F1S Employee Receives Award for 50 Years of Service

Todd Martin serves in the electrical division of the Florence 1 Schools Maintenance Department, and he received recognition, at the Florence 1 Schools Board of Trustees Meeting, for having served in the department for 50 years.

“This is and has been my only job,” said Martin. “I love working here, and I have worked with some very good people.” Martin remembers when he started out working in the maintenance department as a teenager after school as what was then known as Moore Junior High School.

He said would ride his bike to work after school. “Later, I rode a moped,” he said. Growing up, Martin said his family had a mechanical shop, and he learned to hone his skills as an electrician at a very early age. As a high school student, he took electrician courses at the Florence Career Center.

“Todd Martin is loyal, dedicated and always there for students and staff,” said Larry Reynolds, Director of the Florence 1 Schools Maintenance Department. He described Martin as one without a specific work schedule, but one who is always on the job during the early morning hours until very late in the evening.

“Many are unaware of situations that Todd Martin handles to ensure that our schools are running smoothly,” said Reynolds. “Todd Martin and two other staff members service calls from all facilities in Florence 1, and they cover an area of 3.5 to 4 million square feet,” he added.

According to Reynolds, Todd is always there. He may service Chartwells (the culinary service department) before breakfast and conduct a surveillance of the schools after a storm to make sure that students, faculty and staff are safe to return after inclement weather conditions. “He handles all things electrical from lighting to receptacles and beyond.”

Esther McGill, Finance Coordinator in the Maintenance Department, said, “Todd is almost indescribable.    He has been a hard-working employee who is always on the job.  He is present early in the morning to get everything set up, and he will be on duty until late at night.  I'm told that anytime you call him he will be there. Moreover, he is a family man who talks about his wife and nephew all of the time.   Even the Florence 1 vendors admire him.”  

Said Reynolds, “He is a great co-worker with a warm personality who is willing to share his knowledge with anyone in our department. Last year he gave us all a scare with a health issue, but even then, he never gave up. Since then he has been back on the job in full force.”