Employee spotlights feature exceptional A.G. Rhodes employees doing exceptional work throughout the organization. Our latest spotlight features Cecil Greenidge, the Environmental Services Director at A.G. Rhodes of Atlanta.
“Cecil is brand new to A.G. Rhodes, but we’ve all been so impressed at how he’s hit the ground running, and he and the entire environmental services team are doing some impressive work,” said Kristie Davis, Administrator of A.G. Rhodes’ Atlanta location. “It’s no easy task to maintain a building of our age and size, but through Cecil’s leadership and hard work, he is ensuring the environment in our community is safe and clean for our residents, staff and visitors.”
Where are you from?
I’m originally from New York City. I was born in Harlem Hospital, and I’ve lived in New York most of life until I moved to the Atlanta area about 13 years ago.
What does your job entail?
As the Environmental Services Director, I’m over maintenance, environmental services and safety in the building.
I’m responsible for the upkeep of the entire facility, including the mechanical, plumbing, carpentry and upgrades to facility, and my team and I do whatever is needed to maintain the building in good standing.
As far as the environmental services, we keep the building as clean and presentable—and germ-free—as possible for residents and employees, which is very important in this type of environment.
Safety deals with keeping staff and managers abreast of safety issues, having safety meeting where employees can bring their ideas when it comes to safety, and safety also deals with emergency preparedness.
How long have you been working at A.G. Rhodes/working in the long-term care industry?
I started at A.G. Rhodes on August 6, and I’ve been working roughly eight years in long-term care. I started working in hospitals from the age of 18—in Bellevue Hospital [in New York] as a housekeeper—and then from there, the new Bellevue was built, and I was placed in a training program for housekeeping to be supervisor.
My interests started gearing toward engineering, but I couldn’t pursue that as strongly as I wanted to at that time, and I didn’t get the chance to pursue it until I got here [the Atlanta area]. When I got here, I started as a floor tech at Southwest Atlanta Hospital. I worked the graveyard shift from 12-8 a.m., and went to school at American Society of Power Engineers during the day time. I got my engineering licenses, HVAC and carpentry certificates, and everything that I needed. From there, I became lead, then supervisor, then a manager, and then a director in that hospital within five years.
What made you get into this line of work?
I like the idea of fixing and working on heavy equipment, and maintaining it. It interested me a lot and it came naturally, and it was easy for me to grasp. Because of that, I just embraced it.
What’s the best part about your job?
The best part of my job—the reason why I really appreciate the job—is that I feel as though I’m able to give residents a quality of life that they should have.
My father was in nursing homes from the time he was 80—he was in some nursing homes in New York where the environment wasn’t good—so getting into this field was was important to me.
What do you want people to know about your job?
Maintenance and housekeeping is often overlooked. There’s a lot of work to keep a building clean, to maintain it and to make upgrades. There’s a lot to consider in what’s being done to keep a good environment.
Also, when something isn’t working and you get it working, there’s a lot of satisfaction in that.
What keeps you going?
The satisfaction that I get knowing the residents and staff are in a good, clean and safe environment, which is what my job entails. The better I do my job, the better it is for everyone around me.
What does it take to work in this field?
Be really focused and dedicated to what you’re doing because you have your good days and bad days like everyone else, but you have to be determined at the job.
You could be working on a problem and you may not be able to get it working the way you’d like, but you can’t give up. You need to keep going until you get it right, and don’t spend money unnecessarily.
I’ve never come into a job where I’ve worked on a brand-new building. I come into older buildings and it’s challenging; a lot of upgrades need to be done. But these are challenges I enjoy, and once you get to a certain point, the work becomes simpler.
What do you do when you’re not working (hobbies, family, etc)?
I do more maintenance: I work on my house and my landscaping. I like basketball, and I watch a little football. My favorite teams—of course from being up north—are the Knicks and the Giants.
I’m married and I have two children.
Do you have any advice for someone interested in getting into this line of work?
It’s a hard—but rewarding—field: know where you want to be and where you’re headed, and focus on trying to get there.
Do you have anything you’d like to add?
I’m delighted to be at A.G. Rhodes. The people are very welcoming. It’s a nice place.
October 1, 2018