Stories & Testimonials
Frank Villasenor
Training and Inspection Manager
Frank Villasenor came to Pepperdine 28 years ago as a former construction contractor looking for a steady job and a situation that would allow him more time with his young family.
Now serving as the Training and Inspection Manager, Frank gets to serve the broader Department of Facilities Services team to train new and seasoned employees on Cal/OSHA best practices and ensure prompt compliance with all industry-specific standards.
Like Frank himself, many of his employees have come from low-paying jobs and negative work environments. But they find something very different at Pepperdine. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream job," says Frank. "Pepperdine gives you the ability to have a balanced life. You can take care of your family and spend time with them. It鈥檚 a great example of the way it should be.鈥�
For many of his employees, it鈥檚 the first time they鈥檝e been eligible for benefits. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to see the value if you haven鈥檛 seen the other side,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檝e worked where you don鈥檛 get vacation, you don鈥檛 get sick time, and no benefits 鈥� you just get paid.鈥�
Benefits education is an important component to managing his staff. 鈥淢any of my employees either don鈥檛 know or can鈥檛 read about the benefits available to them,鈥� he shares, 鈥渟o I鈥檝e worked with HR to host events with interpreters and make sure we have documents available in Spanish.鈥�
More than just benefits, Frank supports the growth and development of his staff. 鈥淪ure, you鈥檙e just a custodian now, but you can learn as much as you can.鈥� He鈥檚 even willing to lose his employees if they鈥檙e given a promotion elsewhere. 鈥淚 want them to be the first people others look to hire," says Frank. "My goal is to build them up as much as I can, and if they have the opportunity to move on, that鈥檚 great.鈥�
With Frank鈥檚 selfless and positive attitude, it鈥檚 not surprising he鈥檚 joined the ranks of Pepperdine鈥檚 best managers. Even with a decade of promotions and experience under his belt, he鈥檚 fast to praise his team 鈥淚 have a great staff," Frank says, "and we鈥檙e getting better each year.鈥�
You can reach Frank Villasenor via email at frank.villasenor@pepperdine.edu.
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