Nick Svehla, facility director at St. Augustine Preparatory Academy first spent his working days in the classroom as a teacher. It wasn’t until a friend encouraged him to apply to a facility maintenance technician position within St. Augustine that his career shifted. Instead of being in front of students, Svehla soon found himself behind the scenes, keeping operations running smoothly so that the safety and learning of students was not compromised. In 2022, Svehla moved to the facilities director position, taking on new projects and responsibilities as the school continues to expand. Facilities Maintenance Decisions recently spoke with Svehla on how his career has expanded in the last five years, and what he hopes for in the future.
FMD: What made you pursue a career in facilities management?
Nick Svehla: It was actually a friend who started it all. He reached out to me back in 2020 about a facility maintenance technician position at St. Augustine. At the time, I was looking for something different. I knew I liked working in schools and I wanted to have a career where I would be working with my hands. The technician position would allow me to use my hands to build, fix, and maintain the buildings. So, I applied, and I’ve been at St. Augustine ever since.
FMD: What was your first job in the field, and how did it shape your career?
Svehla: My first job in the field was back when I was in college. I worked part time weekends as a facility maintenance technician at a hardware store. At that time, I did enjoy that job and the work. However, after college I started working in schools in different roles. It wasn’t until a handful of years later that I found myself working again in a facilities maintenance technician role at St. Augustine. I think my facility job back in college really sparked my interest in pursuing facility maintenance again and gave me the confidence in knowing that I would enjoy it and could do this work as a career.
FMD: Are there any pivotal moments or decisions that significantly impacted your career?
Svehla: Yes, there are two. The first decision was when I applied for and was offered the role as facility director. At that time, it meant the addition of helping oversee the construction of our elementary building at the south campus and eventually managing the facilities of this building. The second decision was to be involved when we acquired what will be our north campus opening in 2026. This also meant additional responsibilities overseeing construction and will lead to managing the facilities there as well. It is daunting when your superior comes to you and offers you an opportunity to take on more responsibilities and to do things you’ve never done before. I questioned myself and wondered if I could handle it all, with a fear of failure in the back of my mind. But after some prayer and thought, both times I made the decision to jump in. I’ve failed so much and have learned so much through both decisions and I am happy I did.
FMD: How long have you held your current job, and what are your job responsibilities? What does a typical day/week look like for you?
Svehla: I was offered my current role as facility director back in 2022. My job responsibilities encompass managing the team, project management, preventative maintenance management, budgeting/purchasing, and managing building initiatives and communication. A typical day/week involves having a whole team meeting to discuss the schedule, updates, and work we need to do. It also includes meeting one on one with team members and my superior to go over goals and any questions we have. We have an amazing facilities team here. Another good portion of my week involves construction meetings for our north campus. Meetings for this include design, project updates, budget/bid overviews, and site walks. My team is making an effort this year to connect with students to build an understanding around our facilities and how they as students can contribute to that initiative. So, some of my time right now is dedicated to those initiatives. For example, we relaunched an initiative this year to be better about cleanliness and recycling. After all of that, I try my best to work alongside and support my managers and maintenance technicians in the field. Sometimes that involves getting back on the tools and getting dirty, which I don’t mind at all.
FMD: What advice would you give to someone aspiring to become a facility manager?
Svehla: Be a sponge. You don’t know everything no matter how long you’ve been doing the work. There are people in the facilities industry that have been doing this work for 10, 20, 30, even 40 years. There is always something to learn. Also, develop and utilize a network. You might not know the answer, but someone else will. Or, you have the answer someone needs! In Southeastern Wisconsin we have a wonderful group called the Metro Buildings and Grounds. We meet and email regularly. We visit vendors, check out new products and discuss problems someone might be having to find a solution. If you do this work in schools in the area, I encourage you to join the group. If you aren’t in the area, I would encourage you to start your own network group.
Editor’s note: Are you interested in sharing your career path with the readers of Facility Maintenance Decisions? Contact Mackenna Moralez at mackenna.moralez@tradepress.com
