SCHUYLKILL, Pa. — After 29 years at Penn State Schuylkill, Facility Manager Jerry Cresswell has had more job titles then he can recall.
While his position title may have gone through several revisions, his affiliation with the campus has been long and continual. Even before he was a University employee, he had worked on several campus infrastructure projects with his father’s construction company. In 1990, while working a contracting job renovating office space in the Administration Building, Cresswell became acquainted with then-Penn State Schuylkill business manager Ron Yavorosky, who offered him a full-time gig.
“Ron was a really good person to work for and a great guy,” said Cresswell.
Cresswell accepted Yavorosky’s offer, and on June 4 of that year assumed his new role as the campus' maintenance foreman. He noted how the campus grounds have transformed over his long tenure.
“The appearance of the campus has changed so much for the better over the last 29 years," he said. "I’m not sure that most people on this campus realize that the Maintenance and Operations (M & O) staff is smaller than when I started and that the campus building square footage and acreage have nearly doubled.”
When asked what he’ll miss most about his job at Penn State Schuylkill, Cresswell is quick to respond: “The people that I work with and transforming the campus from winter to spring to get it ready for graduation.”
He has great regard for his former crew. He recounts how they stepped up to the extraordinary task of preparing the campus in advance of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He describes how, over the following week, the maintenance team spent "many long days and nights’ on campus," without power, to safeguard the security and well-being of the students and maintain the buildings and grounds.
“I have always appreciated both the quality and quantity of the work that the M & O staff does each and every day. I love Penn State,” Cresswell said. “I enjoyed being involved in an important part of what keeps the campus running.”
While Cresswell will miss the camaraderie with the physical plant crew, he is looking forward to the extra time he will have to spend with his wife, children and grandchildren. Hunting, fishing and playing golf will also keep him busy.
Director of Finance and Business Stephanie Wood best expressed the sentiment of those who worked with Cresswell over the years.
"It's hard for me to imagine Penn State Schuylkill without Jerry Cresswell. I first met Jerry when I started on the campus almost 11 years ago and have worked directly with him for three of those years," said Wood. "Jerry has been a loyal, hard-working, and dedicated Penn State employee for almost 30 years and his presence on campus will truly be missed. In addition to being a colleague, I consider him my friend and know that I will miss him. Jerry sincerely loves Penn State Schuylkill and I hope he understands the lasting impact he made on the campus during his years of service. I wish him all the best in his retirement and hope it is better than he ever imagined."