Issue date: Oct. 25, 2001

Profile

NAME: Jim Delinescheff
OCCUPATION: Group Leader, Grounds Maintenance

With fall in full arrival, a walk around campus will certainly include a view of leaves piled high in the grass. The person behind those piles is Jim Delinescheff, a 27-year employee of Grounds Maintenance.

"I definitely enjoy the outdoors," Delinescheff says. "I like working with the trees and shrubs, and it's nice to see an area after you have removed all the leaves and it is all cleaned up."

Once the leaves are gathered, they are taken to a compost pile in south campus to be used as nourishment for the soil.

Some of Delinescheff's other fall duties include protecting the plant life against harsh winter weather and making sure the snowplows are ready to tackle the snow.

Away from work, Delinescheff likes to spend more time outdoors camping and biking. He bikes to work from his Okemos home almost daily -- even in the winter.

"It is especially nice at six in the morning when the snow is fresh and the streets are quiet," Delinescheff says. "I love the peace."

-- By Amy Sinquefield