Maintenance worker Tyrone Stewart retired from the Office of Facilities Management and Reliability in 2007 after thirty years of service with the Smithsonian.
Photo by Ken Rahaim, Smithsonian Institution
- Who is responsible for the planning and management of the Smithsonian's extensive facilities and gardens, as well as the care for collections, visitors, volunteers, and staff?
The Smithsonian Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations (OFEO) builds, operates, and maintains Smithsonian facilities and grounds around the National Mall and beyond. One branch of OFEO is the Office of Facilities Management and Reliability (OFMR), which consists of painters, plasterers, electricians, horticulturists, building service workers, experts in HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning), and more. Other branches of OFEO include the offices of Protection Services; Design and Construction; Planning and Project Management; and Safety, Health and Environmental Management. Staff members in these offices work together to ensure a safe, secure, clean, and healthy environment that enhances the Smithsonian experience.
Harrison Jones, a member of the objects cleaning crew at the National Air and Space Museum, dusts the X-15 aircraft hanging in the Milestones of Flight Gallery.
Photo by Eric Long, Smithsonian Institution
