Cleaning Summerville with a smile

Environmental Services Senior Tech Willie Goodwin does a lot of the chores most of us don’t even want to do in our own homes, and she does them with a smile.

“One of my buildings has seven bathrooms in it,” she said. “You’ve got to keep your house clean, plus you come down here and do 20 or maybe 30 bathrooms. Some people can’t wrap their minds around doing it.”

Goodwin, who has been with Georgia Regents University for six years, works on the Summerville Campus, where she oversees several buildings, including the public safety building, the maintenance shop, and the archeology building. Beyond that, she is also responsible for Washington Hall, Galloway Hall, the art studio, and the guard house, though she said everyone chips in to help when and where it’s needed.

Though her workday starts before 5 a.m., she said she manages to build relationships not just with those she works with, but those she works for, who she calls her customers.

“I’ve got a relationship with just about all of my people,” she said. “There’s no one who doesn’t act like they don’t want to be bothered. Even if we just speak with a smile, I try to interact with my customers every day.”

She said having that kind of relationship is one of the things that helps make GRU an inviting place to work.

“Some people you joke with more than others, but everybody’s pretty decent. And I try to treat everybody with respect every day.”