Between juggling his six grandchildren and teaching Sunday school at his local church, new head janitor, Dale Clark, has finally found the perfect job.
Ten years ago, Clark entered the custodial field as the area supervisor for all Blue Valley schools. He worked night hours to inspect the schools, making sure they were taken care of properly by the custodial staff. He was in charge of 75 employees who worked during the day to keep the schools presentable and safe for the students.
Now, with six grandchildren ranging from the ages of one week old to ten years old, the day hours as head custodian at East are more accommodating for his wishes to have more family time. Also, his new schedule enables him to have more time to study and prepare for his minister duties every Sunday.
“Really, it was a matter of timing,” Clark said. “This new job gives me time for other important things in my life.”
Clark was recommended for the position by Judd Reemer, whom he previously worked with at Blue Valley. They shared common ideas on how buildings should be taken care of and kept up.
“I knew that Clark would be a perfect fit for this job,” Reemer said. “He was a great area supervisor at Blue Valley and will be a great one at East as well.”
Though his new job now entails more stressful circumstances than his previous one as area supervisor, he still finds enjoyment in helping people at a closer level.
“My favorite part about this job is service. [Service] and helping people,” Clark said. “Giving people the sense that the building they are in is clean and safe. That’s what I like about it – seeing that people appreciate what they’re coming into.”
After college, Clark worked with various trucking companies until about ten years ago when he decided to settle down and focus on his family and personal life. Working as a custodian has opened his eyes to the way people respect his work. He would walk into the same room every day and it would constantly be dirty, but as he started to put in the effort, he soon realized others did as well.
“I think overall, people appreciate things,” Clark said. “Folks will help a process if they see that you are putting effort into it. If they see that you aren’t putting a lot of effort into things, folks just don’t care.”
As new head janitor, Clark is focused on keeping the school clean and safe for the students and staff. His main goal is to promote positivity throughout the students and community.