William Simoneau named USDA Maintenance Person of the Year

Family, co-workers and apartment residents turned out to celebrate William “Bill” Simoneau of Springfield, who was named U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development’s Vermont Maintenance Person of the Year in a surprise announcement on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 23 at one of the properties he maintains.

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2016-08-24 / Front Page t William Simoneau named USDA Maintenance Person of the Year By Tory Jones Bonenfant toryb@eagletimes.com William Simoneau, center, beams as he arrives at One Wall Street in Springfield to find his family and about 30 guests waiting to celebrate his award for Maintenance Person of the Year. At left is Simoneau’s supervisor, Rick Bean, with Simoneau’s son, William Simoneau II and daughter Ruby Simoneau standing behind him. At right are Simoneau’s brother Phil Simoneau, and his granddaughter Ella. — TORY JONES BONENFANT William Simoneau, center, beams as he arrives at One Wall Street in Springfield to find his family and about 30 guests waiting to celebrate his award for Maintenance Person of the Year. At left is Simoneau’s supervisor, Rick Bean, with Simoneau’s son, William Simoneau II and daughter Ruby Simoneau standing behind him. At right are Simoneau’s brother Phil Simoneau, and his granddaughter Ella. — TORY JONES BONENFANT SPRINGFIELD — Family, co-workers and apartment residents turned out to celebrate William “Bill” Simoneau of Springfield, who was named U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD)’s Vermont Maintenance Person of the Year in a surprise announcement on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 23 at one of the properties he maintains. “I appreciate this, I really appreciate this,” said Simoneau, adding that he was completely surprised by the award. Stewart Property Management President Paul Stewart had called Simoneau to the apartment building at One Wall Street under the pretense that some maintenance was needed. When Simoneau arrived, his sons, daughter, brother and granddaughter were there to meet him, along with about 30 supporters and apartment residents who know him. “He’s the best person ever,” said his granddaughter Ella Simoneau, 9, just before he arrived. “He’s taught us a strong work ethic, by example,” said Simoneau’s son, William Simoneau II of Springfield. “He’s just that kind of person.” Another son, Matthew Simoneau of Milford, Connecticut, said that his father still has unfinished projects at his own house because he does so much for other people. He was a machinist for much of his life, and has worked building modular houses. The two brothers said their father has probably done plumbing, roof repairs, helped build porches and helped with other projects on nearly every house in his neighborhood at no charge. Also present were Simoneau’s daughter Ruby Simoneau and brother Phil Simoneau of Athens, Vermont, who called his brother a “hard worker.” Simoneau accepted a plaque from USDA RD and a $500 cash gift from Stewart as his family surrounded him in the building’s entrance. Also attending were representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy, Deb Zak with Windham Windsor Housing Trust, and Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston. Representatives with USDA RD joined Stewart Property Management executives to present Simoneau with the Maintenance Person of the Year award for his dedication to the upkeep of the company’s apartments and their residents. Stewart Property manages 25 rural apartments — a total of 620 units — through RD, said Ted Brady, USDA Rural Development state director for Vermont and New Hampshire. “That’s 620 families that depend on you guys every day,” Brady said. Brady said that the USDA partners with property managers such as Stewart, and that at each property, “there is someone like Bill making sure the properties are safe.” Simoneau has maintained Wall Street Apartments while working for Stewart Property Management since 2009. Stewart nominated Simoneau for the award due to Simoneau’s “interest in professional development, his knowledge of the community and local support services, and his willingness to act as a mentor to an individual seeking to improve job skills in the maintenance field through a Vermont Department of Labor program,” and after conferring with apartment building residents, according to a USDA press release. The nomination application included letters of support from residents who wrote about Simoneau’s good humor, follow-through, and quick response time. “We nominated him, but in a way he nominated himself,” said Stewart, who called Simoneau a “testament, a tribute to the company.” RD annually recognizes the hard work and commitment of an “exemplary” property management professional in one of Rural Development’s Multi-Family Housing Program properties. “Be it working to ensure that the apartments are free of lead paint, or by connecting tenants to local supportive services in times of need, Mr. Simoneau’s commitment to his work is highly deserving of recognition,” Brady wrote in a press release. Wall Street Apartments is a historical property with 13 rental units in downtown Springfield. The property is owned by Wall Street Housing LP, a partnership between Housing Vermont and Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, and managed by Stewart Property Management. In 2004, Wall Street Apartments entered into USDA Rural Development’s Multi-Family Housing Portfolio, which supports the development and preservation of affordable multi-family rental housing for low-income, elderly or disabled individuals and families in rural areas. RD supports 1,875 affordable units of rental housing in 79 properties across Vermont, according to the press release. USDA, through its RD mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices, and has an active portfolio of $214 billion in loans and loan guarantees. Programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers, and improve the quality of life in rural areas, all according to USDA. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/vt or call (802) 828-6000.