George Cayton, a grounds supervisor and locksmith with Facilities Management at Potomac State College, has been selected to be featured for the February Staff Council Classified Staff Showcase.
In his role, he is responsible for motor pool vehicle disposition, furniture moves and event setup. He also helps maintain campus grounds and secures building locks and doors.
A Piedmont native, Cayton came to PSU as a part-time worker in early 1990.
Soon after starting his part-time job, Clayton and his wife decided to start a family. This led him to search for full-time work that offered maternity-related benefits. He found a management position with 84 Lumber, but it would have required him to relocate.
He wasn’t interested in moving, but in the end, it all worked out for him. In 1992, he was promoted to a full-time position that included a portion of his time assigned to the University’s greenhouse.
“The president at the time wanted a dedicated grounds person to tend the flora on campus, and I was excited to be able to create a more aesthetic atmosphere on campus,” he said.
In 2016, he was promoted to grounds supervisor, locksmith and greenhouse manager.
“I have always been in the same work group with many different things added over time,” he said. “Events, asbestos abatement, inventory, parking lot design and implementation — they have all been on my plate at some point.”
Cayton sees his role on campus as not just that of the “facilities guy,” but as a true representative of the University.
“I try to make any contact I have with students a positive experience, and I hope that, in some small way, anything I do will make the students’ time on campus more enjoyable,” he said.
Some of his favorite memories include students asking to help with planting around campus and simply thanking him for his work. Cayton tested all campus plants in his own garden first.
Outside of work, Cayton and his wife of 35 years enjoy raising Jersey Wooly show rabbits, going on bird watching hikes and studying plants.
Each month, the University will acknowledge the valuable efforts and hard work of a Classified Staff employee with the Classified Staff Showcase.