Jimmy McCormick, Custodial and Events Manager at Pinkerton Academy
When Jimmy McCormick first applied to Pinkerton Academy for a custodian position, it was just a job. Yet, little did he realize, that job would blossom into a rewarding career that’s spanned more than 20 years at the high school.
Today, Jimmy is the Custodial and Events Manager at Pinkerton. In his role, he oversees 26 — soon-to-be 27 — coworkers across different departments, roles, and buildings on Pinkerton’s 120-acre campus.
From award ceremonies and graduation each June to ensuring each classroom is in tip-top shape each morning, Jimmy and his team work together across Pinkerton’s campus to ensure things run smoothly all year long.
Learning and recognizing his impact
Yet, despite Jimmy’s growth and tenure at Pinkerton, he never expected to be there for more than a few years. In fact, he didn’t take his job seriously when he first started and was warned that if he didn’t change, he’d be looking for a different job altogether.
“To be honest, I was on the chopping block when I started at Pinkerton,” said Jimmy. “I didn’t take the job seriously, and I didn’t work hard — it was just a job to me. I remember sitting down with the Human Resources Director and the Custodial and Events Manager at the time — Ed Jones — and both of them telling me, ‘If you continue not to take your job seriously, continue to receive complaints, and continue to be late, then you’re going to be looking for another job and you’re going to be done here at Pinkerton.’ That was the light switch moment for me.”
Jimmy changed his outlook on the position after that conversation and instead, took pride in his work, recognizing his role in empowering the teachers and students at Pinkerton. The change was noticeable almost overnight, and he received compliments from teachers.
“I started hearing positive things from teachers,” said Jimmy. “We’re support staff. Our main objective here at Pinkerton is to support the education of students and to minimize distractions. I don’t want a teacher walking into their classroom at the start of their school day and walking into a complete mess. That’s not going to support education.”
Feeling empowered and empowering others
Jimmy credits each one of his bosses — Ed Jones when he first started, Frank Cunningham, a well-loved and familiar face who was the high school’s first School Resource Officer and the first Director of Safety and Security, and Ryan Robinson, the Facilities Director at Pinkerton who he reports to now — for trusting him and encouraging him to be his best possible self in each one of his roles at Pinkerton.
“I’ve worked for incredible bosses,” said Jimmy. “When I first started, Ed held me accountable. As soon as I started working hard and he saw positive results, he let me do what I wanted and put me in situations he knew I’d succeed. My confidence grew because of him and when I moved to security in 2009, it was the same situation. I was in charge of making sure the campus was safe on Saturdays and Sundays when we had all these events. Frank was the same type of boss and the same type of supervisor. He knew I was going to do my job. Of course, he’d check in and he’d call me from time to time to see if I needed anything, but he trusted me. And it’s the same situation now that I have with Ryan. I lean on him because it’s my first time as a manager.”
Recognizing the impact of each one of his bosses, Jimmy leads his team with the same mindset and trusts his coworkers to do their best. He tries to be present and check in to see how things are going, but Jimmy makes it a point to trust others in their roles and not micromanage. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of taking pride in your work and coming together to support your coworkers.
A true team effort campuswide
With Pinkerton’s numerous buildings and large campus, Jimmy and his team constantly work together to ensure buildings are clean, things are working, and events go smoothly.
“We’re one big team here at Pinkerton,” said Jimmy. “Our larger crew consists of custodial, maintenance, the grounds department, and others. And even though we’re from different areas, we all work together. For example, with graduation, we work together to move chairs and tables, help clean up, and more. I preach to people coming through the door that if you want to be a part of a team, then Pinkerton Academy is a great place for you.”
And that’s something that Jimmy truly believes. While there are some moments where teams work separately, more often than not, Jimmy and his team are working with other Pinkerton staff members and teachers.
“You know, some people come in and want to go off on their own to a quieter area and clean,” said Jimmy. “We offer that, and we have smaller buildings that just require solo custodians, but at some point, we look for people to step up and participate in functions, events, and setting things up.”
“I’ve grown to have some great relationships over the years, especially with those running events,” added Jimmy. “You get a lot of the same teachers and staff who do them each school year. Those relationships with the teachers and staff — and the same thing with my crew — are important.”
From long-lasting relationships to finding meaning in his work thanks to some incredible bosses and coworkers, Jimmy now recognizes how Pinkerton has shaped him into who he is today. As for working somewhere else? He couldn’t even imagine.
