Jeff Solter has been named the new Director of Buildings and Grounds for the School District of Washington, succeeding longtime Director Kevin Hunewill, who retired in August.
Solter, a 1989 graduate of Washington High School, takes over the position with more than 20 years of experience in managing operations and facilities. Most recently, Solter served as the Custodial Supervisor for the SDOW in the Buildings and Grounds Department. He held that position for three years and has been with the District for three years.
“I am excited about this opportunity to serve the community and I look forward to working with the administrative team to continue our excellence in operations and facilities,” Solter said.
“A big part of my job is long range planning for buildings and operations in the school district; things like roofs and parking lots,” Solter said. “We’re spending money and working on things people don’t necessarily think about. We do roof and HVAC projects every summer. It’s our job to maintain district facilities and plan ahead for various projects.”
“In the short time I’ve worked with Jeff Solter, his dedication to the School District of Washington is clearly evident. As custodial director, Jeff often spent long hours outside of his typical workday ensuring shifts were covered and buildings were cleaned properly,” said John McColloch, SDOW Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations. “In his new position, Jeff is working to increase accountability within the department and improve communication with buildings and grounds staff throughout the district. Jeff’s past managerial experience, communication skills, and interpersonal skills made him the right candidate for the position of Director of Buildings and Grounds. I look forward to continuing to work with Jeff to serve the students, staff, and patrons of the School District of Washington.”
Glen Bade, who previously served as Maintenance Supervisor for the District, is now the Assistant Director of Buildings and Grounds. He’s been with the SDOW for nearly 27 years.
“Glen has been our maintenance supervisor forever. As the assistant director, he has extra responsibilities with the construction of the new South Point Elementary,” Solter said. “He knows the details of the mechanical operations in our District. He’s a valuable person to have with us.”
Dave Wells, who previously served as lead custodian at Washington High School, takes Solter’s former job as the Custodial Supervisor for the District. He’s been with the SDOW for eight years.
“Dave will oversee our custodians and the staffing in the District. The staffing is a huge challenge right now with quarantines,” Solter said. “A lot of our District staff know Dave pretty well, especially at the high school. He’s worked at a lot of different buildings.”
Solter is excited about the changes and the new roles within the Buildings and Grounds Department.
“We have a really good team. Our maintenance staff is fully staffed with a lot of experience. Many are cross-trained, which is important with quarantines,” Solter said. “Some of our grounds crew have filled in to do custodial work at times. It’s a good group of people to work with.”
Jeff has lived in the Washington area for his entire life. He and his wife, Amy, have two grown children; Taylor, 27, and Alex, 24. They are members of Saint Ann Church in Clover Bottom.
“I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to sit behind my desk all day. I like to get out to different buildings and see our staff,” Solter said. “We’re here for them and to take care of anything they need from us. We want to provide safe, clean, healthy schools for our students and staff.”
Jeff Solter