Employees honored by Gillis for sense of responsibility

Employees honored by Gillis for sense of responsibility

BY DANA BENSON
Rice News Staff

Good deeds don’t go unnoticed at Rice.
Facilities and engineering employees Gertrude Ealey and
Julian Navarrete recently were honored by President Malcolm
Gillis for their good deeds that helped protect the campus
environment.

Ealey and Navarrete, who both work for facilities and engineering
custodial services, were instrumental in the recovery by
the Rice University Police Department of computers, classroom
equipment and other property that allegedly had been stolen
by two Rice students and an alumnus.

Gillis honored Ealey and Navarrete in a ceremony Oct. 19,
presenting each employee with a commendation letter and
a check reflecting Rice’s appreciation.

“We appreciate very much your vigilance and strong
sense of responsibility in ensuring the university’s
assets are well-protected,” Gillis told the two employees.
Ealey, who works in the Humanities Building, and Navarrete,
who works in Anne and Charles Duncan Hall, both reported
suspicious activity in their respective buildings to the
campus police. The three suspects were arrested and charged
with burglary involving the Humanities Building incident,
according to Rice police chief Bill Taylor, and an investigation
still is ongoing. Taylor estimates that more than $25,000
in stolen property has been recovered.

“Your diligence in this recent incident is much appreciated,”
Gillis said to Ealey and Navarrete. “You made sure
that people who did not have the university’s best
interests at heart did not hurt those interests. Thank you
for being exemplary employees and so devoted in your jobs.”

Eusebio Franco, manager of custodial and grounds for facilities
and engineering, accompanied the two employees to the ceremony
in Gillis’ office. He said that he always encourages
employees to report suspicious activity they see on campus,
and he praised Ealey and Navarrete for doing exactly the
right thing.

Taylor also commended the two facilities and engineering
employees. “What’s very important is that the
arrests and recovery of property would not have been possible
if not for these two employees,” he said. “It
took a lot of wherewithal to bring suspicious activity to
our attention.”

The police chief explained that employees who see suspicious
activity on campus should call the campus police at Ext.
6000 from a private area, but not too far away from where
the activity was spotted. He also encouraged employees to
get a good description of the person or persons involved
in the activity.