s also easy to overlook the people that work behind the scenes to make it all possible.
Monica Orsolini (B.S.’85; M.A. ‘14) is one of those hard-working people who spends her days helping the Facilities Management Department operate smoothly. She is a senior budget analyst at WMU and has been in that role for seven years. She is also a WMU alumna, with a biology major and minor in chemistry and a master's degree in educational technology.
She was nominated to be an “unsung hero” by Sarah Larson (B.B.A.’11, Accountancy; M.S.A’12), manager of business operations for the department, also a WMU alumna.
Larson had high praises for the passion that Orsolini brings to her job every day.
“She likes to be a teacher. She handles so many phone calls and deals with so many people walking into her office needing help with things,” Larson said. “She always has a smile on her face and makes room for everybody.”
Larson also said there are so many things behind the scenes that Orsolini does in her everyday job to keep the department operating at a high level.
“...from capital construction projects to the operations groups,” Larson explained, “she might not be on the site building things, but she is helping to make sure everything gets paid and making sure the projects are on budget.”
For Orsolini, getting recognized for her work isn’t something she worries too much about. She said she is just focused on doing her day-to-day job. But still, she said it’s an honor to be nominated as an “unsung hero” by Larson to be recognized in this instance.
“I feel very humbled and honored to be nominated, that was a great thing of her to do for me,” Orsolini said. “Our department really is about the details. But we keep things running behind the scenes so people can be on campus and the students can be learning. I feel like I support them.”
Being a graduate of Western Michigan, Orsolini expressed how much she enjoys the University, and how satisfying it is to be able to work with and give back to current students.
“I’ve really enjoyed being a part of WMU and helping the students,” Orsolini said. “One of my favorite parts of working in the office is working with the students... being able to get to know them and see how they blossom as they work with us over the years is one of my favorite parts.”
Orsolini is one of many people who impact the WMU community in a positive manner every day.
To nominate an Unsung Hero at WMU, send an email to seth.r.berry@wmich.edu.