Greg Nelson said he can still remember his first day at work at Boston University, and 10 years later, the Facilities Management plumber is still hard at work.
Overall, 307 faculty and staff members completed their 10th year as BU employees this year, and Nelson was one of 107 who attended the Service Recognition Luncheon in the George Sherman Union Metcalf Hall yesterday. President Robert Brown and Vice President of Administrative Services Peter Fiedler both congratulated and recognized the employees for their contributions.
“I promise the next 10 years will be as exciting, challenging and hopefully as rewarding as the first,” Brown said. “I hope to see you all at the 25-year dinner in 2023. I will be very proud to be there with you.”
On his first day at work, Nelson said everyone was teasing him because the supervisor told him to arrive at 7:30 a.m., but no one else showed up until 8 a.m.
But there Nelson and his buddies stood, 10 years later, about to be recognized by BU for their countless days of hard work and contribution.
“It’s a great job, good benefits, and because of tuition remission, I sent one of my daughters to school here,” Nelson said.
Between lunch and dessert, Fiedler took a moment to put the last 10 years in perspective, talking about everything from BU’s physical changes over the past decade to recent historical stepping stones and cracking a few jokes along the way.
The BU Office of Human Resources, which hosted the annual luncheon, also hosts a similar dinner for 25-year honorees and retirees, which took place Thursday.
“I think it’s very important to recognize and honor employees who have devoted 10 years of their life to this university,” said Marilyn Walsh, director of Employee Relations, Employment and Training for the Office of Human Resources.
“It’s easy for us to lose sight of the amount of work we do,” Charles Merzbacher, film and television department chairman, said. “I think it’s nice that the university takes a moment to step back and recognize that. When you’re working, it’s like you’re in an endless stream, and sometimes it’s nice to step out on the bank and see where you are.”
Each employee also received a gift from BU, such as a watch or duffel bag, depending on recipient preference.
“I’m just excited,” Frances Zaremba, a dental technician for clinical services, said. “First of all I couldn’t believe it was 10 years, it went by so fast. And second, a lot of companies don’t even recognize their employees, but it’s something BU does do, they do value their employees.”
