Photo by Christina VanHorn,
UNH Human Resources

Stan Dodier has had a lengthy career at the University of New Hampshire, holding several positions and titles over his 26 years of employment. Stan began his UNH career February 25, 1980 as a Preventative Maintenance Mechanic at $4.04/hour. Throughout the duration of his employment, Stan has also been Carpenter/Team Leader, Maintenance Team Lead Worker, Resident Engineer for the New England Center, and today he is Manager of Building Maintenance for University Hospitality Services. His responsibilities include (but are not limited to): boiler room operations, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, preventative maintenance, carpentry, painting, grounds, snow removal, developing financial plans for repair, replacement and maintenance of a 73,000 sq. foot, 115 room hotel, a 48,000 sq. foot conference center with a 300 seat restaurant, 3 dining halls, a catering facility and food court. The total university space Stan is responsible for add up to be 314,000 sq. feet!

Stan has an outstanding amount of responsibilities at UNH involving a vast array of experience and skills. Stan grew up in Sanbornville, NH and he explained that many of his skills he learned from his father while working for him in the 1960s and '70s. His father was a contractor who started his trade with building houses. He was also a licensed electrician and didn't sub out to any private contractors. While working for his father, Stan also became a licensed electrician in August of 1976. Through working for his father, Stan became very familiar with the construction aspects of maintenance.

After working as a contractor with his father, Stan moved out to California and worked for the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla. Stan started out as a painter, a job he obtained through a temp program although he "hates to paint". He then moved to electrician work and general maintenance for certain areas of the La Jolla campus. These experiences exposed Stan to all aspects of maintenance focusing on repair rather than construction, differing from what he was accustomed to. In contrast to the operational aspect of Stan's job, he realized that he also enjoyed the campus setting. The campus setting drew him to UNH after he moved back to the east coast to his hometown of Sanbornville.

Stan explained that UNH is "a pretty nice place to work with the benefits and the [university] atmosphere. I like working with the students and once you take on a position of the University's mission, it kind of gets personal after a while." Stan has seen many individuals come and go in his 26 years at UNH. "Some have left, retired, or passed away, and some [coworkers] are still around. In one way or another they have bestowed upon me the values and dedication that each of them has, and watching them contribute to the University community over the years has impressed me. I hope to do the same, using these individuals as examples." Stan also explained how working in the university system has helped him professionally to develop more skills and expand his field of expertise. "The tremendous opportunity that is offered by UNH has contributed to my professional and personal growth through the training and learning experiences that have been available over the years." Stan earned a plumbing license through a UNH program which had a course given by state inspectors for UNH employees. He also has become a certified Chief Engineer through UNH and the Hotel/Motel Engineering Association.

With such large amounts of responsibility at the University, Stan likes to absorb the New Hampshire atmosphere for relaxation and entertainment. He loves taking long trips on his Harley Fat Boy up to the White Mountains. There, he enjoys sitting around a campfire or trout fishing in a mountain stream or brook. Besides enjoying the great outdoors, Stan also has expressed his interest and love for knowledge pertaining to fire arm history and military memorabilia.