Carlos Doolittle – President’s Award for Excellence in Staff Service

Carlos Doolittle has a storied history at Southeastern.

“Life is a story of seasons. Multiple seasons of my life have involved Southeastern,” he said. “I graduated here in December of 1999. After working for five years in the lawn maintenance and landscape industry, I returned to Southeastern as a horticulturist in March 2005.”

In his current leadership role as Assistant Director of Landscape and Grounds, Doolittle has enjoyed influencing campus outdoor spaces for the benefit of students, fellow employees, and campus visitors.

“I often describe to new employees or student workers our belief that campus outdoor spaces directly influence student recruitment,” he explained. “For newcomers to Southeastern, first impressions are formed long before they actually shake hands with someone in an office. Those arrival moments of searching, parking, and walking are entrusted to our care.”

Director of Physical Plant Chris Asprion said that Doolittle consistently shows professionalism and portrays a diligent work ethic when performing his daily duties. His commitment to Southeastern and continued quest for knowledge in the landscape field has brought many positive changes to campus, he said.

“With first impressions being part of a prospective student making their decision on their college career, our campus landscape is at the forefront when they first arrive on campus,” Asprion said. “I have received several emails and personal compliments from faculty and staff, as well as members of the community, of how well-maintained and beautiful Southeastern’s campus grounds and landscapes appear. This is a direct result of Mr. Doolittle’s vision and his guidance of his team to create a comforting and safe outdoor environment for our students.”

While others refer to campus by building names, Doolittle sees campus as the venues between the buildings – the courtyards and corridors. He oversees the maintenance of turf areas around academic buildings and residence halls, directs the care of all landscape beds, strives to preserve a safe and healthy urban forest, and ensures overall tidiness of campus.

Doolittle also enjoys designing renovations to campus landscapes to refresh the campus experience. He said they “shoe-horn” those improvement projects in amidst maintenance routines. “We ‘green up’ Southeastern,” he said.

“Many of our duties are the thankless tasks which must be repeated weekly, or even daily – mowing, litter patrol, the things that are noticed most when they’re not done,” he explained. “However, my position offers unique influence over the brand of real estate that is Southeastern. The burden is real, and I embrace it wholeheartedly.”