Renovations manager James Williams said his goal is to provide superior customer service for campus clients, which in turn benefits the entire University, helping it meet its mission of serving students and the greater community.
A veteran employee who joined the University in 1999, Williams undertook his current role about two years ago. The Facilities Management Department decided to reconstitute the Renovations Shop to handle University projects that had budgets of $30,000 or less.
“We do a little bit of everything,” said Williams, adding the majority of projects originate with facilities management design services. “Aside from renovations, we handle preventative maintenance in the parking decks, and we handle electrical work for housing and residence life. We may have five to six projects under way at any given time.”
In the past two years, Williams said the growth of the University led to his staff going from six to 12 members. Along the way, he and his crew have saved the University money by using in-house labor. Williams bids against outside contractors for some projects, and he and his staff frequently can get the job done quicker and for less money. For example, his workers completed a project for the ADA Office at half the cost of outside contractors.
Enabling the University to be good stewards of its funding is important said Williams, but he added his staff also helps campus leaders to better use space in various buildings. Most recently, his team started transforming the high bay area in Cameron Applied Research Center into temporary classroom space for the Kinesiology Department.
“This is a large project involving sub-dividing the space for several rooms, such as the weight room,” Williams said. “And, it looks like we’re going to meet the deadline. What’s nice about this project is that when kinesiology moves out, it can be a staging area for other units, and it illustrates to taxpayers how the University is better utilizing space that has become obsolete.”
Williams’ efforts have not gone unnoticed. In March, he was among five staff members recognized as Employees of the Year. He was honored in the innovations category.
The award was like “I won a Grammy,” said Williams. ”It’s heartwarming to know that you have so many customers here who wrote letters that spoke well of me and the staff. I can’t take all the credit, because we have great management (in facilities management) and a great team. But it’s probably one of the best things to have happened to me. It’s quite an honor.”
Outside work, Williams often is with his family. He and his wife Donna live in Stanly County, and they have two children, James Jr. and Krisi, and a six-year-old grandson Logan. As a couple, the Williams are avid bowlers and have participated on various leagues. They also belong to a rail buggy club.