Everyone who’s planned a big event knows it can be a big hassle. As public functions supervisor in the Facilities & Services Division, Tracy Osby is involved in events every day and calls it the best job he’s ever had. Whether it’s commencement ceremonies, a pep rally for Homecoming or open houses for ACES or the College of Engineering, Osby likely is the man behind the curtain coordinating the people and equipment needed to make it happen. Osby joined the university’s staff as a building service worker seven years ago and was a foreman supervising building service workers on the late-night shift for about three years before he was promoted to his current position in 2001.
Tell me about your job.
A customer will call me and say, ‘Tracy, I need a podium, a PA system, staging and chairs for an event we’re going to have.’ I find out what kind of event it is, what equipment they need and when they need it delivered and picked up.
I have a foreman, Tod Donley, who supervises the moving crew, a crew of about eight building service workers. We also use two drivers from the transportation shop and have two trucks that are assigned to our department along with vans. A driver and two movers per truck deliver and set up the equipment such as staging, chairs, tables, garbage cans, flags, banners, shovels for groundbreakings and signs.
I also coordinate the electrical and ground shops. Electricians extend power for events and sound technicians set up flags and the speakers, microphones and wiring for the audio systems. If you want people to mow the grass or weed the flowerbeds for an event, I’ll coordinate that with the grounds shop, which also delivers greenery and prepares the soil for groundbreakings.
Pretty much every major event here on campus, I’m involved in it somewhere. I attend some of the events, particularly if they require
coordinating workers from multiple trades. There’s a two-year training program for this job because you have to go on-site and see all theevents.
What’s your busiest time of year?
April is our busiest month. We had over 203 events in April and had 147 in September. With this job, you need to be able to work a very, very flexible schedule.
What’s the most challenging event?
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship conference, which we host every three years. It takes up the entire campus, including housing, between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I have to schedule the setups for what buildings they’re in, access to the buildings, make sure that things get started on time in the mornings and that the cleaning crews clean up before and afterward.
The most challenging thing is to stay focused. And you have to be a people-person. I deal with a range of people, and some people aren’t happy when they call. For example, I’ll get a call on a Friday from a student organization that wants to have an event on Saturday morning. Most likely, that’s not going to happen. If it’s possible for me to pull it off, I’ll try.
Do you ever get requests for unusual events?
Oh, yeah. There was a student association that wanted to have a mud volleyball game on the south Quad just north of the stock pavilion. Administration tried to get them to move it to the South Farms, but with the animals and mud out there, it was decided it would not be sanitary. Eventually the group just decided not to do it.
Aside from the major events, it’s pretty much conferences, lectures, concerts and variety shows, talent shows, and parties.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I get a chance to meet everyone, and I am pretty much recognized. People get to know you for who you are and what you do. I also get to learn about the trades and how they do their jobs.
What do you do outside of work?
I like to fish for crappie, bluegill and catfish. I go all over: Olney, Lake Shelbyville, Sam Parr, Mill Creek, Lincoln Trail and farm ponds. I like to cook, too, and grill out.
I have a new son, Jaylan, who’s 4 months old. He’s my third child: I also have a 15-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. They all keep me pretty busy.
