TIDYING UP Facilities staff member Sam Cash works to make sure the sixth-grade forum is ready for students to learn and interact in. “I really love my job here,” said Cash. “I feel lucky to have great benefits that come with my job and enjoy what I’m doing at the same time.”

Within the bustling energy of student life and classes taking place along Main Street, Facilities Staff member Sam Cash works to ensure that the building is in the best shape possible to give the students a clean and focused learning environment. For close to a decade, Cash has served as a cornerstone of the maintenance crew.

“I started working here in 2015,” said Cash. “I’ve been here for a long, long time, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”

Cash is a part of the night crew, and works from 2:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. Although working after school hours, the interactions between students and faculty are one of Cash’s favorite parts of the job. 

“I like to say that I see the students at the best time possible,” said Cash. “They aren’t stressed about any tests and are just having fun with their friends after they get let out of their last class of the day, which makes me happy to see. Not only the students, but even my brief conversations with the teachers and administrative staff are interesting, and I look forward to those as well.”

However, social interactions aren’t the only good parts of working in facilities at Greenhills. The most important attribute to have in a job for Cash is that it never gets boring. This is what draws Cash to his job as a part of the facilities staff. 

“I just like the vibe of the atmosphere,” said Cash. “I love the fact that things change all the time and there’s always a new event going on. Even when we’re short-staffed, everything runs smoothly, which is just another reason why I like it here.”

Cash has always been rooted in Michigan. He was born just east of Ann Arbor in the town of Belleville and has worked a few jobs before coming to Greenhills. 

“My job at Greenhills is a lot better than my former job,” said Cash. “I used to work as a waiter at the Autbar restaurant, which was in Ann Arbor. At Greenhills, it’s a lot more sociable. There are more one-on-one conversations with different people and I know and get along with just about everyone I work with.”

Autbar, however, gave Cash bonds and friends that he has still maintained today, some of whom work alongside Cash at Greenhills. 

“My best friends here are [facilities staff member] Bill Twarog and [facilities staff member] Leslie Gangwere. We all came from Autbar, and we all started working here within a couple of months of each other.”

Twarog, especially, works as a direct supervisor and close friend to Cash. 

“I’ve known Sam since 2011, so it has been around 13 years,” said Twarog. “Sam’s really fun and lighthearted. We both are part of the night crew, and we were friends before coming to Greenhills, but after working here together for almost 10 years, we have become really close.”

Their friendship extends beyond Greenhills, however. 

“We sometimes meet each other over the weekend, and our conversations are so genuine,” said Twarog. “We talk about everything, from the top news to our pets and families. He’s my closest friend here, and I’m so lucky to be able to work with him.”

Facilities staff manager Nick Roggerman, although only have been working with Cash for two years, has also grown to be fond of him as a worker and a friend. 

“I don’t work with Mr. Cash daily, because I indirectly supervise him,” said Roggerman.  “I oversee the maintenance staff as a whole, but regardless, my experience with Sam has always been so pleasant. He’s a very friendly man, and he always does anything you ask him to. He’s more than happy to help and cover for you, no matter how busy his day is. Even though I mostly work during the day and he works in the afternoon, we chat amongst ourselves and have fun conversations.”

Roggerman believes that the facilities staff as a whole are more than just co-workers to each other. 

“Everybody in this crew gets along with each other,” said Roggerman.  “We are like a family. Of course, every department has its struggles, and nobody’s perfect. But overall, as a department, we are motivated to get the job done as effectively as possible.”

Cash, over the past nine years, has worked diligently to make sure that the building is in its best condition at all times. This has not gone unrecognized by his co-workers in his department.

“Everybody notices how much work he does and how well he does everything,” said Roggerman. “He knows how to make this place pop and make it look really good for events. He’s an absolute asset to our team, and we are so happy to have him.”

Looking forward, Cash is planning on staying at Greenhills for as long as possible, and is excited to see what the future holds for him within this building.