Texas Tech University
5 Years Turned Into 24
On his first day of work in March 2001, Lonnie Evans didn’t intend to stay long at Texas Tech. His plan was to work for five years and then move on, but after those five years were up, he never looked anywhere else. Now, the senior managing director for Operations Facilities Maintenance is retiring after 24 years.
“I wouldn’t have stayed somewhere for 24 years if I didn’t enjoy it and enjoy my work,” Lonnie shared. “But I’ve enjoyed it, and I’ve enjoyed my relationships.”
It’s those relationships, he said, that have been at the center of his favorite memories on campus and that he’ll miss the most.
“I have always enjoyed working for Texas Tech and seeing friendships, coworkers, and their growth,” Lonnie said.
He noted with praise that several of his coworkers have made significant progress in their careers, evolving from inexperienced to accomplished professionals.
Lonnie has supported and prioritized two aspects of success for his employees: growth and longevity. He has always been a big proponent of the Facilities Maintenance teams starting or completing their education, encouraging them to take part in the Employee Tuition Assistance Program.
“We always encourage them to use their hour of classes,” Lonnie said.
In terms of longevity, Lonnie places confidence in each of his employees, believing they too can mirror his growth and success.
“All you must do is show up. We’ll furnish you your uniform, tools, and truck- just look at the big picture and you can be successful here,” he said.
Lonnie is thankful not only for the relationships he’s made within Operations, but also those around campus. He mentions having great coworker relationships with people from across campus.
Bubble Busted
Lonnie highlights that he has enjoyed seeing the transition of the athletics programs and the infrastructure growth they’ve had, as well as the relationships he’s built there. In fact, one of Lonnie’s most significant memories includes a particularly heavy snowfall in 2016 where it snowed so much, it collapsed the bubble on the Athletic Training Center.
“We called a lot of people to try to get the snow off it and then get it back up,” Lonnie shared “It was about 50 people from all different Operations areas.”
With advancement in the athletics program being a prominent memory, Lonnie also reminisces of the unique opportunity to work with the Chancellors and their families at the Chancellor’s home. His achievements at the system level, however, stretched beyond home maintenance.
Chancellor's Award of Excellence
In 2017, Lonnie received the prestigious Chancellor’s Award of Excellence, an acknowledgement of his exemplary service and commitment to the Texas Tech University System. This award is the highest a staff member can receive, and Lonnie cherishes it as his proudest accomplishment to date.
In his nomination of Lonnie for the Chancellor’s Award of Excellence, Associate Vice President of Operations Sean Childers said, “Lonnie goes above and beyond in his willingness to not only sustain but improve everything he has contact with. He personally makes rounds, visits with customers, follows up on projects, and maintains an open-door policy for everyone on campus.”
Plans For Retirement
It's hard to sum up the career of a man who has worked and invested so much of himself into Texas Tech. Lonnie shares that he’s thankful for the opportunity to be part of the growth of the university population and the expansion of the campus, both with new buildings and renovation of older ones. He hopes he’s made an impact and left a legacy.
As Lonnie steps into retirement, he looks forward to spending more time with his family, including his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He also plans to travel more. He and his wife, Jackie, who also worked on campus before retiring, love to visit Las Vegas whenever they can.
”Jackie and I both have a bucket list of which we need to try and empty,” he adds.
He also plans to restart his other business ventures, J&L Craft and Evans Construction Company, both of which he has always maintained as businesses since coming to Texas Tech.
It is certain that wherever Lonnie goes, he can take his memories of Texas Tech with him and know that he is remembered for his many contributions to making the campus a better place for us all.
Lonnie Evans has a strong legacy; his name will be spoken with admiration and reverence long after he's gone from these buildings.