STCC President John B. Cook, Assistant VP of Administration and Facilities Maureen Socha, and DCAMM Commissioner Carol Gladstone
Springfield, MA – Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Assistant Vice President of Administration and Facilities Maureen Socha was named Massachusetts Facilities Management Association’s (MAFMA) member of the year.
Commissioner Carol Gladstone of the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance presented an award to Socha at MAFMA’s semi-annual meeting in December.
“You have a unique challenge,” Gladstone told Socha during the award ceremony held at the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife facility in Westborough. “Essentially, you were grace under fire. You’ve been a wonderful partner in working with us.”
“Whether a planned repair, or a response to an unplanned repair, she guides her team to incorporate the newest, most efficient energy savings available,” Gladstone said. “She consistently works hard to maximize the capital improvement budget by constantly evaluating, planning, prioritizing, and organizing facility capital improvements and upgrades.”
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Established by DCAMM, MAFMA is a network of state facilities personnel whose members share best practices in facilities management and work together to find solutions to a variety of challenges. DCAMM works with state agencies, including STCC, to create and manage sustainable buildings.
Gladstone said STCC has the oldest college buildings in the state system. The college, which opened in 1967, is located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. The historical nature of the campus, combined with the aging infrastructure, translates into expensive and often unplanned maintenance costs.
Speaking to about 75 MAFMA members gathered for the meeting, Gladstone praised Socha for showing a commitment that goes beyond the normal workday schedule.
Socha’s staff submitted an application to MAFMA nominating her for the award.
STCC President John B. Cook said, “With one million square feet of campus, and with our major infrastructure project underway at STCC in the form of the $50 million Student Learning Commons, I could not imagine a more talented individual to lead our efforts. We are tremendously proud of this recognition for Maureen, and it is very well-deserved.”
Socha said, “I am so honored to have received this award. I share the recognition with my incredible team. We have our challenges with such an old campus. We work very hard to create a positive environment for our students, staff, faculty and visitors. This award is a wonderful acknowledgement of our hard work and dedication to the college.”
