INSIDER Magazine | F&S INSIDER | Facilities & Services

Shop Spotlight: Operator-Engineers Bring Precision Power

If you’re an F&S operator-engineer—someone who uses giant backhoes, bulldozers, and other heavy machinery—you need to know how to use your power.

Jason Ward, operator-engineer for a portion of the Morrow Plots fence installation project, was thinking mostly about the safety of himself, others working with him, and the thousands of students walking, biking, and driving by during morning classes. But he also had to remove about a foot high, eight-foot-wide section of dirt and grass, and level it to the sidewalk to allow F&S ironworkers to install the new fence.

“Never sacrifice speed for quality,” Ward said.

Remove too much dirt and he may chip off a chunk of the sidewalk. Make irregular movements and maybe the ground wouldn’t be level. Miss the mark and he could damage newly installed fence posts. To help on ground-level, construction-laborers were nearby, raking the newly exposed earth with finer detail. There’s constant communication between the teams.

Ward used the bucket side to scrape up the dirt and grass and drop into a dump truck along the south side of the plots. With every 10 feet or so he grabbed, he methodically moved the backhoe further down the line, requiring a change in perspective. When operating the boom of the backhoe, stabilizer legs were dropped to steady the vehicle and his chair faced that direction. Then, when he needed to drive a bit, he’d bring up the braces and bucket, turn his chair around, and move forward a few feet.

This project required about five loads of earth into the dump truck.

“I would say it takes patience and time and attention to detail,” Ward said of the project. “You kind of gain more feel over time and get better at it. Also, listening to the construction-laborers you are working with, them keeping an eye on what you kind of need to do, and maybe what you need to adjust doing.”

But Ward feels comfortable in this massive machine – and has long been drawn to even larger.

“[As a kid], I thought big equipment was really fascinating, especially like really big quarry trucks. I thought the bigger, the better. I just thought it was really cool and I always wanted to be around it. I’ve always liked challenges too. So I always thought about getting good at something that not necessarily a lot of people are good at. I always took it as a challenge and something I was interested in.”

Ward and other operator-engineers must use the same machine but with a new attachment at times, too. In the case of the Morrow Plots project, each fence pole requires a hole dug to a certain depth and of a certain size. So, the backhoe has its bucket taken off and an auger is fitted, which can use a screw action to drill vertical holes, cutting through grass, mud, and roots.

Get the wrong angle or go to the wrong depth or size, and that could delay the project, something that Ward and all operator-engineers want to avoid. Ward said he wanted to do his best not just for the sake of the project, but for his colleagues are expecting quality work.

“People are relying on me to do a good job and do my job correctly, so then they can do their job correctly,” Ward said. “A mistake would be a big thing: messing up this concrete or messing up one of these holes or hitting one of these posts that the bricklayers just got done.”

Each orange cone sits over a hole dug by operator-engineers, where fence posts go at the Morrow Plots.

Close The Gates!

Operator-engineer Derek Wilsey has “only” two years on the job with F&S, but he came through big time when every millimeter made a difference.

The eye-catching part of the new fence at the Morrow Plots is a giant gate that features “Morrow Plots” and “1876” in brown and green hues. Erik “Cable” Davis, ironworkers foreperson, said the gate is reminiscent of a Hollywood mansion entrance in the scale and artistry.

Each door of the gate weighs about 1,900 pounds, according to Davis, so getting these massive steel pieces up and aligned and secure is a specialty of ironworkers and their operator-engineer friends. Wilsey manned a telehander forklift, which held up each door while Davis and third-party contractors got it onto horizontal pins, held in by large bolts.

The teamwork between Davis and Wilsey was obvious from the start, as Davis used hand signals to indicate up, down, left, right, forward and backward to try to inform Wilsey on how to maneuver the forklift.

“I get very nervous,” Wilsey admitted after he finished another perfect job. “I do get nervous. I’m grateful it went well, that’s for sure. Cable is good with the signals, so I don’t have anything to worry about there. I’m just so excited to be able to say that I had a hand in getting this gate installed. That’s cool.”

“I think it looks great.”

View this post on Instagram

“Thinking of the People”

Johnna Krutsinger was just doing her job.

Then, her colleague Ashley Daniels, a building service worker like Krutsinger, seated next to her in their work vehicle, saw smoke rising from the top of the Law Building. Johnna noticed flames, initiating primary urges within her to save folks in the building: people like her co-workers, students, faculty, and staff alike.

Within moments, Krutsinger called 911–and assigned Daniels to call their boss Yhara Boxley–and took off running toward the building.

“There’s flames on the building and these people need to know. The only way to let them know is to pull the fire alarm. I told everyone I saw to get out. I know there were three other BSWs in the building at the time and people in every classroom I opened. I was just saying ‘this is not a drill! The building is on fire and you need to get out.'”

“I was just thinking of the people,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re all human beings and we deserve to have someone help us in an emergency situation. If I was in a building on fire, I would want someone to step up and help me. God put me in that position at that time.”

Nobody was injured and the fire was put out with as little damage as could be expected – due in no small part to Krutsinger’s decisiveness.

To read stories of other times F&S team members have stepped up to life-safety challenges while on the job, visit the Team Member Recognition page here: https://fs.illinois.edu/employee-recognition/.

“Exceptional Actions”

After her actions, Krutsinger was honored with a kind letter of thanks from Aimee Heeter, the Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration:

Dear Ms. Johnna Krutsinger,

On behalf of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your exceptional actions during the fire at the Law Building.

Your attentiveness, sound judgment, and willingness to act without hesitation made a meaningful difference. By noticing the fire, immediately contacting the fire department, and entering the building to activate the fire alarm, you helped ensure that occupants were alerted quickly and emergency responders were able to address the situation as rapidly as possible. Your actions contributed to keeping the incident contained and minimizing damage to the facility.

While your response that evening was extraordinary, I also recognize that it reflects something deeper—your commitment to the University and the pride you bring to your work every day. Members of our Facilities & Services team are often the first to notice when something is not right and the first to respond when our campus community needs them. Your professionalism, dedication, and sense of responsibility exemplify the very best of that tradition.

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your service to the University of Illinois. Your actions demonstrated courage, initiative, and an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of others. We are fortunate to have you as a member of our campus community.

With sincere appreciation,

Aimee Heeter
Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration

Shop Spotlight: Roofers Are “Top Tier”

By Emma Westray
F&S Communications

Where would we be without roofs? They keep us safe from rain, snow and extreme temperatures. No one knows these benefits better than the roofers with F&S.

The team is responsible for keeping a roof over students’ heads, ensuring that students live comfortably in residence halls and apartments.

“Goodwin and Green apartments was our last project we finished. We finished that in the Spring. That was a pretty large project. We had to work with Verizon because we had to have them take equipment off the roof for us,” F&S roofers foreperson Shane Carr said.

“We did Pennsylvania Avenue Residence halls. That was another one that went well. We do Orchard Downs apartments through the wintertime. Those aren’t very big. Each one of those jobs goes great,” Carr continued.

Without the F&S roofers, student housing could experience leaks and structural damage. Damaged roofs also foster mold growth, putting students at risk of respiratory problems and infections.

The F&S roofers use top quality equipment to make sure the U. of I.’s roofs are strong. The equipment also makes repairs go smoother.

“One big project that we completed would be Illinois Sustainability. We use all the latest equipment to finish the roof. We don’t use glue or anything like that, so it’s really easy and quick. We use a peel and stick foam. We’ve taken a lot of labor out of it.” Carr said.

Foam adhesives used in roofing provide durability, water resistance, cushioning and extreme weather protection for flat, shingle and tile roofs. It also provides more even coating than alternatives like glue.

Current Projects

The F&S roofers are always busy. They’re currently repairing two buildings: Law Building and Sherman Hall. Law Building is an especially large project for the shop.

“We’re currently working on Law Building. That is our biggest project in the history of the shop, at around 660,000 square feet. We started it last November, but the winter shut us down. We continued it about three weeks ago to finish up the second phase. We had to break it down into two phases, because the job was so big,” Carr said.

See here how a fire impacted the work: https://fs.web.illinois.edu/Insider/2026/08/18/fire-cleanup-comes-quick/

“We’re also working on Sherman Hall right now. We’re almost finished with that, but we’ve had to work with the ironworkers to expose the outside wall. We’re working out of a man basket. We go about 15 stories in the air in it,” Carr continued.

Hard Work Pays Off

Although their team is small, the F&S roofers work hard to ensure campus buildings are top quality. The scale of the shop’s current and past projects shows that their work is trusted and valued.

“I think people would be surprised at the amount of work that we do with the few guys we have. We’re doing the largest projects in the history of our shop, and they’re only going to get bigger. We’re only going to get more. We also maintain campus. We have a lot on our shoulders,” Carr said.

The U. of I. provides many benefits to the F&S roofers that may not be offered at other places. These benefits include insurance, retirement funds, and paid leave. Carr said he also enjoys having the freedom to make decisions for his team.

“I like the consistency. I’m not micromanaged here. They allow us to run this shop how it needs to be run. I like that you get your vacation days, and you get good insurance. This is probably the top tier place to work if you want to be a roofer. The guys like that they’re getting paid every two weeks. They don’t get laid off. We’ve created a work schedule up to 2032. The guys like the consistency as well,” Carr said.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Teamwork is at the heart of the F&S roofers. They collaborate with other shops, but the roofers really shine when they work with their own team members.

“This shop would not be where it is if it weren’t for the guys out sitting at the table doing the work. They make this shop 100 percent. They’re the reason we get the spotlight in my opinion,” Carr said.

The F&S roofers do more than just repairs. They help keep campus safe from harsh weather conditions, and they also ensure the buildings look well-kept. With their help, U. of I. stays a place where people are happy to stay and learn.

Fire Cleanup Comes Quick

By Emma Westray
F&S Communications

On July 14, the roof of the Law Building caught on fire. Months of work was destroyed in one fiery blow. But when all hope seemed lost, University of Illinois F&S came together to pick up the pieces.

The fire started around 4 p.m. The Fire Department extinguished the flames in ten minutes, with cleanup starting soon after. At around 5:15 p.m., cleanup was complete and visitors could once again enter the building.

Before the fire, the roof was in the process of being renovated. Although the fire damaged parts of the roof, director of building maintenance and grounds Steve Bainbridge said the F&S roofers quickly picked up where they left off.

“The fire burned through the top layer of the roof. Our shop responded and had the section torn off and replaced by 10 a.m. the next morning,” Shane Carr, foreperson said.

Bainbridge said the F&S response to the fire was swift. Damage was assessed and quickly dealt with.

“F&S began cleanup efforts immediately after the Fire Department cleared the site. Steam Distribution helped assess the situation, and electricians assessed the electrical systems to ensure they did not suffer any damage. Minor damage was caused by water infiltration from firefighting efforts,” Bainbridge said

Multiple shops’ expertise was needed to mitigate the damage done by the fire.

“Building service workers dried affected areas using fans, sheet metal deployed air purifiers, refrigeration deployed dehumidifiers, carpenters replaced damaged ceiling tiles, and painters repaired minor interior damage to drywall,” Bainbridge said.

Afternoon shift supervisor of the BSWs Yhara Boxley said that members of her team were some of the first people to report on the fire.

“BSWs Johnna Krutsinger and Ashley Daniels were leaving Art East Annex when they discovered the roof was on fire. Krutsinger ran into the building to pull the alarm, and Daniels called to let me know the building was on fire. After Daniels called me, I called the BSWs and told them there was a fire and to leave the building. I then called my boss as I was driving to Law Building to make sure everything was okay and the BSWs were safe,” Boxley said.

Read about Johnna’s response here: https://fs.web.illinois.edu/Insider/2026/08/18/thinking-of-the-people/

Boxley gave credit to the work her fellow BSWs did to help with cleanup efforts.

“Afternoon shift supervisor Aaron Brunkhorst went over after we had the clearance to go in the building and help the BSWs with cleaning up. Brunkhorst brought over a carpet extractor and a pump and dump, which cleans up the water. The BSWs also mopped and cleaned up water seepage,” Boxley said

The Law Building is now safe to enter, but some damage may still need to be addressed. The fire has not slowed the F&S roofers down. F&S will see any project through, even if a fire stands in their way.

A Million Pieces of Furniture

By Emma Westray
F&S Communications

Bed frames, desks, dressers: all things students need. But students may wonder, who makes these pieces of furniture? That would be the University of Illinois’ F&S mill shop.

Mill workers design and build wooden furniture, paneling and structural pieces like doors. The F&S mill shop is no exception. These team members create custom-built pieces for all buildings and departments.

The F&S mill shop makes furniture for student apartments each year. F&S mill shop foreperson Andy Burnett said the shop’s workload has been consistent.

“Since 2013, we have built around 40 sets a year as they update their apartments. Each two bedroom apartment includes two headboards, two dressers, two end tables, one drop-leaf table and one desk. It’s all made out of solid red oak. The paint shop finishes it all,” Burnett said.

There’s work to be done in the summer, too. With students on break, summer is the perfect time to build furniture and make renovations to buildings on campus.

“This summer we have built a laminate kitchen and breakroom for Clark Hall, produced 5,000 lineal feet of base shoe molding for Barton Hall, and we are currently building new cabinets for the mail room at the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building,” Burnett said.

Shoe molding is installed at the bottom of baseboards between the wall and the floor. This provides a seamless transition between the two. It’s typically made out of wood for dry areas or PVC for wet areas like bathrooms.

“Housing’s budget is decided in the fall, and that is when they decide how many Orchard Downs apartments they want us to build furniture for,” Burnett said.

The F&S mill shop doesn’t work alone. Burnett gave thanks to housing designer Kate Mechling for her help with the shop’s projects.

“Kate Mechling has been a great customer for us, and we really appreciate all of the work that she and her team send our way,” Burnett said.

If you can dream it, Burnett’s team can build it; as long as it’s made of wood. This is why the U. of I. trusts the F&S mill shop to keep students comfortable.

Security and Speed at Willard Airport

Flying through Willard Airport is a breeze.

And now, thanks to an expanded Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoint and new terminal exit, passengers will absolutely jet through C-U.

F&S project delivery manager Tarun Kumar was the point person, but bringing Willard up to speed was fueled by many voices: municipal and business leadership from Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy; a former United States congressman from central Illinois; and from many levels of the university hierarchy.

“We started with the planning of this project and went to design,” Kumar said. “F&S played a critical part in design review and comments from that team were implemented. This is really a whole new space. We installed a new ceiling, lights, and flooring. The installation of new cameras was vital, and Technology Services helped integrate those with existing telecommunications on campus. A main thing we did was to integrate the existing mechanical equipment with the new space.”

Renovations to an airport security check are not like most that F&S will undertake — security concerns are paramount to promote customer faith while maintaining creature comforts and sense of ease. Kumar diligently made sure demands were met.

The new space affords a greater opportunity for expansion, too, something of particular importance with United Airlines recently announcing their return, which will increase by 50% daily seat availability, according to Tim Bannon, executive director of Willard. Bannon thanked the efforts of Kumar, saying he is a “very talented project manager and we’re very grateful to have had him on this project.”

“Willard serves as a gateway between our community and the national aviation system, ensuring passengers can travel safely and efficiently and with confidence,” Bannon continued. “Aviation cannot function without strong security.”

The Book of Quotes

Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, Aimee Heeter:

Willard is a gateway to our university and community. We are very excited about this celebration. The airport plays a critical role in supporting our region and economic development. Today’s ribbon cutting is more than a security checkpoint, it’s an investment in future of the airport and community and people we serve. This will enhance passenger experience and position our university and community for continued growth. Thank you to our F&S team for all their hard work that has gone into this.

Village of Savoy President, John Brown:

Improvements like this makes Willard a stronger, more attractive option for flight and strengthens the local community.

Head of Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Rodney Davis:

It is ease of travel that makes people want to stop here first and make that connection. This new checkpoint helps make that case. For the folks flying in and out, that is what a project like this can do for the community.

Bannon:

As security requirements evolve, airports must respond. This facility offers a more efficient, comfortable, and modern environment. We cannot grow this airport without enhancing its facilities. The opening of this new checkpoint could not come at a better time. As we welcome expanded airline service and continue to grow passenger activity, it is essential that our facilities are ready to meet those demands.

F&S Interim Associate Vice Chancellor, Morgan White:

Our passengers are going to be so excited. Travelers can come through new TSA checkpoint with a lot more flow; it’s much more open. Once you’re through and come back, there’s a new exit system, which is automated. You just walk up and the doors open for you, protecting everyone in the trip and in the transportation sector.

Being Besties with Beckman

The Arnold O. and Mabel M. Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology is known for cross-disciplinary research done by some of the world’s greatest minds… but the place is recognized for its food, too.

Ted’s Cafe, and the previously unnamed breakfast, snack, and lunch depot at Beckman has welcomed scientists from the building, nearby Grainger College of Engineering buildings, and anyone else visiting this gem of campus architecture and academic success since opening in 1988.

Arnold and the partners who helped get the building in place determined that a team meeting over food and drinks could perhaps push new ways to generate science and technology advancements.

No doubt, Ted’s Cafe, developed in part with F&S designers and architects, can bring minds from different fields like few others on any academic campus. It then made sense to have a celebration over breakfast, of renovations and redevelopments made to Beckman labs and other workspaces in the past few years.

F&S Relationships “Unique”

A host of projects updated and upgraded rooms for science research to best reflect what’s needed now, not 1988 or 2008. Josh Whitson, director of facilities at Beckman, explained that the science drives the purpose of the facilities to reflect the changes in what researchers need for their work. Some labs are called ‘wet’ labs, where beakers, hazmat suits, and extreme safety controls abound. These labs are heavily regulated and demand utilities that other rooms and ‘dry’ labs do not require.

And F&S, Whitson’s former employer, is shouldering a lot of the work.

“Since 2022, we’ve done a handful of lab renovations and office remodels,” Whitson said. “The unique thing is F&S has been involved in all that work, approximately $15 million worth of work in that period. F&S in-house crafts and trades installed all of that work. We’re fortunate to be with F&S on design and installation on all this renovation work. It’s a great partnership. The quality of the work is excellent. The ability to coordinate with all the shops and the ownership F&S takes on makes them a truly valued partner.”

Kristy Arnett, Whitson’s teammate and assistant director of facilities, also values F&S’ expertise and the relationships she’s made over the years.

“I love the relationships we build,” Arnett said. “Especially with the shops. but it event starts with the budgeting and doing a lot of research with shops to see what we have the capacity to do and what we can’t do.

“My favorite part is working with the shops. Working with them throughout the years, they’re the most dependable we have and the quality of work we get out of them is absolutely amazing. Working with them makes for better schedules, budgets, and relationships.”

Todd Hawkins is an experienced voice with in this realm, working previously as the foreperson for the ironworkers shop, and for a few years as the supervisor of Building Maintenance & Grounds, helping oversee many of the craftspeople at F&S.

“Beckman is a world-class research center. Since the building opened in 1989, F&S and Beckman and their partners have worked together so much over the years. Beckman has meant thousands and thousands of work hours to our team with F&S and we have provided great value, maintaining the facility and upgrading the facility.

“On these new projects, we’ve provided research space, office space, and collaborative space to Beckman researchers and faculty and staff. Beckman has been a tremendous boon to the university and to F&S. We have over 20 shops of highly-skilled, highly-trained craftspeople. and especially the latest lab renovations office space renovations, many of our shops have provided a tremendous amount of work hours. Nearly all our shops have collaborated with them, including the carpenters, plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, painters, mill shop. They’ve all provided hours of dedicated service and craftsmanship. Josh at Beckman is very appreciative and highly touts us; I worked with Josh over the years at Beckman; he and Kristy, they’re great people. They appreciate all our efforts tremendously. We work well together. We provide great value to Beckman and their researchers and the long-reaching arm of research at Beckman to humanity and the world.”

Shops Work

Below are some details regarding each shop’s work at Beckman since 2022.

Electricians
~7300 labor hours
~$660,000 investment

Room 1714 Clean Room installation
Communications Equipment Room Buildout
Campus-wide Data Infrastructure

Plumbers
~2,200 labor hours
~237,000 investment

Maren Lab Remodel
Room 1714 Clean Room
Rooms 1632/1634 Remodel

Painters
~1,000 labor hours

Drywall, interior, signage, glass, casework

Carpenters
~100+ labor hours

Room 1714 Clean Room
B540 Lab

Cement Finishers
Epoxy flooring in the 3-D Printing Lab

Mill Workers
~100+ labor hours

Furniture, cabinets, countertops, credenza, desks

Pipefitters
~1,800 labor hours
~$225,000 investment

Room 1714 Clean Room
Rooms 1622/1624/1626 Lab Remodels

Connie Frank CARE Center

Original story written by
BRIDGET K. MCCLANAHAN, M.A.Ed
Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
Student Affairs

When students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign need assistance, they now have a one-of-a-kind campus hub designed to help Illinois students find their way. The Connie Frank CARE (Coordination, Assistance, Response, and Education) Center, located on the fourth floor of the Turner Student Services Building, provides resources for individualized non-clinical case management, basic needs, assistance with problem-solving, and emergency resources in times of distress or crisis. The Connie Frank CARE Center is designed to support all U. of I. students.

F&S played a key role in its design and development.

For donor Connie Frank (LAS ’65), community well-being is a shared responsibility. Her vision for the center is that the space—and the services provided—will adapt to meet the needs of Illinois students. At a large public research university with an enrollment of 60,000+ students, Illini can now experience a higher level of personalized care that is responsive to both immediate needs and the holistic student experience.

“The goal is for the center to be a safe and secure place for students to find the assistance they require to be successful as they meet the daily challenges of life,” said Frank. “The CARE Center will hopefully be a good first stop in navigating a rewarding path to graduation.”

Beginnings and Thank Yous

Frank understands firsthand how to navigate life’s unexpected, rewarding paths. Born in Chicago and raised in Springfield, Illinois, Frank attended the U. of I. with the initial ambition to study medicine. After three weeks in Chemistry 101 during her first semester at Illinois, she pivoted and ended up graduating with a B.A. in English from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1965.

When Frank and her husband, Evan Thompson, were looking for a way to give back to her alma mater, they had numerous conversations with university staff and administrators to assess how best to serve the Illinois community. From these deliberative discussions, a shared vision for the Connie Frank CARE Center was born.

“The Connie Frank CARE Center exists for a simple but powerful reason: to help students stay on track when life gets in the way,” said Stephen Bryan, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Advocacy & Dean of Students. “Students arrive here with incredible promise, but also with real challenges—financial strain, housing instability, health concerns, family emergencies, and moments of crisis that don’t fit neatly into a semester timeline. And when those moments happen, students don’t always know where to turn. That’s where the Connie Frank CARE Center comes in.”

Frank took the time to thank the folks at F&S who helped transform the space:

Mill Shop
Eric Peterson, Design Services
Bruce Keaton, Design Services
Eva Sweeney, Design Services
Kristi Cler, Design Services
Erika Lee, Capital Programs
Jason Reynolds, Construction Services

“Great job! My hope is that many students will benefit from the help offered here,” Frank wrote.

Bryan honored F&S’ work, as well: “It was a very positive experience, highly collaborative and iterative. I appreciated how they brought forward initial ideas that we then ‘workshopped’ to evolve into the end result. F&S kept me updated throughout the project and would quickly respond to any questions I had as I watched (almost daily!) the transformation of the space.”

Investing Boldly in Student Success

Frank’s gift expands efforts to champion student persistence, retention, and belonging at Illinois, including the creation of a centralized and easily accessible location that complements existing health and wellbeing resources. The fourth floor of the Turner Student Services Building was completely transformed. In collaboration with Connie and her team, the space was re-built and intentionally designed with the needs of students and staff at forefront. This gift provides coordinated operational support to ensure that students’ needs can continue to be met in perpetuity.

“The Connie Frank CARE Center represents a bold and deeply important investment in student success. It reflects our understanding that the needs of students today are real, complex, and constantly evolving,” said Dr. Danita M. Brown Young, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “And it reflects our commitment to meet those needs with intention, humanity, and care.”

At Illinois, the Connie Frank CARE Center strengthens the community of care—a university community that actively nurtures the intellectual, social, and personal development of the entire Illinois student body. CARE Center staff will work with campus partners both inside the Turner Student Services Building and across campus to help students achieve academic and personal success at Illinois.

Supporting Illini Futures

Thanks to Frank’s gift, students at Illinois will now have a clearer path to support, stability and an enhanced understanding of what success can look like. Frank attests that her college years in Urbana-Champaign gave her a perspective on different cultures and ideas that broadened her view of the world. With the establishment of the Connie Frank CARE Center, Frank is creating many pathways for Illinois student success in the present day and for future generations of Illini.

“We wanted students to feel immediately oriented and comfortable through the flow and navigation of the physical space, rather than overwhelmed,” said Bryan. “We also paid attention to details that reinforce their identity and connection with the university. For example, the custom nameplates for the offices have as a background a picture of Alma Mater. We worked closely with the sign shop to create this, and this style of nameplate is the first of its kind implemented in any space at the university.”

“I have worked with the mill shop on other projects, and because of that, I knew they would do a phenomenal job creating the cabinets, the closets, the reception desk, and the doors. And, well, the team delivered! At the grand opening ribbon cutting, I heard many, many compliments about the craftmanship of mill shop foreperson Andy Burnett and his team. We heard several times from folks that they wanted to duplicate the Basic Needs closet (with its intricate storage) for their own home. Andy and his team have done several other jobs showcased in Turner Student Services Building (e.g., the wooden bench in the lobby; wooden encasements for the wall video monitors), and again, it has been top-notch work.”

Learn about the Connie Frank CARE Center

Shop Spotlight: Sheet Metal Works for the President As Well As You

By Emma Westray
F&S Communications

Working for the President of the University of Illinois System requires a lot of skill and hard work. That’s why President Tim Killeen called the F&S sheet metal shop.

Killeen and his family have worked with F&S on many projects. F&S helped the first family build a she-shed and vegetable patch in their yard, and assisted when the house suddenly lost heating during the winter of 2023. Since the President’s House construction in 1931, F&S has also helped with building upkeep and repair.

The part of the house that the first family loved most wasn’t the windows, doors, or walls; it was a beech tree in the yard. The president’s wife Roberta Johnson Killeen enjoyed gardening, and while doing so, she’d admire the tree’s beauty and size. The tree was even a part of the president’s son’s wedding as a backdrop for photos.

To read more about the history of the beech tree, visit the F&S INSIDER website.

In 2022, the tree’s health started to deteriorate, and it had a crack in its center. Arborists determined the tree was too sick to go on, and the family made the decision to cut the tree. That’s when the president called F&S.

“We went to the President’s House because they wanted to have something done with the tree, because it was sentimental to them,” said F&S sheetmetal foreperson Randy Reinhart.

The tree was made into furniture, vases, and charcuterie boards. To honor the tree’s leaves, a specially designed table would be made. This is where the F&S sheetmetal shop came in.

The first step was to create the design using a water jet from the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building machine shop. Water jets use highly pressurized water to cut intricate designs into surfaces. It’s especially useful for steel, titanium, and aluminum because it doesn’t produce much heat, which could warp the metal.

The next step was to powder coat the table. A colored powder is applied like a dust, which is then cured by heat or ultra violet light. Powder coating is mostly used for metal because it’s more durable than liquid paint.

It’s Not Going to Fix Itself

The F&S sheetmetal shop repairs many things on campus, both big and small.

“We fix a lot of toilet partitions. We do a lot of maintenance on the fans. We’ll change the belts. We’ll make sure the units are clean, and replace a fan if needed. We’ve been changing out a lot of furnaces lately. After years of use they require replacement,” Reinhart said.

The F&S sheetmetal collaborates often with other F&S shops.

“There’ll be a composite crew with us, refrigeration shop, the pipefitters, and the electricians. We work with construction services on mostly big remodels,” Reinhart said.

Fan maintenance is important for the whole university, but it’s especially important for colleges and units performing scientific experiments.

“Some of our work is maintenance on fume hoods where there’s a lot of research going on. By maintaining these fans, the research keeps going on. When these fans break down, sometimes their work can stop. Just by maintaining their devices it benefits them and us,” Reinhart said.

The fans also play a big role in heating and cooling demands.

“It keeps the occupants cool in the summer and warm in the winter,” Reinhart said.

A Day in the Life of Reinhart’s Team

A typical day for the F&S sheetmetal shop starts at 7 a.m. Team members could be anywhere on campus where a building system needs repairs. They also have emergency dispatches just about daily.

As the foreperson, Reinhart has different responsibilities than the rest of the team.

“We’re in here on our computer, emailing people, people ask us questions, giving bids, and guys will call us asking us questions or they need us to order something,” Reinhart said.

“Some days we’ll go out on-site to look at jobs. A daily thing is just coming to work, handing work orders out, helping guys if they need it, ordering stuff, and working with the dispatches which is usually at the end of the day,” Reinhart continued.

“A lot of smart people”

A big part of the shop is the people. Reinhart said that the relationships he’s made and maintains are his favorite part of being at F&S.

“I like all the guys in all the different shops. The engineers are funny. One of the inspectors used to be a sheet metal worker. I just enjoy interacting with people. There’s a lot of great people here. There’s a lot of smart people here. If you don’t know the answer, somebody does,” Reinhart said.

Working for the F&S sheet metal shop can also be difficult. Reinhart said that it can be tough balancing all the work orders they get.

“The main challenge would be at times of the year we have a lot of work orders coming in, whether it’s new construction or maintenance. Finding the time with the manpower we have to get the job done, that would probably be the hardest part to deal with,” Reinhart said.

Reinhart said another difficulty is making sure there is enough time to finish all the work orders they have.

“I would say the challenge is making everybody happy. Everybody deserves to get their projects completed on time and on budget, but sometimes it takes a little longer than others. It depends on the workload,” Reinhart said

Reinhart said that the U. of I. has played a big part in his life. From the athletics program to the history, he says there’s a lot to love about the university.

“I like the fact that the University of Illinois has a lot of history here, and we’re a part of it. I think that’s nice. That’s what drove me here was the history. I grew up six or seven miles south of here watching football, coming to basketball games, and seeing the buildings being built. This place has changed a lot in the 20 years that I’ve worked here,” Reinhart said.

The sheetmetal shop benefits the entire university community. Without Reinhart’s team, common luxuries like heating and cooling, or more specialized water jet designs, would require more complicated purchases from outside vendors. If you’re in need of presidential-level work, consider asking the F&S sheetmetal shop.

Mike Larson awarded for emergency planning by Division of Public Safety

Mike Larson, interim director of F&S Utilities & Energy Services (UES), was awarded and recognized for strategic campus contingency planning by Brian Brauer from the U. of I. Division of Public Safety (DPS).

Larson saw how strong communication between the City of Champaign and Urbana Fire Departments, DPS, and crafts, trades, and utilities at F&S, is necessary to safely address different types of ongoing emergencies, like fires, utility leaks, or electrical hazards. Brauer took note of recent successes in emergency response, and nominated Larson with the Campus Emergency Planning Recognition Award.

Campus energy operations at Abbott Power Plant account for about 75 percent of all steam and electricity use on campus. Used to power electric turbines, steam is sent across campus in underground tunnels and piping. So, after a steam pipe burst on campus in 2025, Larson advocated for stronger communication between the various emergency responders when he examined how the event was handled.

Brauer said Larson “worked to help us understand the issue, walked us through the spaces involved, and identified the other F&S team members who could have played a role in a more organized and effective emergency response.”

Ironically, in August 2025 while discussing better emergency response, another arose: this time, a chemical spill in the Boneyard Creek. Larson was on top of it, and his “knowledge of the June response led him to notify UIPD to assist with managing the scene at that event,” Brauer recounted. Two more emergencies required response from the city and university, this time two fires, including one at a residence hall, and Brauer says the enhanced communication lifted the quality of the response.

From Brauer’s nomination: “As a result of Mike’s concerns and the training and discussions that arose from the after-action process, the Grainger College of Engineering, F&S, Champaign Fire Department, and DPS all integrated seamlessly and effectively to benefit the university’s population. Changes that were implemented to the Champaign Fire Department response benefited the university and housing as a fire emergency was contained. Emergency Management continues to work with F&S to refine emergency alerts for facilities emergencies, and those ongoing conversations are also a result of the initial concerns Mike raised.”

“If Mike had remained silent, this would not have been addressed as proactively as we were able to,” Brauer said. “I see the U. of I. as having two integrated and intertwined sets of emergency responders: DPS and F&S. One can’t deliver their services to the university without the assistance of the other!”