Employee Spotlight: Jay Rickaby

Jay Rickaby

Name: Jay Rickaby

Position at UWGB: Facilities Maintenance Supervisor

How long have you been employed: Five + years

Brief history of employment with UWGB: I started in February 2012 as a Facilities Repair Worker-Advanced, and in 2015, I became the Supervisor.

Three words that describe you: Hard-worker, Creative, Dependable

Personal Interests: Playing with tools, building things, fixing things, gardening, fishing, movies, eating, being outdoors.

Random Facts/Interests: I live in an old granary barn with my wife, son, three dogs and 3 cats. We bought a 10 acre property in Brussels in November 2013 and moved into the barn. We been converting this barn into a home and are getting close to completion. On the property is an old log barn built around 1860 that we restored. Our next project is restoring the old Belgian 3 room stone house on the property. We also have a very large garden, grapes, berries, apple trees and other assorted fruit trees. We grow much of our own food and make apple cider.

 

– Are you messy or organized? Typically I am pretty organized.

– Describe what you were like at age 10? I liked to learn how things worked and liked watching builders. We were taught to work hard and I helped with building and chores around the home. I liked to fish and camp.

– If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see? I would like to see what Green Bay looked like from the beginning of time every thousand years until the 1700’s and then see the changes every 10 years.

– If your house was burning down, what’s the one-non living thing you would save? Pictures.

– Least favorite food? Asparagus.

– Tell us a little bit about your family. I am married, 2 adult sons, 3 dogs and 3 cats. I am lucky to have my father yet and 2 brothers and 2 sisters.

– What advice would you give to recent new hires? Learn your way around. Ask questions and learn from experienced employees. Don’t be afraid to share ideas and offer suggestions. Be friendly.

– What are three career lessons you’ve learned thus far? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be honest. Be dependable and helpful.

– What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? Great coworkers, good working conditions, weekends off (typically).

– What celebrity do people think you look like? We had an “old-time” picture taken once and I looked exactly like W.C. Fields.

– What did you want to be growing up? A heavy equipment operator. I would go and watch them work as a kid. My dad also worked on them and I got to ride on some.

– What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? A vacation home in a warmer climate.

– What is your favorite meal? Buffets with a huge variety. Pizza.

– What one food do you wish had zero calories? Desserts!!

– What phobias do you have? Snakes.

– What is on your bucket list? Travel abroad.