UVA Facilities Management

Many Facilities Management staff take classes while working full time and balancing their duties on Grounds. FM highlighted a selection of the FM community who embody lifelong learning:

Berhan Aljiji
Charlotte Endres
Mike Duffy
Jamie Watkins
Emily Douglas
Michael Roberts
Mark Orr
Sonya George
Logan Hoelscher
Narges Sinaki
Jonathan Ragland

Read more about FM staff in school at: https://www.fm.virginia.edu/employees/employeenews/2026/staff-in-school.html

Meet Alexandre Funk - Air Force Veteran, artist, and trades apprentice serving with the Newcomb Zone plumbing team.

“Being able to identify the issue, troubleshoot it, and then be involved start to finish…that's really cool,” she said.

Her unique background brings valuable skills to her role at UVA Facilities Management. “I worked on the F-22 Raptor (a type of fighter jet) as a crew chief, so I'm very familiar with maintenance and mechanics,” Funk explained. Prior to joining the military, she went to art school at Virginia Commonwealth University and studied sculpture.

To learn more about Alexandre Funk, read her full story at: https://www.fm.virginia.edu/employees/employeenews/2026/employee-highlightalexandre-funk.htm

Now that spring is here, it’s hard to believe how intense this past winter was — but recently, we gathered to say thank you to the FM snow and ice removal teams, celebrating their hard work, long hours, and dedication, with an appreciation lunch.

Check out photos from the appreciation lunch celebrating these efforts and a thank-you video compiling many messages recorded by University leadership and students thanking our staff. (And a special extra thank you to those who recorded messages for the video!)

Winter Weather Thanks - UVA Facilities Management stories Facilities Management teams were recently honored for their exceptional efforts supporting the University during this winter’s challenging weather conditions.Nearly 700 employees participated in snow and ice removal throughout the season, collectively contributing almost 30,000 hours of work.“Th...

Interested in learning a skilled trade while earning a paycheck? Join us at the UVA Apprenticeship Program Job Fair to explore careers in carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and masonry.

📅 Tuesday, April 21
⏰ 9:30–11:30 a.m.
📍 Contemplative Commons
403 Emmet Street South, Charlottesville

Meet UVA apprentices and on-the-job trainers; other local employers hiring apprentices and entry-level positions; as well as local workforce services groups.

No registration required and free parking will be available at the Central Grounds Parking Garage from 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

For more information about the UVA Apprenticeship Program, visit our website's application process page: https://apprenticeship.fm.virginia.edu/application.html

Meet Dennis Edwards — facilities inspector, former historic mason, and dedicated member of the UVA Facilities Management team.

“I knew as a child I didn't want to be locked inside,” Dennis said, reflecting on his early years helping his family, who worked as loggers. While he spent most summers working alongside his parents, one summer as a teenager brought a new opportunity: assisting a German stone mason. That experience sparked his career in masonry that would last 40 years.

Dennis poses here with one of his artistic creations on Grounds — the stone pillar fence surrounding UVA's African American Cemetery. He worked with a team to build this fence during his time on FM's historic masonry team in 2014.

To learn more about Dennis Edwards, read his employee profile story on the Facilities Management website: https://www.fm.virginia.edu/employees/employeenews/2026/employee-highlight-dennis-edwards.html