Photo by Kevin Hinchey,
UNH Human Resources

Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Gloom of Night… add students, blizzards, animals and more and you get a glimpse into the day-to-day job responsibilities of Pete Boulanger.

Pete began his career at the UNH Bookstore as a Receiving Clerk in 1978. "I was previously in the retail business and was never happy working nights and weekends, so I was really glad to get out of that environment.The 7am-4pm shift at UNH gives me the opportunity to take courses, golf, mountain bike, waterski, etc." Working at the UNH Bookstore at that time wasn't quite like it is today. "At the time we had a very antiquated system for pricing the books," Pete said. "Believe it or not we had to hand stamp each book with a pricing stamper and a black ink pad."

In 1980, Pete worked as a Driver for Central Receiving. He states, "I was doing general deliveries around campus. We'd deliver paper, lab equipment and even some live animals to Ritzman Lab. That was always interesting!"

It was then back to Mailing Services as a Mail Clerk in 1987, and he's been there ever since. While his responsibilities include data entry, mail delivery, UPS and FedEx shipping, and pre-sorting of 1st class mail, it's unlikely you'll find many UNH staff members who don't know who Pete Boulanger is. "I work with a great bunch of people in the Mail Room and I also get to meet some great faculty and staff in my day-to-day activities," Pete says. When asked to name key skills for his position, Pete doesn't hesitate, "Patience! There are some key items (like pay checks and Campus Journals) that are expected to be mailed or delivered on certain days and at certain times and there are occasions when there might be delays. Obviously driving ability is essential. 360-degree vision comes in handy - there are always people walking out in front of you or darting across the crosswalks, so you need to use your peripheral vision at all times. And when there's a class change on the half-hour you might as well just park your car somewhere because you're not going to be moving! I also need much more than a general knowledge of campus, not only to accomplish my own duties but because when people see the word "MAIL" on the side of the van I'm constantly being asked for directions to various spots."

When asked who or what at UNH has had a positive impact on him, Pete states, "Two names immediately come to mind: Dr. Robert Craig was a Political Science professor and he taught me the politics of the United Sates, national vs. regional. He had fantastic knowledge of his subject matter and you could also go into his office at any time and have a great conversation with him. He was very good at what he did. Dr. Owen Rogers has a tremendous knowledge of plants and lawn care. Nesmith Hall is on my mail route and I'd often pick his brain on those topics. He was and is still a great help to me in those areas. I still see him often both here at UNH and at The Works."

While they may not be included in the job description, Pete's gift of gab and his caring for his fellow workers are qualities that do not go unnoticed. Always smiling and always on the run - Pete Boulanger delivers!