When Brandon Suárez was honored as the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Employee of the Month for October, his URecFit and Wellness colleagues who joined the celebratory videoconference Oct. 18 had a fresh example to demonstrate his commitment to UMB.

The previous day, Suárez was working from home but came onto campus to cover a one-hour shift that unexpectedly opened up at the URecFit facility at the SMC Campus Center, filling in to man the front desk where members check in. His colleagues say this type of dedication is typical of Suárez, who is the program coordinator for client relations at URecFit and Wellness.

“Reading through our performance reports yesterday, I see that you came in last night and filled in when we needed you the most. That’s just a testament to how much you do,” Elizabeth Lasker, MA, assistant director of aquatics, told Suárez. “You are not only working with membership and facility operations, but you also help me out as a lifeguard when needed. You were there my first day and trained me as a professional, so no one deserves this award more than you. I couldn’t say enough positive and wonderful things about you.”

Suárez said he was simply doing his job that day, adding, “I just didn’t feel comfortable with our facility supervisor covering the front desk by themselves for an hour when that person has to be walking around the facility and making sure that everything is good and everything is safe. So I just wanted to cover that gap until our staff arrived for the closing shift.”

UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, surprised Suárez with news of his award at the outset of the videoconference, which was advertised to Suárez as a session about career readiness for student employees. “Your colleagues nominated you for this honor because of the wonderful job you’ve done at URecFit,” Jarrell told him. “We at UMB like to recognize people who perform well, and you are definitely in that category.” 

Six more of Suárez’s colleagues were on the videoconference, taking turns to praise him for his work ethic, job performance, and pleasant demeanor. 

Jimmy Heiner, MS, associate director of operations, said he was proud of the employee Suárez has become since joining URecFit in 2012 as a lifeguard while he was attending the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to pursue a degree in psychology. Suárez also was a swim instructor and did administrative work in aquatics before being hired full time as an administrative assistant in 2018. 

“You’ve worked your way up the ranks to become part of our professional staff, and you have embraced the URecFit and Wellness culture so much,” Heiner said. “I love having you as a colleague, and I’m so happy to see the impact you’ve had on our student employees and student members. You deserve this honor more than my words here can say.”

Suárez is a jack of all trades, managing the facility supervisors and client relations staff, a majority of whom are UMB students and the first point of contact for URecFit members when they arrive at the facility. He also oversees business operations, dealing with membership sales, long-term lockers, and guest passes, monitors emails from people inquiring about URecFit’s offerings and operations, and handles social media accounts. In total, between facility supervisors and client relations staff, Suárez oversees nearly 40 employees.

Suárez’s recruitment, training, and development of these staff members are essential to the URecFit customer experience, says Eric Barron, associate director, who is Suárez’s supervisor and nominated him for the Employee of the Month award.

“A lot of the work Brandon does is behind the scenes,” Barron said. “He is our unsung hero, the backbone of our department. Not only does he do the business operations side, but he also does the facility operations side. Without Brandon, I don’t think our doors would be open. I’m honored to be his supervisor. I see the hard work he does, day in and day out.”

Suárez says the best part of his job is interacting with student employees and the students who use the URecFit facilities, which include a fitness center, strength and conditioning room, gymnasium, exercise studios, jogging track, locker rooms, and a five-lane, 25-yard “infinity” pool.

“Sometimes we lose sight that we’re here for our students, so I try to really put the focus on them, especially our student staffers,” Suárez said. “We always have students who are coming and going. Once they graduate and leave, I have to hire more students. So it’s like a revolving door, but I get to meet awesome, fantastic people. I love to see them grow and get ready for their careers after they graduate.”

Suárez will receive a plaque, a letter of commendation, and $250 in his next paycheck as Employee of the Month, well-deserved rewards for an exemplary employee, said Julia Wightman, MEd, director, URecFit and Wellness, who also pointed out his effort from the previous night.

“At URecFit, we have to be open, we have to operate. So when people call out, we’re expected to come in and be here for our members,” Wightman said. “Last night, Brandon came in at the drop of a hat to cover a shift and be here at 8 o’clock. Like Eric said, Brandon is the backbone of URecFit and Wellness. I’m the director, but I’m not the backbone. It’s Brandon and the rest of the team.”

— Lou Cortina