Author: Milton Academy

Since 2011, Lynn O’Sullivan has been the administrator in the Facilities Services department, having served multiple directors of the department, including me.  It has been my fortune to have worked with Lynn for more than 7 years. We have had a lot of fun while getting a lot of work done.

Lynn has been the glue that keeps everything together and makes sure that what needs to get done gets done. And if it doesn’t, you know that you will hear from her.

Lynn, with support from her team, manages the routing of inbound maintenance requests, payment of millions of dollars in bills, vendor contracts, the mailroom, supply purchasing, and any miscellaneous issue that reaches facilities. She answers questions about policies, procedures, and supports team members who have questions about vacation and anything else. She is also responsible for making sure that all members of the facilities teams have a uniform that works for them in every season.

Described by a colleague as a “fantastic human being,” Lynn always tries to find the best path forward in any circumstance.

A member of the Facilities Grounds and Events team for 45 years, Ernie Ostine has been the longest-tenured member of the grounds team, exceeding his closest colleague by nearly a decade. After emigrating from Haiti, Milton Academy was his first and only job in the United States. I’m also quite sure that he also had the longest first day of anyone sitting here. His first day at Milton, February 8, 1978, was a snow storm; after coming to campus that morning, he did not leave for 72 hours. Actually, he walked to campus in the middle of the storm because he thought if he did not show up, he would no longer be employed here.

Ernie has often shared with colleagues that he truly loves Milton Academy and the opportunities it offers to students. He has always seen the value in what the school provides to everyone who touches it, and wanted to be a part of the school’s success. Ernie also appreciates everyone who works here and the role they play in making the student experience possible. He has always made friends far and wide across campus. Ernie particularly loves senior projects season each year, happily anticipating students’ visits to the facilities garage, where they would ask him about how to fabricate or fix something. Ernie also enjoys sharing his knowledge of how to repair cars with multiple faculty and staff members.

During the fall season, as the early morning sun rises over the Quad on any given Saturday, you could always see Kevin Macdonald’s minivan parked in its usual spot on Chapel Hill. It was game day, and if you were looking for Coach Mac, you would not find him in his office or in the film room. You would most likely find him in the basement of the RSG filling up 50 water bottles in preparation for the game.

One might ask, why didn’t he save this task for his managers, or assistant coaches? Why is the head football coach, who has won nine ISL Championships, three New England Championships—including six undefeated seasons—filling up his team’s water bottles on game day? The answer is that this is one of the many rituals, or some might say superstitions, that Kevin would perform every game day. Other superstitions included wearing the same faded tight blue t-shirt every Saturday during a win streak, or when he would not allow Coach Rebuck to ride the team bus to any away games, because the last time he did, the team lost.

For more than 14 years, until the end of 2022, Chris White managed the school’s mailroom and facilities supply purchasing. In so doing, he interfaced with students, faculty, and staff on a regular basis, making sure that everyone received what they needed—literally. This was accomplished despite a dramatic increase in packages over the last decades as well as the trials and tribulations of UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and many others that would result in packages “mis-delivered” or put in the wrong place, especially during COVID. A great part of Chris’ success was knowing every vendor and delivery person by name, ensuring that their visits to Milton were positive. It used to be said that of the US Postal Service that neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night would keep the staff from their appointed rounds; to put a proper analogy to Chris, it would probably take an avalanche in the Blue Hills to slow him down.

In Milton Academy’s revenue pie—yes, that circle with different size pieces—you’ll find tuition, endowment, annual giving, and other.

Have you ever wondered where the “other revenue” comes from?

Nearly all of it comes from the Campus Services and Events team and its affiliated ancillary programs, about $2 million worth last year. And as director of that department (and its predecessor, business services), Paula has overseen somewhere in the neighborhood of two thousand rental contracts over her 27 years of service. She has also held multiple titles, from performing office administrative activities when she first started to operating the school’s former “sports plus” camps to overseeing calendar, events, and rentals, including the filming of multiple movies, commercials, and photo shoots. Over a decade ago, during the last recession, she took over management of our dining program. She also maintains relationships with Town of Milton organizations, ensuring that the school supports those who help us and children thrive. And, while doing all this, the best estimate is that she’s moved her office location eight times. In short, Paula has been busy.