18 years working for students | Physical plant director leaves campus legacy

By PAMELA CERROS, Ranger Reporter:

Amarillo College has been under constant construction for the past 10 years, but the mind that has overseen all the changes has moved on. Bruce Cotgreave, AC’s physical plant director during the construction, retired at the end of January after 18 years at the college.

“I come from a construction background,” Cotgreave said. One aspect of the work Cotgreave said he liked was “working with different people and departments. There was a lot of one-on-one time spent with individuals.”

As the plant director, Cotgreave’s duties consisted of taking care of all the facilities, grounds, vehicle fleet, maintenance, energy management and any renovation projects.

The 2007 bond election gave AC $68.3 million for new renovations. Cotgreave oversaw all renovations, but he said his favorites were the nursing and dental labs.

“The dental lab is state-of-the-art with a lot of thought and
work to get that off the ground and to flourish. It was wonderful,” Cotgreave said.

The mall area around campus and the Ware Commons were also some of Cotgreave’s big projects. Students said they enjoy the commons with construction complete.

“It’s easier to go through the middle without going around and not having to worry about being late to your classes,” Fernando Arreola, a general studies major, said.

Denise Rivas, a social work major, said she appreciates the changes. “Now that spring is coming it is going to be nice to sit around the benches and actually interact on a beautiful day. My favorite part is the Ware Student Commons. It is honestly one of the nicest buildings at AC. The floor and walls are so pretty,” she said.

Cotgreave said he is grateful to have had the chance to oversee the changes. “It’s been a pleasure, a blessing from God that I was able to work here and spend 18 years here. It’s been a good experience
for me.”

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