Security Officer Arnell Boyd has been selected for this month’s employee spotlight! Officer Boyd was nominated for his exceptional attitude and for always helping out where it’s needed. Arnell’s supervisor, Officer Pelton, wrote:
Arnie has always been loyal to [STT Security]. He arrives on time and will work late if necessary, ensuring the assigned tasks are completed correctly. Simply doing his job isn’t enough. He is humble, dedicated, consistent, accountable, dependable, self-manageable, and trustworthy. His willingness to pick up extra shifts is a great asset to STT Security. He exceeds the expectations of his job. He is a hard worker and has truly helped us achieve great results.
Thank you, Arnell, for setting an example! Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we are all appreciative of your dedication. Here’s a little bit more about Officer Boyd:
Tell me about yourself:
I live in the house I was born in on a 160-acre farm. My wife and I have been together for 52 years. I’m 73 years old now, going on 74. I enjoy being outdoors – hunting, fishing, skiing – although I’ve outgrown skiing by this point. I also enjoy riding snowmobiles, but I think it’s about time to retire from that too. My wife and I have a dog, and we take our travel trailer into [Michigan’s Upper Peninsula] and all go camping together. Sometimes we go to Canada with it too. I have a son and a daughter, and my daughter’s fiancée is actually another STT employee.
One of our favorite pastimes is running vehicles on a dragstrip on our property. We have a competition and have a bunch of people come out. Last year, we had about 1,500 people show up. We charge $10 to pay for the equipment needed to flatten and make the dragstrip compact, and we make food for people as well. Some people will bring their camper trailers and stay overnight too!
When did you begin working for STT?
I started back in October of 2019 as a part-time employee. I was hired in to work at the government center of [city], and I went around doing patrols on every floor to make sure no doors were left unlocked, no trespassers were around, no damage done to any property – things like that. After about 3 weeks of doing that, I was asked if I’d like to work in the [city] courthouses.
I started working over at the courthouses before COVID started. I was seeing people incarcerated in their orange jumpsuits with chains and handcuffs, going between jail bus and courtroom and then back to jail. We were part of the group who would escort them from each point to the next.
What drew you to security work?
My daughter’s fiancée is an STT employee. He asked me if I was interested in a part-time job, so I said sure. It drew me in and it has been fun – I’ve enjoyed it. I’m an engineer by trade; I got my degree in architecture from Ferris State. I spent 26 years working for a company making commercial equipment for schools, hospitals, etc. I was separated and given a severance package that allowed me some time to find a new job after that. I ended up getting a new job through a contact I had made at my original job. I went to my new job and worked with them for the next 25 years after that. I did retire, but I started working at STT as only my 3rd or 4th job ever.
What do you like about working for STT?
I really like the people I work with. They are good, sincere people. There are no challenges between anyone on our team. Most of us working are a little older, so we’re a good mix of people. Nobody is trying to outdo one another – we are there to get the job that we were hired for done. It’s a good work environment and I get along well with everyone.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The people you encounter everyday – it keeps things different. Most people are good people and pleasant to deal with. You know you’re making a difference because you are keeping people safe and helping the business employing STT protect their people and assets. We restore and maintain order so people can do their jobs like they are supposed to.
What does an average day of work look like?
Right now due to the pandemic, I’m helping people get their vaccinations at [facility]. We get a wave of roughly 10 people every 5 minutes just about all day long. I will do whatever I can to help people who are there to get their vaccine; I’ll take wheelchairs out to people who need to be brought inside or help calm people down who are nervous. We have a good crew of volunteers working for the health department helping out. People from the military reserve are also there helping out. We have eight vaccination stations with military and health department personnel giving shots and observing people to make sure they are okay before leaving the facility.
I enjoy interacting with the people coming in every day; it’s a change of pace from when I worked at the courthouses. It’s very quiet over there right now because a lot of the proceedings are conducted over zoom. The judge comes in, says hello, then goes to his office to do virtual hearings all day. I was seeing only six or seven people a day working there, but now we’re seeing anywhere from 600 to 900 people getting vaccinated per day.
