Busmann named December’s Civil Service Employee of the Month

Aaron Busmann, a building maintenance lead worker for Facilities and Services, has been named South Dakota State University’s Civil Service Employee of the Month for December. 

He will be honored at a reception held from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, in the Facilities and Services commons, room 100. 

Busmann has worked in Facilities and Services for 13 years and has learned all the keying systems on campus, said Anthony Filholm, physical plant manager. 

Busmann has done all the keying for new buildings constructed on campus in recent years, including the Raven Precision Agriculture Center, the Southeast Neighborhood, all four residence halls in the Jackrabbit Grove, Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and the American Indian Student Center. On-campus renovations and moving departments around to accommodate them also creates keying needs that Busmann helps with. 

“The university’s movement to card access locks on all academic building entrances created a lot of rekeying, and Aaron was instrumental in installing all of this hardware and its maintenance,” Filholm said. “The constant development of technologies keeps him on a steady learning path. Trying to tie card access in with automatic door operators is challenging, and he does it well.” 

Filholm said Busmann also has a steady workload of rekeying resident rooms, and he’s a member of a larger team that’s called upon when help is needed for tasks such as large event setup, state surplus sales and other daily tasks. Busmann also takes on preventative maintenance and replaces 100 door closers on an annual basis. 

“I appreciate his abilities, and he is a great asset to SDSU,” Filholm said. 

Building maintenance supervisor Jess Fryslie agreed. 

“Aaron’s pleasant demeanor and informative communication are his strongest characteristics. Aaron quickly completes tasks. If he is unable to find an immediate solution, he communicates when we can expect a resolution and what it is. … Having someone on campus who I can call with questions and know the person on the other end of the line who is both knowledgeable and agreeable makes my job much easier and more enjoyable,” Fryslie said. 

Troy Syhre, director of custodial services, said Busmann makes a huge impact on Facilities and Services and the university as a whole. 

“Aaron exemplifies the type of customer service that most universities want to have — dedicated and excellent! He is a huge team player in that he will do whatever it takes to help others out,” Syhre said. “His dedication and tenacity that he shows at work is something that many people look up to each and every day.” 

Building maintenance specialist Allen VanHoepen and partsroom technician Dwight Beukelman said Busmann is a fun person to work with and has a great personality. 

“Aaron is very easy to work with and has a great sense of humor. He completes work orders quickly, even when they aren’t really clear. I can explain what I need for the end result, and he usually knows how to make it happen,” VanHoepen said. 

Busmann said he and his wife, Rachel, keep busy with their 6-year-old daughter, Reese, and enjoy spending time at the Missouri River in the summer. He also enjoys fishing, hunting and spending time outdoors. 

He said he appreciates the nomination and recognition. “I enjoy getting to connect with individuals across campus.” 

All SDSU Employee of the Month selections are determined through a nomination process by the Civil Service Advisory Council. Each civil service employee of the month receives an appreciation monetary gift from the F.O. Butler Foundation. The trustees of the foundation recognize the importance of civil service employees and take this opportunity to thank them for their exemplary service.