Dave Keating’s job as facilities director for Consolidated High School District 230 might be considered a thankless job.
He and his crew have been very busy during the recent August heat wave. They are also very busy when it gets too cold. They are busy with construction and other issues at Sandburg in Orland Park, Andrew in Tinley Park and Stagg in Palos Park.
When things are going well, we often ignore him. But when things are going badly, it’s time to say, “Hey Dave!”
But he likes the fact that he can wake up and go to work without knowing what’s in store for him.
“I never get bored,” Keating said. “I never sit down at my desk and think, ‘Oh, my, this is another long day at work.’ There’s always action. There’s always something to do.”
“If I have to do it, I’ll get my hands dirty and fix something myself. But it’s constantly evolving and it’s not the same day every day. It’s something different. It’s not rinse-repeat, rinse-repeat.”
It’s also a job that doesn’t get much press. But that changed when Keating was named, along with seven other facility managers across the country, FacilitiesNet, a publisher specializing in the industry, “Facilities Champion.”
He and the other champions will be honored during a webcast on November 12.
John Connolly, District 230’s technical director, appreciates Keating’s work and nominated him for the award.
“Dave knows nearly every inch of all three campuses,” Connolly said in a news release. “His attention to detail is second to none, and students and staff are fortunate to have such a dedicated steward of our facilities.”
Keating was appointed District 230’s facilities director in 2020. He is a graduate of St. Rita High School in Chicago and is a certified electrician with 15 years of experience in commercial and residential construction and management. He also had five years of experience as the district’s maintenance supervisor.
According to FacilitiesNet, more than 100 nominations for the Facility Champion award were received this year, more than double the number of nominations from last year.
Other Keating honorees include facility managers from a New Jersey airport, a Florida hotel and an insurance company in Milwaukee, as well as leaders from other school districts across the country.
“The facilities management industry is full of exceptional people,” said Dan Weltin, editor-in-chief of FacilitiesNet, in a press release. “Narrowing the field down to just eight winners is an incredibly difficult task, but I’m proud that we’re able to recognize these deserving managers.”
“The winners come from all levels of experience and a variety of markets, but they all share remarkable leadership traits and a passion for this industry.”
During the heat wave of August 26-27, Keating was pulled in several different directions.
“I go from building to building every day,” he said. “But it was pretty crazy. Every school had a problem and we tried to solve it the best we could.”
“We had the help of the district and the school administration. We moved kids where we needed them and we had fans installed in areas where it was too hot. Overall, I think we handled it pretty well.”
His wildest day came during a polar vortex in January 2019, when temperatures felt like 50 degrees below zero in the region.
The cold weather presents enough challenges on its own, but Keating and his team had an added bonus to keep them on their frozen toes.
“We lost power in Stagg the same day it happened,” he said. “There was no heat in the building. The kids weren’t in school, but we were there to chase the burst pipes. Any little bit of air would freeze the pipes and when they thawed, we would be flooded.”
He added that they were also addressing related issues at the other two schools, but Stagg was the one that needed the most attention.
But his job isn’t always about running from one emergency to another.
“There are days when everything is quiet and it’s nice to be alive,” he said. “But there are still problems to solve, but they are tiny. A switch or something. Little things.”
“It’s not every day that your hair is on fire and you’re running around.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance journalist for the Daily Southtown.
