Since 2008, Anna Zimmer, facilities manager at Stewart Elementary, has made sure the school is in tip-top shape for students, faculty and staff. This year, Zimmer was named the Davis District Custodian of the Year.

Although it’s only his first year as principal at Stewart Elementary, T.J. Naylor was so impressed with Zimmer’s work ethic and attitude that he nominated her for the award. 

“She is a very hard worker,” Naylor said. “She’s extremely knowledgeable and experienced. She took a lot of pride in her work and people respected her for that.”

Zimmer’s job includes keeping the building presentable, inside and out. With her crew, she ensures that each classroom in the school is cleaned daily and any problems that arise are dealt with quickly and competently. 

Dealing with COVID put an extra strain on schools, with custodial teams working diligently to keep the virus from infecting students and teachers. Zimmer’s team was ready for the challenge, creating new protocols and procedures. 

“Anna is the real deal,” Naylor said. “She’s the lead by example type. When it came to implementing new COVID procedures, she didn’t dictate anything, she just showed us by example. She’s a really good leader and she’s willing to stand up and say ‘This isn’t working well.’”

Zimmer’s facilities management team set up a schedule to clean classes during rotations. With so many students moving from room to room, her team had to keep up with the constant changes to keep students safe.

“Any extra second Anna got, she, or someone on her crew, would be cleaning door knobs, wiping doors down and cleaning playground equipment,” Naylor said. “It was a group effort. I’m really glad she’s on my staff.”