GPRO Highlight: Orlando Saeroon
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Education has played an important role in Orlando Saeroon’s success in the building industry. Starting out as a contractor and a doorman at an Upper West Side building in New York City, Saeroon turned to educational programming at 32BJ SEIU to better understand the industry and get ahead in his professional development as he took on more responsibilities as a relief superintendent.
In 2016, Saeroon enrolled in GPRO Operations & Maintenance Essentials. After becoming a GPRO Certificate Holder, he got to work on implementing changes by prioritizing four target areas for energy efficiency in his building:
Building envelope: Saeroon replaced defective roof doors and skylights and installed basement windows where there had previously been nothing but plywood.
Boiler: Saeroon reduced boiler fuel oil consumption by 25-30 gallons per day by adjusting the heat timer settings and cleaning the vessel.
Lighting: He replaced all hallway, courtyard and lobby lighting with LED bulbs.
Water efficiency: He repaired 24 toilet tanks and replaced 14 kitchen and bathroom faucets by encouraging his tenants to notify him when a water leakage problem arose.
“I think all building service workers need to get educated to keep up with the changes in the industry while having sustainability in mind,” Saeroon said. Making building modifications and placing sustainability at the forefront of his duties has contributed to Saeroon advancing to superintendent.
His experience also inspired him to give back to the building community by becoming an instructor. Saeroon teaches several courses at 32BJ, including Air Pollution Control, Fire Safety for Residential Buildings, Customer Service Skills, Door Persons Skills, and How to Become a Superintendent. “I am grateful to my wife and three sons for their support when I went straight to class after work, five times a week.”
Congratulations to Saeroon for all he has accomplished. Our team is proud of his commitment to education and high-performance building!
