Although it’s one aspect of St. Louis U. High that students can miss on a daily basis if they don’t look closely enough, Environmental Services has both a familiar face in a new role—Environmental Services Director Emmitte Prince—and new EVS staff hires Gerald Brown and Ryan Baker. 

Prince was promoted at the end of May as an interim director of the department, and then as the director in August. Prince had already been carrying out many of the tasks the normally associated with the role, but the promotion added responsibilities such as payroll, and taking on new employees. 

“It has been an absolute pleasure working with Emmitte Prince since 2007 in his role within the EVS department,” said Director of Facilities Services Joe Rankin in an email to the Prep News. “His unwavering dedication and exceptional work ethic have greatly contributed to our team's success over the years. It is with great pride that we acknowledge his well-deserved promotion this past summer, a testament to his commitment and outstanding performance. Emmitte truly embodies the spirit of excellence, and we are fortunate to have him as part of our team.”

Although the title is new, it hasn’t come with much change in tasks for Prince—partly because he was doing many of the tasks a director would already, and partly because every day looks so different.

“My day is really interesting. Whatever they put on the calendar, we just try to get it done. As long as they give me enough leeway, we always manage to get it done,” said Prince.

However, although few new things to get used to means less difficulty adjusting, there are still challenges that come with the job, especially when it comes to scheduling, which Prince says is challenging. 

All in all though, Prince is settling into his new role smoothly. One thing he did to start off the year was hire two new members of Environmental Services.

Gerald Brown has been on the EVS staff for about two weeks, and says he has adapted well to the new work environment at SLUH, which is much different from the environment at his previous jobs.

“Before I came here, I was doing a little decorating work down at the American Center,” Brown said. “My job was all about setting up shows and breaking them down. It wasn’t everyday work, only when people booked shows.”

When Brown learned about the job opening at SLUH from his advisor, he was immediately keen on the opportunity.

“The job is pretty competitive,” Brown said. “A lot of people want this position. There was a waitlist for about a couple of months, but I was happy to get through the application process and finally get the job.”

Even though being an Environmental Services member at SLUH takes more time and effort than his previous work, Brown couldn’t be happier with his new job.

“We all love it here,” Brown said. “It’s a pretty big school and I’m learning my way around, but I love it, for sure.”

The other new hire, Ryan Baker, who has been in the custodial business for 15 years, has also definitely earned his stripes on the job.

“I’ve been in two or three districts. Normandy, Webster Groves, and Adams Elementary School, so yeah, you know, I’ve been doing this for a little minute,” said Baker.

When he saw the job posting for SLUH, he jumped on it.

“I was familiar with the area, and I was familiar with the school,” said Baker. “I didn’t really want to be at the (SLU) campus because that’s really big, but I’m used to elementary all the way through high school, you know? So I was like ‘Hey man, let me give it a shot.’”

All in all, the new shape of EVS this year looks incredibly promising.

“I like being here. I’ve been here 23 years, and I like being here,” said Prince. “It’s a good job, a good place to work for, and I’m planning on retiring here if I could. It’s a good place to work. I like the people around here, everybody’s friendly, I get along with everybody. It’s a good place to go.”