NORTH MANCHESTER – Gary Beck, mechanical controls technician, has been named the 2024 Christopher W. Garber Staff Member of the Year at Manchester University.
The award is named in honor of Chris Garber, who was Manchester's assistant vice president for operations at the time of his death in 2015, and recognizes an employee who demonstrates steadfast commitment to Manchester University and is a leader and collaborator who keeps the best interests of the university at heart, according to a news release from Manchester University.
Beck has been at Manchester for over 40 years, first starting on a special projects crew helping to install an elevator in Calvin Ulrey Hall and soon becoming an integral part of the maintenance team.
His favorite part of the job is interacting with students and learning about their lives, and his dedication to putting students first is evident in all the work he does. He is known around campus for his kindness and willingness to always lend a hand.
"As a devoted employee and family man, Gary would occasionally bring his grandson Kaden along to sit in the backhoe while they plowed snow," said President Stacy H. Young. "Flash forward a few years, and that same grandson is a senior at MU, working on our grounds crew and driving that same backhoe."
Former colleague Scott Eberly said, "Gary will assist the other maintenance employees in any project they're working on; he is a team player. Most of Gary's work is all done behind the scenes, and no one knows what he is accomplishing on a daily basis. His knowledge and ability to maintain and fix things - from the huge air conditioning and heating systems, to kitchen equipment, to unplugging clogged drains - has saved the university hundreds of thousands of dollars. When any of the other maintenance employees have questions about anything on campus, they ask Gary."