Vol. 19, No. 38 |
Aug. 24, 2000 |
Vol. 19, No. 38 |
Aug. 24, 2000 |
|
As supervisor of UD's ice arenas and outdoor pool, Jeff Doucette is at home both in the water and on top of it.
Responsible for all facility operations and maintenance for all three sites, his work involves coordination with UD's skilled workers and outside contractors in order to keep the facilities operating as best as possible. It also means maintaining specialized equipment and anticipating solutions to problems before they surface.
Doucette started working at UD in 1973 as a miscellaneous wage employee. In 1981, he graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, having worked continuously as a full-time student employee of that college's ice arena. From 1981-1987, he worked as a miscellaneous wage supervisor at UD's ice arena. For the last six years, he has been building supervisor. Active in professional organizations, Doucette was elected recently to the board of directors of the North East Ice Skating Managers Association (NEISMA), a professional, service organization that provides education and training. Since 1972, NEISMA has disseminated technical information and conducted seminars on rink equipment, energy, air quality, marketing, skating programs, maintenance and safety. NEISMA also provides the professional rink managers with technical information needed to operate a safe, efficient and profitable facility. Doucette has two articles published in Rink Rat, NEISMA's quarterly publication. Doucette also was recently reelected District 4 director of the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) board, representing members in southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. ISI is an international organization that provides leadership, education and services to the ice skating industry. For example, UD's Community Class Ice Skating Program uses ISI criteria. The organization's concentration is on recreational skating programs, which constitute a large portion of most ice arena programming use and operating budget. Doucette also had an article published in Edge, ISI's quarterly magazine. "I started writing articles for the magazines about four Doucette said the University's special challenge is having two ice surfaces in two buildings that were built 17 years apart. As is the case in other industries, ice arenas operate differently than they did years ago, and continuing technological developments in the field insure that change will continue. "Keeping up on the latest ideas, innovations and technology for ice arena purposes is one of the rewards I get from my job. The ice arena industry is a very small community but constantly growing and changing," Doucette said. "I like the idea of being a part of that community and being a leader in the industry. "My position is rewarding in that it is never the same routine day in and day out. Ice arenas themselves are completely different than any other facility on campus," he said. "The challenge of properly maintaining 10,000 square feet of ice surface inside a building can be difficult due to the many factors that must be taken into consideration in order to provide a quality product that our customers require." Another responsibility is the Outdoor Pool, which he is responsible for opening, closing and maintaining during the summer months. "Many people ask what we do during the summer, believing there are fewer students on campus. But, summer is one of our busiest times. Both arenas are in full operation, the pool is open to members, and most of the ice and pool industries' conferences and conventions are held during the summer season." –Ed Okonowicz |
"My ultimate goal is to provide a quality product to our customers for their enjoyment. That's my main focus," he said.
years ago," he said. "I write about once a year and was asked by the editors of the magazines to provide the articles, which mainly are on arena maintenance techniques and shortcuts. In this business, information sharing is important. There is only one book in print available for ice arena operations. I always hope that people will read my articles and get some ideas that they can use in their own facilities. A few people that I have met have told me they do indeed use some of my ideas."