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‘Go Huskies!’ Facilities workers’ appreciation event attended by President Aoun is ‘huge for morale’

The Northeastern facilities picnic, organized by Kathy Spiegelman, honored more than 300 workers who maintain the university’s infrastructure.

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President Aoun greeting a facilities worker at a BBQ.
Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun greeted facilities staffers at the Matthews Arena picnic. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun arrived at Matthews Arena bearing gifts. He was making his way through the crowded lobby, carrying baseball hats by the dozen while shaking hands with university facilities workers, when he saw Norbert Simoes.

The longtime Northeastern carpenter offered a black Sharpie to Aoun and said, “Will you sign it for me?”

President Aoun handing out red hats to a person at the facillities BBQ.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – Boston, MA – J09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
President Aoun wearing a red baseball cap putting his hand on the shoulder of a person at the facilities BBQ.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – Boston, MA – J09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
President Aoun passing out red baseball caps at the facilities BBQ.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – Boston, MA – J09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
President Aoun signing a red baseball cap for a facilities worker.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – Boston, MA – J09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
Among the familiar faces was carpenter Norbert Simoes (bottom left), who asked Aoun for an autograph. Photos by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Aoun laughed and happily signed the bill of a red Northeastern hat for Simoes — punctuating his autograph with “Go Huskies!” And then he did the same for several workers in the vicinity.

It was part of a Northeastern facilities picnic on Sept. 17 to honor more than 300 workers who maintain the university’s infrastructure.

A hallway full of facilities workers at a BBQ.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

The event was put together by Kathy Spiegelman, vice president and chief of planning, real estate and facilities at Northeastern.

“Kathy’s very cognizant about showing recognition to people and saying thank you,” said Mark Boulter, assistant vice president for facilities services. “Seeing the president and the university leadership come out for this means a lot to the [facilities] teams and they really appreciate it. The facilities team and all the work they do is second to none in my opinion.”

Aoun sported a red hat as he greeted the staffers. The option of receiving a red or black cap accompanied a few moments of conversation with the president. 

“It’s huge for morale,” Brandon Berthelette, a Northeastern mechanical and plumbing manager, said of the event following his conversation with Aoun. “And it gets all of the different [facilities] groups together. You get to interact with people you don’t often see.”

President Aoun shaking the hand of a person at the facilities BBQ.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
President Aoun passing out red baseball caps at the facilities BBQ.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A person wearing a red collared shirt smiling at the facilities BBQ.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
President Aoun signing a red baseball cap.
09/17/24 – BOSTON MA. – President Joseph E. Aoun, hands out hats during the facilities BBQ held at Matthews Arena on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
The event honored the large staff that oversees Northeastern’s infrastructure. Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

The picnic was catered by The Sausage Guy. Some of the workers left the Matthews lobby to eat their lunch in the arena while watching the women’s ice hockey team’s practice. Others went outside to take advantage of the gorgeous late-summer weather. 

Simoes said he and his colleagues appreciated the event. It came at an especially busy time, he said, with many staffers working overtime to help students move in for the new academic year.

The newly signed hat will earn a place of honor in Simoes’s home. 

“I’m going to keep it on my rack by my tools,” he said.