Dedicated to Award-Winning Building and Student Excellence
Alfred
R. Sena, Executive Director, Facilities Department, Rio Rancho Public
Schools, 500 Laser Road NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124, 505.896.0667 ext. 161
Al
Sena, Executive Director Facilities, of Rio Rancho Public Schools in
Rio Rancho, New Mexico speaks with pride and passion about his role as
a leader in the development and implementation of sustainable High
Performance School Buildings throughout the Rio Rancho School District.
"There
is an opportunity in public work to leave your footprint or your
fingerprint," says Sena. "That's what I am trying to do -- to improve
learning environments for kids so that they will benefit for years to
come, even after I am gone. Also, important for their future, they will
understand how the environment affects their health and their learning."
Sena
has the enthusiastic support and cooperation of his school board, staff
and district parents for the values he has brought to the school system
to improve student achievement, reduce costs and preserve environmental
resources. He was nominated by Phillip A. Bradley-Ortiz, Project
Manager, Rio Rancho Public Schools.
The Rio Rancho School District is deeply committed to Building Excellence.
Everyone
understands that providing all students with a clean, safe, healthy
school environment supports student excellence. Sena describes how
building design and curriculum are integrated to foster cooperation
with health and environmental goals.
One example of practical
design is to position rest rooms near classrooms and to provide
educational materials about the benefits of frequent hand washing. The
convenient location of the restrooms makes is practical to build time
to wash hands into class transition times.
Sena has been working
for the Rio Rancho Public Schools for ten years. He has oversight of
all buildings in the fast growing school district serving 16,000
students on 18 campuses totaling over 1.9 million square feet and 450
acres of property.
He is responsible for custodial, maintenance,
grounds, capital improvements, and administration. He has direct
involvement in the planning, design, and construction of new facilities
and is liaison for the City of Rio Rancho's many departments.
Additionally, Sena coordinates with state and county agencies for
capital outlay.
He is steward of many programs and projects including:
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The Healthy High Performance Cleaning Program that was especially
motivated by the goal of promoting wellness and reducing absenteeism
among school staff.
- The Rio Rancho schools are an US EPA
Energy Star Partner. See the Rio Rancho Sandia Vista Elementary School
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_bldg_design.project_sandia_vista
-
Energy Conservation. To see the latest results of the Rio Rancho’s
exemplary Energy Conservation program and the EnerG3 Powerpoint
presentation go to
http://webster/Administration/Facilities/documents/Jan2009.pdf
-
The Rio Rancho School District is one of 12 partners in the Clinton
Climate Initiative (CCI) Green Schools Program to reduce energy
consumption in educational facilities nationwide.
http://www.clintonfoundation.org/what-we-do/clinton-climate-initiative
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The Rio Rancho School Board has endorsed the goal of achieving a Silver
Leed rating for existing schools. LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System) is a
third-party certification program. It is the nationally accepted
benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high
performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to
sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human
and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings,
energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental
quality. www.usgbc.org/leed
- Rio Rancho School District is one
of 12 districts in the country participating in a new LEED for Existing
School Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Rating System.
It is a whole-systems approach to improving the indoor environment; and
uncover operating inefficiencies. One of Rio Rancho's schools is a
prototype for the Leed Existing Building certification.
http://www.greenexschools.com/
- The Rio Rancho schools will be
seeking Silver LEED Certification on three schools, two built and one
currently under construction. (For information about LEED®
Certification see www.USGBC.org or http://buildgreenschools.org/)
-
Two elementary schools were awarded the Monarch Projects of Merit Award
by the Southwest Region of the Council of Educational Facilities
Planners International (CEFPI). The annual Southwest Region Monarch
Award recognizes and honors the members of the Southwest Region and
their influence for creating, delivering and maintaining excellence in
school facilities planning. http://www.cefpi.org
Sena also
serves the Southwest Representative on the board of the Council of
Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) and the New Mexico
Public Schools Facility Authority, Maintenance Advisory Group.
With
Al Sena's professional leadership, the Rio Rancho Schools are reaping
the benefits of their commitment to health, performance and
sustainability. They are at the forefront of the development of Healthy
High Performance Schools.
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Successful EPA Chemical Cleanout Partnership
Submitted by Matthew Langenfeld, US EPA, Region 8
Pollution Prevention and Toxics Program,
303-312-6284, langenfeld.matthew@epa.gov
www.epa.gov/osw/partnerships/sc3/partners.htm
See US EPA Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign for information
and tools to responsibly manage chemicals in K-12 schools.
Our schools are a safer place today due to the efforts of a dedicated team of professionals. This team has worked collaboratively to clean out 1,515 pounds of hazardous and toxic chemicals, and explosives from 5 tribal schools at the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.
These schools have a total student population of 668 that includes 561 Native Americans. This is the first ever successful partnership through the EPA national partnership alert with the SC3 Charter Partner Program. Read about US EPA Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) partnerships at http://www.epa.gov/osw/partnerships/sc3/partners.htm
Pollution Control Industries (PCI) in Indiana answered the call and provided an estimated $26,000.00 in services to remove and properly dispose of chemicals from the schools.
Together this team has accomplished tasks that would have been impossible for an individual to accomplish. This work has been ongoing for over 2 years.
The collective sense of responsibility, inspirational leadership, and exemplary persistence and courage has protected hundreds of Native American school children from laboratory chemical and other dangerous chemical school hazards and unhealthy school conditions.
The risk of exposure to toxic chemicals for numerous children has been reduced or eliminated by these significant and heroic efforts. This team has used a very practical process and cost saving measures to reduce risk to chemical exposure. The team has worked tirelessly to improve chemical safety school conditions for Native American school children.
I nominate the following individuals for the Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero Award.
* David Nelson, Director, Environmental Protection Department, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, PO Box 590, Eagle Butte, SD, 57625
* Robert Smith, Coordinator, Tribal Brownfields Program, Environmental Protection Department, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, PO Box 590, Eagle Butte, SD, 57625
* Elizabeth Bird, Coordinator, Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Information Center, Montana State University, Taylor Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717
* Myla Kelly, Coordinator, Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Information Center, Montana State University, Taylor Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717
* Kristina Meson, School Chemical Cleanout Campaign, EPA/Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW (5302P), Washington, DC 20460
* Tita LaGrimas, Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Pollution Control Industries, 4343 Kennedy Avenue, East Chicago, IN 46312
Background Information for Cheyenne River Sioux, South Dakota
Tribal School Cleanout Updated 02/09/09
11/12/08 (1,515 lbs)
Estimated Cost $26,000.00
(Partnership with Pollution Control Industries - Pro Bono)
Eagle Butte High School, 24 Students
38% Native American
Dupree High School, 62 Students
63% Native American
Timber Lake, 110 Students
39% Native American
Tiospaye Topa, 221 Students
100% Native American
Takini, 232 Students
100% Native American
* David Nelson has been very dedicated to improving the safety of tribal schools at the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. He made EPA aware of the need for removal and proper disposal of hazardous and toxic chemicals, and potentially explosive chemicals from tribal schools at the reservation. He reported leaking containers, deteriorating storage shelves, unsafe storage conditions, and unwanted, unneeded, and outdated chemicals. He supported the use of his staff for coordination of activities with schools. David made school chemical cleanout activities at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation schools a priority. He sent a letter to all schools seeking collaboration and assistance. As a result of his initiating efforts, over 200 individual chemicals have been removed and properly disposed from five schools at Cheyenne River as follows.
* Robert Smith has consistently provided assistance and gone above expectation to remove toxic and hazardous chemicals from tribal schools at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Robert has fostered critical relationships with school personnel. He gained the support, cooperation, and participation of school administration and staff allowing easy access and a positive working environment. He was instrumental in conducting inventories of chemicals, obtaining cost estimates for disposal, working with contractors to safely lap-pack chemicals, and collect chemicals for shipment and proper disposal. Removing chemicals from these schools prevent eventual release to air, water, and soil. All chemicals collected were listed on a hazardous waste manifest and transported for appropriate disposal at a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) according to land ban restrictions. This is the first ever successful partnership through the national partnership alert with the SC3 Charter Partner Program. These Indian Country schools include Cheyenne Eagle Butte High School, Dupree High School, Takini School, Timber Lake High School, and Tiospaye Topa School. These schools have a total student population of 668 that includes 561 Native Americans. A total of 1,515 pounds of chemicals were removed to include neurotoxins, carcinogens, suspected carcinogens, strong oxidizers, and corrosive, caustic, toxic, ignitable, flammable, shock sensitive and potentially explosive chemicals and were properly disposed. The estimated cost of transportation and disposal services provided by PCI is $26,000.00.
* Elizabeth Bird and Myla Kelly have worked tirelessly and dedicated many hours to school chemical cleanout activities at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. They supported the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Environmental Protection Department with chemical inventory and collection activities. Peaks to Praires received grant funding for school chemical cleanout activities at tribal schools in South Dakota. Based on David Nelson’s requests for assistance and demonstration of need, it was decided that this work would be conducted at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation schools. Elizabeth and Myla kept focus on chemical inventory, cost estimates, and collection. They worked on locating funding sources and obtaining funds for chemical cleanout. Additional workshops, teacher education, and staff training activities are planned.
* Kristina Meson always goes above and beyond expectation to remove toxic and hazardous chemicals from schools nationwide and has assisted Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation with activities in Indian Country. Kristina is very successful with school chemical cleanout activities. Over the past 2 years, she has worked overtime without compensation to further the school chemical cleanout program at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Upon notification of a need for cleanout of chemicals from these tribal schools, Kristina requested assistance from the School Chemical Cleanout Campaign Charter Partner Program and Partner Alert request for assistance from ORCR. Pollution Control Industries of East Chicago, Indiana answered the request and offered to provide free services for the schools to collect and properly dispose of toxic and hazardous chemicals. All chemicals collected were listed on a hazardous waste manifest and transported for appropriate disposal at a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) according to land ban restrictions.
* Tita LaGrimas answered Kristina’s School Chemical Cleanout Campaign Charter Partner Program and Partner Alert request for assistance. She obtained approval from Pollution Control Industries (PCI) to travel to South Dakota, collect the chemicals, ship them to PCI Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility in Indiana for proper disposal. She demonstrated dedication to this project and took a personal interest in protecting the students and staff at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Based on her involvement, the project was completed in a short period of time and went very smoothly. Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation Schools will forever be safer for school children based on Tita’s work.
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