Spotlight: Mr. Neuteboom
Meet Mr. Neuteboom. He’s there, but you can’t see him. That’s because he is our new facilities manager, and he works behind the scenes to make sure we stay warm in the winter, have running water, and everything in between. He occasionally gets help from the Engineering class, but otherwise, he keeps the building from collapsing, on his own.
Neuteboom grew up in Colorado Springs, where he went to William J. Palmer High School and earned a IB diploma and a high school diploma. He then went over to KU, where he earned a B.A. in American History. Then why facilities? “I don’t know really if I chose it more then I fell into it. Being a homeowner got me interested into learning more about facilities, and that led into facilities being a full time job,” says Neuteboom.
Being our facilities manager means a lot of work behind the scenes, sometimes on short term notice. This means that it’s really hard to teach a class. Although he teaches no classes, he sometimes wishes he could teach classes and have an advising group on top of his job: “Yeah! Getting to know students and creating a friendship with then would be easier [if I had a class],” says Neuteboom.
The nice thing about being new at Seabury is that it’s really easy to get to know new people, and Neuteboom knew several kids coming here: “It’s not very difficult [to get to know new kids]. It takes some effort as I don’t teach a class, but I was lucky to know several kids before I came here,” says Neuteboom
Things to do can vary from day to day, as everyday there is another problem, from bursting pipes to a leaky faucet. This sometimes means things have to postponed to fix problems: “Every day can be something different, especially with the cold. Sometimes I’ll have plans to do something and then something hinders that, and then I’ll have to do that thing the next day,” says Neuteboom. For example, he came in during the winter break and fixed the burst pipe that was flooding the school so that we could have running water.
Even though he is very busy here, fixing and taking care of the school, he still has several hobbies: “I enjoy my kids a lot. I enjoy playing with logos. I do a lot of photography, that's a pursuit of mine. I enjoy fixing things around the house,” says Neuteboom.
Though Neuteboom may not teach a class and does not show up at morning meeting, that does not mean that he is not an important part of the Seabury community. As facilities manager, he is essential in the day-to-day operation of the school, so next time you see him, make sure to say hello.
What people are saying about him:
Henry Nelson: He very friendly and he always comes up and talks to me. I think he is a great addition to the school.
Ivan Calderon: He is very hard working and he is working hard for our school, and I appreciate that.
Betsy Alford: When he and I first met, it seemed like we had been working together for ages. He always knows when I need help, and he is there to give it to me.
