(Kevin Kadooka -- The Beacon)
By Luke Riela, Staff Writer -- riela14@up.edu
It is an understatement to say Thomas Clayton has gained job experience during his 15 years at the University of Portland.
He worked as a janitor in Howard Hall, a building mechanic and a boiler technician before starting his current job as a locksmith.
"For working, you can't beat the University of Portland," Clayton said.
Paul Luty, director of facilities planning and construction and former director of the Physical Plant, said Clayton continued to aim higher.
"He started out in housekeeping and has worked his way up," he said.
Luty said that being a locksmith was Clayton's objective, not just where he ended up.
"He went to locksmith training before and he had that position as a goal," Luty said.
Luty attributed Clayton's success to his solid work ethic.
"He's a hard worker and he takes his job seriously," Luty said.
Clayton says while there are long-term projects as a locksmith, the job can be unpredictable.
"It gets hectic at times," he said, "so you really have to be creative."
Clayton refers to times doorknobs broke off or when a woman locked her purse in a cabinet and he had to improvise a solution. He says a great deal of his job is taking care of these emergencies.
There were also emergencies working as a boiler technician, according to Clayton.
"When I took over, we had a bad steam leak," he said. "The piping was worn out and steam was billowing out."
Clayton said as a building mechanic, he also had a lot of responsibility looking after The Library and Christie, Kenna and Shipstad halls.
His first job at the university was as a janitor in Howard Hall, where he appreciated the chance to meet people.
"It was nice getting to know the students and the faculty that were coming in," Clayton said.
Now, he's working to make the residence halls more secure.
"The main thing we're doing is giving the campus over to a restricted keyway," Clayton said.
A restricted keyway means the door automatically locks upon being shut and the key cannot be duplicated.
"Mehling was the first one and the following summer, Villa, Shipstad and Kenna were switched," he said. "We're trying to get funding to switch over Christie and Corrado."
Another task is changing the locks in Franz Hall and Buckley Center so a professor can open multiple classroom doors with just one key. According to Clayton, some professors are excited not to have to carry around a bunch of keys.
In addition to the backup locksmith and two other mechanics he has trained, Clayton sometimes receives help from students whom he can quickly teach.
"If it wasn't for the students, I wouldn't have gotten it done," Clayton said of the locks that have already been changed.
Public Safety ensures students don't have access to all of the locksmith's equipment.
Six years ago, Public Safety suspected someone might have broken into Clayton's office when he accidentally left the light on. As a result, the office was caged in and a four-digit code needed to be input in addition to a key fob to gain entrance.
"They just wanted to make it more secure, but it feels like I'm in jail," Clayton said.
Off the clock, Clayton helps keep people safe on a larger scale. According to Clayton, he is the communications officer for The Oregon State Defense Force.
"If there is a local disaster, we send in a team to help," Clayton said. "We are like a liaison between The National Guard and citizens."
During his time with The Oregon State Defense Force, Clayton coordinated aid for the Winona and Willamina floods.
According to Thomas Blume, director of the Physical Plant, Clayton is also a pastor and officiated Luty's marriage.
Although Clayton enjoys his other jobs, he plans to work at the University of Portland until he retires.
"I enjoy my job tremendously," Clayton said simply.
Others appreciate Clayton's comfortable presence in the Physical Plant.
"You can always tell Tom by the hat that he wears," Blume said, grinning. "He's just a really nice guy. We're glad to have him."
Catch up with Clayton...
- Locksmith at Physical Plant
- UP staff member for 15 years
- Has worked four different jobs at UP
