Over five years ago, on one of the many visits to Carroll College prior to our move to Helena, my family and I noticed a man in a purple Carroll coat as we were leaving O’Connell Hall on a Saturday afternoon. He wore his hood up over a purple Saints stocking cap and was busy clearing off the steps of O'Connell with a leaf blower. I was amazed that such attention to detail was taking place over the course of a quiet weekend, and I approached the man to tell him so. To my great surprise, that man was Tom McCarvel, Vice President for Community Relations and Facilities.
Tom explained to me that such tasks were “relaxing” and that keeping the campus clean and beautiful is something that brings him joy. Since that day, I have witnessed Tom at all hours of the day – on both weekdays and weekends – brushing snow and scraping ice off cars, mopping up after flooding of some sort, and, of course, blowing leaves and snow off of sidewalks, including the Carroll president’s home! Walking to meetings on campus with Tom is probably better thought of as "hunting for litter." When we finally arrive at our meetings, one is always able to count on Tom to be attentive, kind, collegial, tactful, and intelligent. He is a model for always steering the group assembled back to the mission and focus on our students should conversations stray off course. It has been obvious to me and is surely obvious to all that Tom McCarvel is dedicated to Carroll College. Thus, it is with sincere gratitude and appreciation that I write this email on Tom’s last day as an employee of Carroll.
Tom started working at Carroll in 1991, although he regularly took the opportunity to insert photos and quips of his days as a student (class of 1971) into his Board of Trustees presentations. Since ’91, he has supervised the offices of advancement, admission, financial aid, marketing & communications, and most recently, facilities and conferencing. In his time at Carroll, he has been instrumental in the transformation of the campus, including but not limited to, enhanced landscaping and the remodel of spaces that hold onto the integrity and grandeur of Carroll’s mission and history. Tom has also taken a significant role in the development and leadership of the Mind Body Spirit Campaign. In order to maintain the momentum of the campaign, Tom has agreed to stay on in a consulting role as the point person for the Hunthausen Activity Center, Chapel, and apartment projects. His willingness to assist with these major campus projects is invaluable to the transition of his responsibilities.
With Tom's retirement, we are reorganizing some of the existing administrative functions in order to improve the coordination of campus planning and to be able to tend to our risk management and compliance needs. To do so, I have asked Dawn Gallinger to oversee facilities and operations, which will help us to more intentionally align campus facility and strategic planning. Butch Biskupiak will continue to supervise facilities, grounds, trades, and custodial staff, and coordinate short and long term facility work through the Campus Master Planning and Buildings and Grounds Committees. Patty White, Director of the Marketing & Communications team, will report to me, and Conference Services will report to Jim Hardwick once he returns to campus full time. This reorganization allows us to restructure Tom’s position to accommodate a new risk management and compliance position.
To honor our esteemed colleague Tom McCarvel and his commitment to keeping Carroll beautiful, please consider joining me at the Inaugural Tom McCarvel Campus Clean Up Day and Barbeque on Thursday, April 27, 2017. We will celebrate Tom by assisting the grounds crew in the preparation of our campus for graduation. Details of the event will follow in the next few weeks.
Tom’s legacy will certainly be seen in the many improvements and buildings on this campus and in those of us who will never be able to walk across this campus without picking up whatever litter we see along the way. But don’t be surprised if you see him post-retirement, randomly helping beautify our campus or digging someone’s car out after a snow storm. I know I won’t.
Thank you, again, Tom, for all you have done and for your love of Carroll College. We wish you a very Happy Retirement!
Dr. Tom Evans
President, Carroll College