FACILITY PROFESSIONAL SPOTHLIGHT
Kaylee Guerrero
How did you get into FM/ Accidental FM?
Originally my career started in the kitchen. I was a line cook turned kitchen manager when I finished my schooling with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Portland State University. After finishing my degree, I decided I wanted to devote my time to animal welfare and started looking for jobs at the Oregon Humane Society. I was originally hired on as an Animal Care Technician before transferring to the medical team as a Veterinary Assistant. I started considering becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician, when the Facilities Director reached out to me about an open Facilities Tech position. I had never considered facilities as a career path before, but was inspired by the strong, intelligent, and badass women who lead the facilities team at OHS. With the support of the director, and Team Lead, I decided to apply and see where it would take me! 5 years later and I have been promoted up to Facilities Manager, and our team has grown to 20 people across 6 buildings, 2 campuses, and several leased properties.
One off Weird Experience in the industry?
I would say one of the weirder experiences that can likely be shared throughout the industry, is the weird items you find when popping your head up into drop ceilings. We have many VAVs throughout our buildings, and when they inevitably leak due to fluctuations in temperature or failing parts, the facilities techs throughout the years have found interesting ways of catching the water. Sometimes, the techs forget to go back and remove the items, so we now find anything from dog bowls, to cat litter pans, to Tupperware containers, to just a stack of towels, or an empty can of some sort stashed up in the ceiling. It’s also always fun to find random tools or bits of hardware left behind from past projects, or even soda cans or bottles of water… That being said, I will admit that I once lost my work phone for several hours, until I used the find-my-iphone app and realized I had left it above a ceiling tile while adjusting an actuator for a VAV… the flashlight was still on and everything.
Highlight of your facility or operation?
Our outdoor dog walking path is like a little oasis that people are often surprised is even there. Just behind our shelter on Columbia Blvd is a hill that leads down to a forested area and a small pond. We have a full array of wild animals that frequent this space and vary from herons to geese to eagles, as well as coyotes and beavers and bats. There are wild hares and hummingbirds and snakes and frogs; it’s truly a little nature habit and we do our best to keep the flora and fauna happy and as undisturbed as possible. The shelter dogs love going on their three walks a day in this area, and our staff and volunteers find it to be a relaxing little getaway as well.
