Process Cleaning for Healthy Schools has awarded the PC4HS 2013 Special Achievement Award for training excellence to Tom Pagh, a facilities operations manager with Portland Public Schools (PPS).
 
“Tom is an exemplary individual and trainer, and the initial results at Portland Public Schools show this,” said Rex Morrison, founder and president of PC4HS.  “Mr. Pagh epitomizes what custodial training is all about.”
 
Pagh started his career in custodial work at age 16, while cleaning up for new construction. After working his way up from a custodial role, to that of a supervisor, he was hired away from his former employer to work for Portland Public Schools, says Tom Adams, director of Facilities Operation in Portland Public Schools, Portland, Ore.  
 
In late 2012, PPS launched a pilot program featuring the PC4HS cleaning system, with future intentions that the program would be adopted throughout the school district. Pagh was selected as the person to train with Morrison, and to implement the training in the pilot project, as well as the remaining school districts. 
 
“The original pilot school and the following school are both up to speed utilizing the new cleaning process with the next school in line ready to proceed," Morrison said. "Tom reports that not only are the custodians embracing the new process, but a head custodian who was experiencing work performance issues has improved so much using the process, he’s received written appreciation notes from the school principal. Tom noted the simplicity of PC4HS has helped the custodian plan his work and direct his subordinates much more effectively.
 
“Tom Pagh brings years of excellent custodial work and training experience to his job and richly deserves this prestigious award from Process Cleaning for Healthy Schools.”