In this episode of Why I Stay, Dr. Britani Moses talks with Ed Hall, Director of Maintenance & Operations, about how he found his way to CCISD, what inspires him, and how he leads with a heart in his quest to serve students. After 23 years and having held most of the roles in his department, he wouldn't have it any other way.
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Speaker 1
Clear Creek ISD is home to a team of over 5000 educators, administrators, and support staff who are committed to helping students achieve, contribute and lead with integrity. And we're talking to some of those people about what keeps them inspired and why they stay. Hello and welcome back to CCISD’s podcast, Why I Stay? This is Dr. Britani Moses and I'm joined today by Ed Hall, director of maintenance and operations.
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Speaker 1
So let's get started by having you share a little bit about yourself and how you found your way to CCISD
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Speaker 2
Good morning, Miss Britani. Wow. I've been here 23 years now. I found my way to two Clear Creek ISD Steve, my dad worked here. He was at the end of his his employment. And I had lost my job previously. And my dad's an old Army sergeant, so he didn't ask if I wanted to apply here. He told me you're applying at Clear Creek.
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Speaker 2
ISD
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Speaker 1
He knew what was good for you.
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Speaker 2
He did? He did. So I got a job cutting grass in July of 2000, knowing I was going to find employment someplace else. And 23 years later, I'm still here.
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Speaker 2
It. It's been amazing. Have three kids here, Found my wife here, found some long lasting friends here, including you who shows up with a trunk full of materials after Ike You know, when? When my house flooded, I know yours had too. I've had board members who showed up at my house with bags full of clothes during that time.
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Speaker 2
I say it probably not often enough, but where else would you rather be than a Clear Creek ISD
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Speaker 1
Right. 23 years. I sure am glad your dad knew to direct you to apply for this position. And while starting to cut grass in July. Yeah. That was really probably the best time for you to start that job. All right, so you started with cutting grass 23 years ago. That hot summer, you held a wide variety of roles here, in CCISD worked at multiple campus.
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Speaker 1
Tell us a little bit about that journey through CCISD
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Speaker 2
I started cutting grass in July of 2000. I actually broke my wrist loading a lawn mower. Jeez. I think in December of 2000 and I came from a loss prevention background, so I was put in the parts department that they were just starting in maintenance to do some inventory management. From there, the director at the time did not want me going back to the athletic department, so he made me a parts runner there.
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Speaker 2
So I would just pick up parts for technicians and deliver them to schools that did that for a couple of years and became the parts assistant manager, then the parts manager. From there I became a custodial day operations coordinator for a number of years and then a night operations manager, then a custodial foreman and custodial operations coordinator, assistant director of Maintenance and now the maintenance director.
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Speaker 2
Since 2016.
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Speaker 1
That's incredible. You've almost probably held most of the positions that we offer in your department.
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Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. I both sides to work for finance, though. Part time back in 2000, I was a fixed assets technician going to different campuses and scanning fixed assets for a number of years. That was fun. That was fun.
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Speaker 1
So thinking about all of those opportunities that you've had, how does that help you now in your role as director to really relate to your employees in your department?
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Speaker 2
I've I've been there and done that, for lack of a better phrase. You know, And I was that employee initially that did not want to be here. I was looking for other employment. So it was people like Dr. O’Pry and the director at the time, Alan Patrick, that kind of set me straight to some degree. It was after my dad left.
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Speaker 2
And so I understand some of the pitfalls that may be out there. I understand what it takes to to work and why we're working here, because I'm I've been that person that has been on that, you know, that the the peaks and valleys of employment initially. And I think I know what it takes to goal set and to mentor and to finish the task, even though it may not be within the eight hour day, because it's so important that when students are here and teachers are here, they're not distracted.
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Speaker 2
Right. So we need to make sure that we craft a place where our students, my kids who go here can can learn without those distractions.
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Speaker 1
Right. So so, Ed, you mentioned one thing that I think is so important and you said, you know, the why. And to me, that's an important part of your success in why you've done what you've done in 23 years. Talk to us a little bit about what is your why, why are you here and why do you stay in Clear Creek ISD.
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Speaker 2
That's it's I don't want to sound weird, but it's it's it's pretty easy in my brain. I'm here because I love kids, you know, My wife loves kids. My parents loved kids, and I couldn't be a teacher. I just don't have that patience. But it's just the opportunity to help in a really small way, help them become the people that they are, that they will be rather is.
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Speaker 2
It's just so awesome. You know, this district invested in me when I got here, sent me to school to do all types, a number of things. My parents invested in me and in some small way, I just I'm trying to give back and be an example for my kids. You know, this is what my parents did for me.
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Speaker 2
This is what Clear Creek did for me. This is kind of how I want to give back to you guys. Just showing you what what not just a great place this is, but the people that work here in the mission and most of the folks that I've met here are selfless and service oriented. I'm just trying to do that in some small way.
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Speaker 1
I think it's very clear that that's your why. And when I think about the way you lead your department, that's where you leave from heart with the mindset of we're here to support our students, which is ultimately our mission of the school district, is to be there and to provide safe places for our kids to learn and grow.
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Speaker 1
So when you think about your favorite part of CCISD what's your favorite part?
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Speaker 2
It's the interaction with people and being it being able to help When there are issues and support programs like we do, what typically happens with especially elementary students will they'll be in. It's something that we have to fix in their classroom or whatever it is, and days or weeks go by and we get a letter, you know, from the kids in the classroom thanking us for painting a wall or fixing the cabinet or fixing the plumbing.
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Speaker 2
Those small gestures are you can't put a price on that. You know, it's just so awesome. And when when we have a conversation, you know, invariably the conversation will either start or end with, Hey, how's Devin? You know, how are your kids? What are they doing? Oh, I saw that great thing on Facebook. Dr. O’Pry I can't even count how many times send me text messages of encouragement, you know, all the time I've been in the workplace and other places.
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Speaker 2
And you just don't always find people like that who are so selfless in their approach, you know, and genuinely care about who you are and what you do. And I don't know, I don't want to sound crazy here. It's just it's just an awesome place to be.
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Speaker 1
So our people do really make a difference. They do. And in what we do and contributes to our why. Yeah, the people that we get to work with have become like family, right? So, Ed, you and your team don't necessarily work an 8 to 430 job. No. I know that you get calls early in the morning on the weekends.
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Speaker 1
The water main has broken, right. The chiller is down. Lots of things that your team supports, 24 seven. So that can be draining. It's you never know when that text is going to come through, when that emergency is going to occur. Right. So when you are in the middle of those times, what helps really inspire you to stay motivated, to stay doing what you feel your your call to do and with your department?
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Speaker 2
I think it's the the importance of what it is that we're doing. Again, I've got kids here in in the district and I understand in our team understands what it means to provide a safe environment for children and teachers. So while we may not always look forward to those, you know, midnight calls that there's a water main break, it's easy to respond to those because of why we're here and the importance of why we're here.
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Speaker 2
And then the rewards that we get when we get the job done and the water is back on or the air is running again. Kids are just so neat and they thank you for the smallest gestures and you see the appreciation on their faces right? So that's what gets you up in the middle of the night. And that's what keeps you there, making sure whatever is broken is repaired.
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Speaker 2
You know, the next morning.
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Speaker 1
So so help us kind of bring some motivation to others. So we're in the middle of February getting close to spring break. Our campus folks are in a really critical time of the year. Your team is gearing up for some pretty big events that happen every year. What advice do you have for others who might need that little motivation today?
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Speaker 2
Whoo! That's a great question. Well, the first thing I would say is, is understand why you do what you do and find those moments that get you up, that keeps you here for another 10 minutes. That allows you to push through the tiredness or the mundane ness of what you're doing or the routine nature of what you're doing, because the rewards at the end of the day far outweigh any frustrations and that you may encounter not just in the workplace but in life.
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Speaker 2
You know, I've got a wife that it took her eight years to get her college degree working at night excuse me, working during the day and taking classes at night because she so desperately wanted to be a teacher. She was a para for a long time. And just watching her do that, knowing that she had a goal and it took her so long to achieve that, achieve that goal.
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Speaker 2
But she was able to do it. It's just awesome, you know? So just just understand what it is that you're trying to achieve and relish in the small moments, the small steps of the goals that you set for yourself. Because at the end of that the day, the reward you get, it's you can't put a price on that.
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Speaker 1
So let's let's shout out to Devin, an amazing pre-K teacher and her campus. Goforth. Yes, elementary.
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Speaker 2
Yes, ma'am.
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Speaker 1
She's doing great things.
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Speaker 2
She's doing great things. She's I know. She's light years smarter than me. And I learn so much every day just listening to her. You know, I'll go home and I'm watching Sports Center and she's reading medical journals on my go. Okay. She's just an awesome, awesome person.
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Speaker 1
We're so grateful to have both you and Devin in our district. And I think it goes back to say what a family oriented district we are and how we support families and people who want to learn and grow together. Yeah, you and Devin are both doing that here in Clear Creek. Yeah. All right. So let's roll back the clock.
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Speaker 1
About 23 years ago, that July, when you were thinking, I really don't want to work here, but okay, Dad, I'll accept that. What would you say to yourself? 23 years ago?
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Speaker 2
Wow. I would probably say that my parents worked. Wow. 16, 17 hour days. My dad was in the Army Reserves for 20 plus years, so he was gone most weekends. But when they were there, they spent really every waking hour making sure not just that we had what we wanted, but that we had what we needed to be successful right.
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Speaker 2
And 20 years ago, I lost sight of that because I didn't know. I didn't understand my why. I'll put it that way, why I was a parent, why I was going through some struggles, why I didn't want to come to work at Clear Creek and cut grass. And it took a couple of years and some redirection by doctor or pry and the investment that Dr. Smith, our former superintendent, that he invested in me and a conversation I had with Ron McPherson at the time, who was assistant superintendent, I was going through some some struggles and I had to sit down with him and ask for a couple of weeks off and it was the hardest
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Speaker 2
thing I ever had to do. And I don't I don't really know why, but the first thing he said to me was family comes first. And you hear that from everybody at Clear Creek. And it's true. The second thing he said to me was, You're going to be a director one day. It may not be here. It can be anywhere, but I believe in you and you can do anything you want to in life.
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Speaker 2
So it doesn't really matter how much time you need off, just take the time off and whenever you come back, know we're going to be here with open arms after breaking down. Yeah, I understood why I was here. I was here to learn from people like that. That conversation made me a better employee, but it made me a better parent.
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Speaker 2
Hopefully, Devin hopefully will say it made me a better husband because he didn't really know me, but he had worked with me long enough and he was able to say that and encouraged me to get back on the straight and narrow. I'll say it that way. And gee whiz, 15 years later, here I am.
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Speaker 1
Here you are.
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Speaker 2
With a great wife and a bunch of kids. Yeah. And so I'm sitting in front of someone that I can't tell you how much I admire. It's just an awesome feeling to be here.
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Speaker 1
So thank you. I think what's so powerful about those words is I believe in you. And right that day, that conversation with him, it truly exhibited that. Yeah. For you. Yeah. And probably contributed to you staying in Clear Creek ISD.
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Speaker 2
It absolutely did. 2001 when I was in the Forest Department as a parts runner, just knowing that I was going to find another position someplace. Dr. Mossman, who was our superintendent at the time, walked in and I had never met her before, and she walked in the parts department. She knew who I was, who my father was, where I had come from, and they asked me about my kids.
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Speaker 2
That was the moment I decided to stay for a little bit. I guess I won't, you know, have to find that job today, that other job today seems to superintendent of schools. He knew exactly who I was and my in my back story. It was awesome. And I was recruited to Katy ISD gee whiz 2005 2006. Dr. Smith at the time promoted me to keep me here, even as I'm welling up here.
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Speaker 2
Yeah, it's hard in life to find people like that that just believe in you and are willing to take the time and the energies to teach you the tools that you need to be successful in life. This is a school district, right? But everyone I've encountered here, really to a person, has just taught me so much about who I am, you know.
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Speaker 1
And it's so amazing to think, yeah. To think about the leaders in your life. You really said, and I believe in you, I'm going to help build capacity in you. I'm going to invest in you. And what that did was help you develop your why.
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Speaker 2
It it.
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Speaker 1
Why you're here.
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Speaker 2
You're really by your person.
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Speaker 1
Why you serve in my lead. Yeah. Yeah. Well, Ed, today has just been incredible. I've enjoyed getting to learn more about you and know why you have stayed here in Clear Creek ISD for 23 years, and that will conclude our time today. Stay tuned for more of why I say interviews from CCISD. Thank you for listening,