Silhouette champion hand holding gold medal reward against blurred sport stadium autumn sunset background

CloroxPro announced the winners of its first-ever Champions of Clean contest. Greg Masse, a custodian at Louis Toffolon Elementary School in Plainville, CT, and Minnie Watson, an Environmental Services (EVS) Tech at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL, both embody CloroxPro’s motto ‘Where clean means everything,’ and were selected for their passion for going above and beyond to help keep their facilities clean and healthy.

The Champions of Clean contest, which ran from January 8 to February 20, 2019, encouraged facility managers and cleaning and healthcare professionals to nominate someone who puts it all on the line to keep their facility clean and healthy during cold, flu and norovirus season and throughout the year.

Greg Masse About Commercial Facility Champion Greg Masse

When asked why she nominated Masse, facilities department office professional Sandy Bouchard said, “Greg is always looking for and coming up with ways to step up the school’s cleaning routine. He works hard to keep our community healthy, but his rapport with the students and staff alike is what sets him apart.”

Masse recently founded a new program for the children at Toffolon Elementary School, “The Tidy Tiger Awards.” Surprised at how tidy some of the classrooms were when he would clean at night, Masse began leaving thank you notes on white boards to thank students. The students and teachers enjoyed these notes so much that he designed official Tidy Tiger doormats, which now are proudly placed out front of the tidiest classrooms each week.

A tidier classroom not only leaves more time for the custodians to do a deeper cleaning, but it instills a sense of pride and ownership in the students. He tells students to carry these values outside the school as well and parents have thanked him for his encouragement.

As one of the winners of the Champions of Clean contest, Masse received a $7,075 cash prize in lieu of an all-expenses-paid vacation. When speaking about the honor, he says, “I’m floored…I’m just doing my job and I love what I do.

Minnie Watson About Healthcare Champion Minnie Watson

Watson is a critical member of the Memorial Medical Center Environmental Services (EVS) team. “Not only do we receive requests from patients for Minnie to clean their room, she is a stickler for cleaning procedures,” said Gabe Ceperich, EVS Director. “Her attention to detail goes a long way and her work is crucial in helping to prevent healthcare-associated infections.”

Ceperich is not the first person to nominate Watson for a reward for her hard work. Watson has won Employee of the Month twice, both within her department of 200 employees and within the entire hospital of more than 6,500 employees.

Watson has been at Memorial Medical Center for more than 10 years, putting patient safety first at every step along the way. She works hand-in-hand with the hospital’s Infection Prevention department, updating the best products and protocols to combat pathogens. “I’ve been in EVS for more than 30 years, and Minnie’s genuine care for patients and providing a clean environment is conducive to Memorial’s wonderful culture, successful turnover rates, and overall infection prevention,” says Ceperich.

Watson’s humility shines through when she speaks about the recognition. “I’m just surprised I won because there are so many hardworking healthcare professionals out there … I love my patients and want to make sure they have a nice clean environment so they can heal better,” she says.

Watson also received a $7,075 cash prize in lieu of an all-expenses-paid vacation.