Kiera McGuire

Features Editor

On Monday, Feb. 10, I sat down with Beau Mastrine, senior director for facilities management and development at a conference room inside The College of Wooster’s Service Center. Mastrine discussed his history with the College as a groundskeeper, his current position as a senior director and his advice for current college students.

KM: I saw on your LinkedIn profile that you’ve been at the College for 26 years. Can you talk about what you’ve done throughout your years here?

BM: I have an associate degree in turf grass management and an associate degree in landscape contracting. When I first started [at Wooster], I started in the grounds department and was very fortunate to work my way up into management within the department. In 2004, I was promoted to director of grounds here on campus. In 2019, I took a position in the front office of facilities — that title was the director of project administration and budgets. Most recently here in the last couple of years, I’ve transitioned into the senior director of the entire department.

KM: How does your current position differ from the jobs you have had in the past?

BM: In a way, they are all connected. But I think even more so [in the past,] grounds was focused on grounds, and only grounds, but you were also keeping track of ‘how do grounds relate or connect to the bigger position in terms of facilities or campus planning?’ Now, one of my duties is connecting all of that. So, grounds is a department that is underneath the umbrella that I’m responsible for. In my current role, I’m kind of that point-person in connecting all of those [departments], not just focusing on grounds, but also on the functionality of the powerhouse — all of our technicians, to electricians, to HVAC. We also have to deal with transportation, that’s a big piece of it. We deal with all the little things that happen on a day-to-day basis, like fixing something. I like to tell people we maintain and manage a small city, in the sense that we have the tools and proper staff to maintain all of those things, including grounds.

KM: Would you say that your current tasks change daily, or are similar on a day-to-day basis?

BM: I would say that every day is a little different. That’s what I’ve always liked about it. Grounds have to be very reactive to weather, so every day is a little different. And now, managing the entire facilities — every day poses new challenges, new opportunities and I think that’s what keeps it interesting, that not every day is the same. 

KM: What would you say your favorite part of your job is?

BM: The people that I work with. Hands down. I’ve been blessed in my career to work with some very dedicated people that I’ve learned quite a bit from, people who have put 30-40 years in. Being able to work around those people, to hear their stories on the changes of campus they’ve witnessed, just getting to know everyone. We have roughly 46 staff members now, but that includes technicians, part-time and full-time drivers, powerhouse staff [and] the grounds staff. And there’s quite a bit of support staff in the front office in facilities that work closely with me. At the end of the day, it is truly about the people that you’re surrounded with. You go through a lot of complex things with them. To know that they appreciate you as much as you appreciate them is very rewarding.

KM: How have you seen Wooster change throughout your time here?

BM: I have witnessed a lot of development on campus. There’s been a lot of strategic planning that went into those changes, all for the good. I’ve been involved in many projects and changes, like Kauke Hall renovations in 2005-2006. We removed streets to create what is now the campus mall. Watching how we worked together to develop academic spaces and added onto the Scot Center [and] Lowry […] was a really unique change to campus. 

KM: Was there a part of the campus that you wish was still around today?

BM: Maybe not necessarily buildings that I wish were still here, but there are some trees that unfortunately had been damaged in a storm or we had to remove. There used to be a very large black oak on the north side of Galpin Hall that was probably one of the oldest trees on campus. It was damaged in a windstorm and we had to remove it. So not necessarily a building, but there are some landscape features that we’ve lost over the years that I wish were still here. It’s not just about the physical assets, but the trees also tell a very unique story for the campus.

KM: Finally, do you have any advice for current and prospective students on how to make the most of their college experience here?

BM: That is a big question [laughs]. I think that at the end of the day, regardless of what campus or college a student wants to be part of, I think they have to feel comfortable. Our job in facilities is to make each student feel as comfortable as possible. There are days where we don’t achieve that, unfortunately, and it’s not necessarily out of neglect on our part but maybe something fails. That is a reflection on us, and there is some uncomfortableness that comes with that. But at the end of the day, how a student feels on campus is important […] I have to say, falling short of being selfish and saying “don’t deface the campus,” [my advice is to] try to do your part to take care of the spaces you live in. Someone has to clean up after you, so how you leave a space is important. 

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At the end of our conversation, I asked Mastrine if there was anything else he wished to share that I hadn’t asked about. He focused his attention on the staff within the facilities department, praising all the hard work they do every day to make the campus a safe and comfortable place to live. “The group effort from the facilities department really makes all the difference,” Mastrine said. “I don’t know how to credit all the work they do.” 

More Scotlights coming soon!