When a group of Ector County ISD officials arrived at the Custodial and Maintenance Building recently, Maintenance Employee of the Year Jason Martin said he was like a deer in headlights.
Martin, who has been with ECISD for about eight and a half years, thought he was going to a meeting. But heard kazoos and saw all the people.
“It was great and a little nerve-racking … but it was good,” Martin said.
He is engaged to be married. Mainly, Martin said he is an apprentice electrician for the district.
“I do a lot of stuff … stuff that doesn’t even require my expertise. I do filter changes, preventative maintenance, water treatments, water treatment systems … and chemical treatment. Right now, I’m taking care of Bonham (Middle School) … doing the building maintenance over there. I was at Nimitz (Middle School) about five months ago doing the same thing,” Martin said.
He added that he was “flabbergasted” by the recognition.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Martin said.
Having been with ECISD for so long, Martin said the maintenance staff is almost like a second family.
“… I really like my job here. When I wake up in the morning, I’m happy to come to work. I love my job,” Martin said.
“It’s the camaraderie; the camaraderie with everybody. I can go to every department and just have a conversation with somebody, and if they need help, I’ll help them out … ,” Martin said.
He added that his skills also help with home maintenance.
“Right now, I’m doing a lot of plumbing at one of the schools … and that helps out a lot at my house. My house was built in 1975 and I own it … but I still have to keep up with the maintenance and there’s just me and my fiance,” Martin said.
His fiance works at Burleson Elementary as a interpreter teacher’s aide and she is good with crafts. She creates leatherworks and purses, for example, when she has time, he said.
A native Odessan, Martin earned an associate degree in criminal justice from South Plains College.
“I was a private investigator for four years. You see some things and I didn’t like seeing those things, so I got out of it. I thought it was a career choice for me; it was my calling, but no. I like to work with my hands,” Martin said.
Once someone shows him how to do something, Martin said he picks it up right away.
He will ask for help if he needs it, such as working sweeping the new turf fields.
Martin said winning the award makes him want to work harder.
“I want to excel. I want to excel in this business,” Martin said.
He added that there are a bunch of good people in the department.
“… They’re really great guys and I love working here. As far as what I’ve exceeded throughout this year, I know I’ve worked hard and I’m glad I got the reward. I really do appreciate those guys,” Martin said.
Gary Weatherford, director of facilities, said several things make Martin stand out.
“The reason I picked him is he is self-motivated. He comes to work every day, does anything that I ask him to do without question and he really stepped it up this year,” Weatherford said.
“… I get a few nominations from campuses. But I generally get nominations from my foreman and he was recommended. I look at all my nominations that come in and then I pick the one that I think deserves it the most,” he added.
Weatherford added that Martin is a good example for other employees.
“For example, his main job is (that) he changes air conditioner filters and works on the closed loop system. I had a campus maintenance man resign earlier in the year and Jason volunteered to go over and help take care of that campus until we find a replacement … He did that without anybody even asking him to. He’s taken on more responsibility this year without even being asked to. The job needed to be done and he had time to do it, so he just took care of it,” Weatherford said.
