EDCOE Team Member Spotlight - Darci Vance, Secretary, Facilities

00:00 AM - January 04, 2021

Briefly describe your background (where you grew up, family, why you came to work for EDCOE).

I was raised over the hill in a little town called Loomis. I grew up going K-8 at Loomis Grammar and then moving on to Del Oro (go Eagles)! I have three older sisters and now have 5 nieces and 2 nephews. My parents moved to Placerville while I was away at college, so when I graduated, I decided to move back here to be close to them and figure out what I wanted out of life. My mom got a job at EDCOE a few years ago and told me that it was the best organization to work for in the County and would always express how much she loved her job. She sent me the job opening for the Secretary position, and I was so excited to become a part of the Facilities team (since my Dad has worked in Facilities for about 30 years).

What is your department, title, primary work location, and how long have you worked for EDCOE?

I work in the Facilities Department as a Secretary at the EDCOE Main Campus. I have worked here for 2 years in November.

Describe how your role helps support programs/schools/students directly or indirectly.

My job is mainly to be the liaison between our Maintenance/Custodial/Grounds staff and all of other departments at EDCOE. When a problem arises, our team comes together to figure out the best plan of action for resolving that issue and creating a safe, healthy environment for both kids and staff. Our Maintenance/Custodial/Grounds team is absolutely wonderful and they are the boots on the ground in helping maintain a safe, clean working facility here at the EDCOE campus as well as at all of our off-site locations.

What are you and your team doing to support education in El Dorado County during the COVID-19 facility closures?

During the COVID-19 facility closures, the Facilities Department has taken on the ordering/distributing of PPE to EDCOE programs as well as the Districts in our County. We have been ordering everything from plexiglass to hand sanitizer to masks, air purifiers and everything in between. Our Custodial team has begun implementing disinfecting procedures in common work spaces/classrooms and helping to produce our new disinfectant, HOCl. Our Maintenance team has been installing plexiglass and rearranging work spaces to adhere to social distancing protocols. Our Warehouser has been dividing up/delivering/distributing PPE to Districts and providing EDCOE staff with all necessary PPE. As I mentioned before, I work with such a fantastic team and they have really approached these new tasks head-on to help out our staff and County.

What do you most appreciate about your department/team?

I appreciate the camaraderie of our department. Especially during these busy and chaotic times, I love that our team can come together and get things done like a family unit would. We trust, support and value one another both at work and outside of work, and I truly do feel like I am part of a family.

What is your proudest moment at EDCOE? Why?

My proudest moment at EDCOE was when I was able to perform the fire drill while the Director of Facilities was on vacation. Kathy Daniels was the Director at the time and she trusted me to perform the fire drill, which I had never done before. I was so nervous because it affected the entire organization and could really become a disaster if done incorrectly. I took notes and reviewed them with Kathy before she left and, of course, enlisted the help of my amazing team and we pulled it off! I wouldn’t say without a hitch, but we did perform the drill from start to finish and were able to learn from the mistakes that we did make. I felt a HUGE sense of relief when it was all over, but definitely learned a lot and felt much more confident/capable once it was all over.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I enjoy doing outdoor activities with my husband: hiking, bike riding and walking around town. In the summer, when we are able to, we love backpacking/camping in the backcountry wilderness! I also really enjoy spending time and doing fun activities with my family.

What is something many people may not know about you?

That I love and am obsessed with my Corgi!!! Just kidding… I am SURE that everybody (or most people) know that by now. Some people may not know that I am pregnant with our first baby. We are over the moon and really excited to welcome Baby Vance at the end of April!

If you could meet anyone in the world, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

If I could meet anybody, it would be John Muir. I would just love to hear more of his stories about the early years of Yosemite and all of the beauty that he was able to see before it was developed into what it is today. I grew up backpacking in Yosemite and reading Muir’s books and can only imagine what he would have to share.

From supervisor Phil Jones:

Darci’s kindhearted spirit truly brightens our space. Her attention to detail, thoughtful communication, and thoroughness in everything she touches are the reasons things function smoothly. She is a joy to have on the team and exudes excellence.

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