Most people in Andover drive past Proctor Academy’s campus, but not many stop here to work. Many Andover residents are unaware of how much the school affects the town. Proctor provides many services, but one major area is employment.
Proctor Academy is the number one employer for the town: it has 175 full time employees, 44 part time employees, and 26 seasonal employees. That is 245 total employees and of that total, 86 are Andover residents that reside off campus or not in campus housing.
Two long time Andover residents, currently employed at Proctor shared their thoughts on what it is like to work in this community.
I had the chance to speak with the Director of Maintenance at Proctor Academy, Kurt Meier. About the biggest challenges of working at Proctor, Kurt replied, “[There are] So many buildings to keep in operating condition, such as heating, plumbing, air conditioning, ventilation, doors and related hardware whether it be the lock or the door closer, the exit device that uses a push bar to open the doors on our larger buildings, or perhaps the FOB Reader on the doors with an electronic lock. Fire Alarm systems, Fire Sprinkler Systems. All the lighting both inside and outside the buildings and the emergency lighting systems, the storm drainage system. The campus sewage systems, there are many, we also have several sewer pump stations. All of this stuff needs to be working at all times.” Kurt smiled, it seems like he likes this challenge.
I asked Kurt (on the motorcycle), what is unusual about working at Proctor? Are there any surprises? He informed me excitedly, “We have many programs here that many schools do not have. The first name basis with teachers took some getting used to, you don’t see that in most schools. As far as surprises, nothing surprises me here anymore, I have been here over thirty years, I have seen a lot.”
After a few decades of this work, I figured Kurt must like certain parts of working at Proctor. Kurt smiled and then told me, “It’s often an enjoyable challenge to keep all above mentioned equipment and systems in good working order. I enjoy working with the people here. I also enjoy seeing the students every day. And what a beautiful place we have.” I asked what he’d change about working at Proctor. He chuckled and replied, “Nothing! This is a great place to work, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
Lynn George is the Maintenance Administrative Assistant as well as a dorm surrogate at Proctor. Sitting in her office, I asked her about the challenges of working at the school. She stated, “Having 52 buildings to maintain on campus and keep in operation 365 days a year.” As a four year senior, I was shocked because I was unaware that we have so many buildings.
I was curious to see how often she interacts with students at Proctor. She said with a smile, “Right now working in maintenance, not too often, but I worked with them for many years in the Student Center and as a dorm parent surrogate, which I unfortunately no longer do. I love talking and getting to know them and their families.”
The final question I asked Lynn (on the right in the photo) was, how are Proctor students viewed by the people of the town? She confidently stated, “The students are a part of the community, [they have] youthfulness, and provide a chance for townspeople to come out and watch sporting events. It’s very quiet here during the summer months and you can feel the energy when it comes time for the students to arrive.”
Proctor Academy has an amazing staff. Proctor is lucky that we have such amazing, hardworking employees like these two. People love working here at Proctor and respect for others is a big part of that. Having committed employees makes Proctor a better place. It seems to me that the school and the town help each other out.