Mike Niland – FACILITIES SERVICES, 1991-2021
Mike has been at Milton for 30 years this year, as part of the Facilities Services team. I would like to take a few minutes to acknowledge Mike and his well- earned retirement.
I first met Mike 12 years ago when I came to Milton, and even then, he already had 18 years of service here at Milton. I knew as soon as I met him that Mike is your salt-of-the-earth kind of person. He is as genuine and honest as they come. He gets done what needs to be done, independently, and does so with care and dedication. No job was too big or too small for Mike. His work included everything from preparing the dorms and dorm rooms for students to addressing general maintenance needs and work orders across campus. He took on everything, from screens to mechanical issues in academic buildings and faculty apartments. He also prepared the pool every year and tended it every morning in the summer.
Mike has been well-known in Facilities for his snowplowing skills and his dedication to ensuring that as much snow as possible could be removed before school started. At times, Mike slept on campus overnight to make sure that a plow could keep running during off hours and that someone would be here in the very early morning.
Mike has always been well- known on this campus, because he took the time to know all of you. He would connect with the rest of the trades team members over lunch in the shop, at which he always enjoyed a Hostess or a Little Debbie snack. He would always take the time to check in with any faculty or staff member he encountered throughout the day. If he was in a space that was occupied, he’d also make sure to address other items that might not be on his to-do list. It is for this reason and many others that Mike won the staff service award in prior years.
Although Mike could not be with us today, we celebrated him over at Facilities with many other staff colleagues a couple of weeks ago. And while all of us here in the Facilities Services Department and the greater Milton community are sad to see him hang up the tool belt and park the plow, we know it is time for him to enjoy a long, happy, and healthy retirement.
Please join me in congratulating Mike Niland and thanking him for his many contributions to Milton. —JIMMY BENOIT