“Giving back to the communities and institutions that helped us achieve success is a value we share and a privilege we embrace.”
—Dinesh Paliwal
At its basic elements, our school district is comprised of physical space that can be identified on a map, including land, school buildings, and other structures laid out on each campus. Without our facilities, I suppose it would be difficult to operate as a learning institution, but at the core, it is the people, including students and staff, who truly define the heart and soul of Harper Creek Community Schools. Our work family is made up of many individuals organized in multiple layers, including those who work with students directly and others who keep operations not tied directly to teaching our students, running smoothly. This month’s Harper Unsung Hero, Jim Robinson, has been in charge of our maintenance and groundskeeping crew for more than two decades. Although during the day, his job has him managing the physical structures on each campus, he has also given his time to mentoring our students.
Jim has been a part of the Harper Creek community for much of his life. He reflected on his early years and when he first became a Harper Creek student. “I was born in 1966 in Battle Creek, the oldest of two siblings. My sister Cassie is three years younger than me.” Jim and Cassie lived with their father, Lee Robinson, in Battle Creek, where Jim attended Franklin Elementary for his first three years of school before the three of them moved across town. “We relocated, moving within Harper Creek School District in 1975, and I transitioned to Sonoma Elementary beginning in third grade.”
Jim enjoyed being active outside as a child. He participated in Boy Scouts starting in fourth grade and continued with this through his freshman year of high school. He went on camping excursions each summer with the Boy Scouts and was able to earn the Eagle Scout Award during his time scouting. Other childhood memories involve spending time each summer along Lake Michigan with his grandparents, who lived in St. Joe. Boy Scouts and summer days spent on the lake were important childhood experiences for Jim, but sports dictated much of his time. “My sister and I were heavily involved in athletics growing up, starting in elementary school,” Jim explained. “I played baseball with the Harper Creek Optimist Club starting in fourth grade. In junior high, I played flag football. My favorite sport has always been wrestling, which I started in third grade and continued with through high school.” Jim added more sports to his schedule in high school. “I competed in football and wrestling all four years and baseball my freshman, sophomore, and junior years. The spring of my junior year, I was a dual-sport athlete, participating in both track and baseball. As a senior, I gave up baseball and focused on track. I was a team captain my senior year of track.” Jim’s high school coaches had a positive influence on him, which propelled him into various coaching roles for much of his adult life. Some of the coaches Jim mentioned include football coach and high school principal Bill Johanz, track coaches Deb Look and Jeff Williams, and wrestling coach Dave Studer, who still coaches for Harper Creek. Jim threw his hat into the coaching ring when he was still competing in high school. “I started coaching and officiating youth wrestling when I was a sophomore in high school,” Jim recalled. “I continued officiating wrestling at all levels, youth through college, on and off into my early forties.”
Jim graduated from Harper Creek in 1984 with aspirations of joining the military and serving his country. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as a junior in high school and started basic training right after graduating. Jim reflected on this chapter in his life. “I was on active duty for four years,1984 through 1988. I was stationed in Eltoro, California, and spent some time in Japan and Korea. My platoon was attached to a fighter jet squadron, with my assigned jobs being a hydraulic mechanic and plane captain.” This was a good fit for Jim as he had spent some time as a kid working on cars and tractors with his dad and grandfather. “By the time I graduated from the Marine Corps, I had moved up in ranks to Corporal.” Jim was able to continue his athletic career while in the military, playing softball for two years for one of the West Coast Marine Corps teams.
After completing his stint with the Marines in 1988, Jim moved back to Battle Creek. He talked about his first career after moving back home. “When I returned to Battle Creek, I joined the plumbers and pipefitters union.” Jim's father was a pipefitter, and this seemed like a good career to start in right away. “I went to work with my dad for Smith Hammond. Smith Hammond helped build Harper Creek’s high school. We started work in 2002, and the new school opened in 2004. This was the last job I worked on for Smith Hammond.”
Just after the construction of the high school was completed, Smith and Hammond was bought by a bigger company. Jim quickly transitioned to another career. With the new high school now open, there was a job posting for a facility director for Harper Creek. Jim applied and was offered the job. He reflected on working for Harper Creek. “My job description is to oversee all custodians, maintenance staff, and grounds staff. I also manage any new projects that come up, as well as keeping things up to date for the district's safety and security system.” As Jim segued from working as a pipe fitter to becoming Harper Creek’s facility director, his work experience eased the transition, but there was still a learning curve. “I had very little exposure working with grounds and facilities initially when starting with Harper Creek.” Fortunately, Jim was not on an island. “I have had some good mentors, including John Severson, Rob Ridgeway, and Ed Greenman.”
Moving from his job as a pipe fitter to working in a school setting was a bit of a culture shock for Jim. The mechanical aspect of working as facilities director was something that he was accustomed to, but having daily interactions with staff and students was new for Jim. “I enjoy dealing with staff and students, but didn’t have this experience in my previous job, so it took some getting used to,” Jim explained.
With developments in technology and never-ending changes in building codes and procedures, Jim’s job is constantly evolving. He described the ongoing gathering of new information and procedures that go with his job. “It is constant learning. The technology and electronics have changed this. I work with MSBO (Michigan School Business Officials) and meet with facility directors around the state regularly, attending an annual conference which includes food service directors, technology directors, and school superintendents. I also attend a facility directors' conference each year. These conferences are a great way to network with others in my field.” Jim’s typical work hours are Monday through Friday, but he is on call 24/7. His job is not always easy, but this doesn’t stress Jim out. He explained some of the challenges. “Keeping up with all of the codes is constant. There is quite a contrast in our facilities with aged systems in some of our buildings and modern systems in other buildings. Maintaining a wide range of older physical facilities and newer ones can sometimes be tricky.” Other job duties required of Jim include attending board meetings each month, providing a monthly report to the board, and being involved in all bond projects.
Although he is not witness to the daily moments of excitement that are common in our classrooms, Jim is still able to observe the heart and soul of what makes education an intriguing concept. “The most rewarding part of my job is to see kids learn and excel. It is fun to see them grow.” Seeing the growth and maturation that students go through provides a much-needed balance for Jim in the daily grind of his job.
Although taking notice of the educational process might not be something required of his job, it is something that has seemed to help him take his responsibilities seriously. It has perhaps given Jim a greater sense of buy-in for the upkeep of our facilities. This mentality has been part of the motivation for Jim in seeking out other opportunities over the course of his career beyond his role as facility director. Jim got a taste for coaching as a teenager when he started working with the youth wrestling program. He continued this journey a few years after completing his military career. “I returned to Harper Creek as a coach upon completion of my commitment to the Marine Corps. In 1988, I joined my former high school wrestling coach, Dave Studer, as an assistant,” Jim recalled. “I continued working under Coach Studer for seven years before going to Battle Creek Central as an assistant varsity coach of their wrestling team from 1995 to 1999.”
Jim was also an assistant football coach under Ed Greenman for one season before moving up to the press box, working as a statistician for many years for both home and away games. He spent several years on the coaching staff for Harper Creek’s varsity lacrosse program as well. He talked about this. “I started in 2015 as the team’s defensive coach and continued in this role through the 2018 season. I took over as head coach in 2019, serving in this position through the 2022 season. One of the highlights of my time with the lacrosse team was having the opportunity to coach alongside my son Jordan, who was our offensive coordinator for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.”
Athletics were an integral part of Jim’s childhood and high school years, teaching him valuable lessons that would apply to life in general. He explained how his experiences as a student athlete and as a coach are meshed together. “Coaching has always been a good way to give back. Many individuals have helped me in school and athletics when I was younger. I always hope to influence student athletes and keep them grounded.” Jim has been a valuable resource for Harper Creek with his daytime job, but as a coach, he has been able to directly mentor our students. It may have been a way for him to give back, but most who have coached would agree that the rewards go both ways between coach and athlete.
In recent years, Jim has transitioned out of coaching, still giving of his time to Harper Creek athletics in a way that really seems to suit him well. Jim reflected on his career as an announcer. “I started around 2004 announcing wrestling meets and have been doing our home meets and tournaments since then. I have also had an opportunity to announce numerous tournaments at other locations, including some announcing with Al Miller at the MHSAA Team State Championships when it was held in Battle Creek.” Around the same time that Jim began announcing wrestling matches with Al Miller, he started helping Al in the press box for Harper Creek’s varsity football games. Al was announcing home games, and Jim was a statistician. Soon, he began announcing football. “I started announcing freshman and junior varsity home games around 2009, then became the varsity game day announcer in 2018.” Jim still announces home varsity football games. He has announced for other sports as well. “I have been Harper Creek’s Lacrosse announcer since I stepped away from being the head coach in 2022. I also fill in as an announcer for Deb Look at home basketball games when needed.” Jim talked about an opportunity to announce another sport. “Several years ago, my son, Tyler, was competing in bull-riding events around the Midwest. While watching him bull ride at a competition, a promoter asked me if I would be interested in announcing for some of the events that he was organizing. I began announcing bull riding events in 2020, and I still continue to do this during the summer months.” Jim has also announced for Girls on the Run, an annual event that Harper Creek has hosted each spring for many years.
Announcing sporting events may have been something that Jim didn’t anticipate at one time, but it has turned into a great source of joy. “I would like to continue announcing at events as long as I am able, and as long as our athletic director, Mrs. Feasel, wants me to. I enjoy being able to interact with the athletes and the coaching staffs each and every year, and it also helps me to represent Harper Creek the best I can.”
Like their dad, Jim’s three boys have also experienced the impact of the Harper Creek community. “My oldest, Tyler, is 29, Jordan is 26, and Brady is 20. All three of my kids have gone through Harper Creek, starting at Sonoma. I raised my boys in the same house that I grew up in. I coached Tyler in wrestling and Little League baseball, and Jordan in lacrosse his entire high school career.”
Although Jim devotes much of his time to Harper Creek, he also has interests outside of school. “My wife Tammy and I have been married for a year and a half. Between us, we have six kids. We have a seasonal campsite at Waffle Farms. I enjoy cooking for everyone at the campground, including grilling and smoking meat.”
Jim’s story is another example of the influence of the Harper Creek community. In managing our facilities and grounds, he is an integral part of keeping the day-to-day operations of the entire school district running smoothly, but he has also left his mark in other ways. The positive experiences during his time as a student and athlete at Harper Creek have fueled his desire in mentoring and coaching our student athletes.