Stepping in to Help: Maurnice Tipton, SSC STAT Project Manager
Every day brings new challenges and opportunities in the facilities industry, and SSC is well-versed in staying on top of the needs of our partner schools. Short for the Startup, Training, and Transition team, SSC’s STAT Team is positioned to step into new accounts or accounts with large, upcoming projects to get operations off the ground. We sat down with STAT Team Project Manager and one of our women in facilities, Maurnice Tipton, to discuss her experiences as a woman in the facilities industry and how she has grown in her career.
Background & Experiences
Maurnice’s career didn’t start in facilities- it began in collections. In that role, she managed a team and moved into customer service-type positions until an opportunity to change industries presented itself. Her first role in the facilities industry was as a custodial manager.“I was very nervous because I knew nothing about facilities. I’ve had some experience, like I know if a water heater is leaking, it needs to be replaced. My parents owned properties, and my dad remodeled homes, so I knew a little bit about maintenance, but I didn’t know anything about cleaning.”
Maurnice quickly realized that her role as a Custodial Manager fit well into her passion for people, and that’s when she fell in love with the industry. Since then, she hasn’t looked back.
“You can’t get bored. You have to be on your toes, and you are amazed by all the people you touch. Having that many people you are responsible for, who need your guidance or help, or even just a new broom… it puts you in a nurturing environment. You want your people to succeed. You learn those people; you get to know their partner’s names, their spouses’ names, their kids’ names, and what they are doing great at.”
Project Management with SSC’s STAT Team
Maurnice began her career with SSC as a Bench Manager and quickly grew within the company. She credits her mentor, Nickie Dwyer, Training & Development Manager, for exposing her to the opportunities she needed to get her on the right path for career growth:
“I first came in as a bench manager, and Nickie took me under her wing. She essentially told me to follow her, and she would put me in the right light, with the right people, so that I could succeed. I put my hands up and said, ‘alright Nickie,’ and she has not led me wrong.”
Today, Maurnice works as a Project Manager with SSC’s Startup, Training, and Transition (STAT) Team. She has the opportunity to travel to SSC accounts around the country and help with startups and large projects that need all hands on deck:
“We normally support new accounts, however, if an account needs some assistance because they are short a unit director or have a big project, they will send us in as the calvary to help. I spend only about eight days out of the month at home. The rest of the month, I am somewhere else. I am currently in Texas, but I’ve also worked in DC, Arizona, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas.”
As a woman in the facilities industry, Maurnice offered advice to fellow women, centered around building relationships and advocating for yourself:
“You need to know yourself. If you find yourself as someone who thrives in chaos or under pressure, come on and learn. Build relationships with everybody that you meet. They always have some knowledge that you can grab on to and add to your toolbox.”
When it comes to being heard, she says that “a lot of times, you must bring facts and data into the situation. That is the information you’ll need to share, and you must separate any emotional or personal ties that exist. There won’t be anything else to say when you bring facts and data to light.”
A Close Knit Team
People are our priority at SSC, and Maurnice is one of our women in facilities who demonstrates and lives out that sentiment every day. She enjoys having the opportunity to be a resource for her team and frequently reaches out to connections that she has made throughout her time on the STAT Team:
“With the startups, I am helping to train the unit director there. If they are still with the company, I keep in contact with them and reach out once a month. I like to check in to see how the account is doing, and I want them to know that there is a resource in me.”
When it comes to SSC, Maurnice values the connections she has made above all else.
“Although I don’t see my people all the time, I still feel like I have a family. If there’s something that I don’t know, I know that I can call someone.”
We are committed to creating diverse teams at SSC, and proud to have many women in facilities paving the way for others to enter the industry. For more stories like this, be sure to check out our news section and follow SSC on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.