Sam Aral Retires After More Than 12 Years As Facilities Manager

Posted December 29, 2020

Sam Aral, Longtime Ivan Allen College Facilities Manager, Retires 

When Kay Husbands Fealing first arrived at Georgia Tech, Sam Aral was there to help her get settled. Whenever Carol Silvers had an issue, he was there, too. And whenever Laura Taylor emailed a request to Aral,  he would often appear in-person to respond.

“Now that’s service!” Taylor, chair of the School of Economics, said of Aral, who retired from his job as facilities manager on Dec. 31 after 12 years taking care of the buildings — and people — of the Ivan Allen College.

“Among his peers and also the leadership on the Georgia Tech campus, Sam has a very large footprint,” said Husbands Fealing, now dean of the College.

“His professionalism and wonderful, engaging personality spoke volumes for us as a college.”

A Strong Advocate

Aral came to Georgia Tech in 2008 from Emory University, where he had worked for 15 years in facilities management. He also worked for a time at Georgia State University, where he earned a Master of Education in 1977, as well as DeKalb County Parks and Recreation and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources

He first became familiar with Georgia Tech in the 1980s, when he lived in family housing while his wife, Elizabeth, studied for a degree in architecture. He jumped at the opportunity to work here when a position came open.

As facilities manager, Aral was responsible for building operations and maintenance, renovations, space management, and building safety and security across the numerous buildings of Ivan Allen College.

He oversaw several construction and renovation projects, most recently the renovation of the Savant Building, which now houses the offices of the college dean.

Aral worked closely with Nick Palfrey, construction manager on the project. He cited Aral’s commitment to and respect for the Ivan Allen College faculty and staff as a significant reason for the project’s success.

“While he is soft-spoken and remarkably kind, without fail offering rides across campus in his golf cart, he is one of the strongest advocates for end-users that I’ve worked with,” Palfrey said. 

In 2015, Aral was named Georgia Tech Building Manager of the Year in recognition of his outstanding contributions to building management, safety, and preparedness.

‘Simply the Best’

Silvers, marketing and administrative coordinator in the dean’s office, found herself routinely calling on Aral in her last few months in the Habersham building. “He was more than patient with my many complaints,” she said. “Sam has always gone above and beyond. Whatever your request, he seemed to find a way to accommodate.”

JillAnn Hertel, senior academic professional and director of the Creative Career Origination Lab (CoLab) in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, said Aral’s help has been vital over the years.

“He was collaborative, supportive, and instrumental in helping me to navigate and implement various improvements to our spaces in LMC, including the CoLab,” Hertel said. “He has facilitated many good ideas to fruition throughout our College, and my gratitude for his collegiality and friendship is beyond measure.”

“Sam is,” Hertel said, “simply the best.” 

‘It Never Gets Old’

Aral said his favorite part of the job was working on renovations. 

“Seeing a project grow every day and finalizing the project, that was the best part,” he said. “You get the result in front of you, and everybody’s enjoying it.”

His most recent major renovation, the Savant Building, ranks as his favorite.

“There are days when no one is in the building, and I’ll go into the big conference room and sit on one of those benches in the back and look at the brickwork and the columns. It never gets old,” Aral said.

As for retirement plans, one fervent wish is for the opportunity to resume traveling. Aral and his wife used to go on vacation each year around Christmas, traveling to Europe to indulge in a favorite pastime, skiing.

He also hopes to do some volunteer work and, naturally, some home renovations.

“I won’t miss the commute, but I will miss the people. I’ll miss being able to walk into a building, knock on a door and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ Just start a chat. I’ll really miss that.”