A Day in the Life Of

When the 2022-23 school year commences, OCPS will open five new schools: three elementary, one middle and one K-8. Overseeing the capital construction of these multimillion-dollar structures – in addition to capital renewal projects (HVAC, chillers, roofs, etc.) and districtwide capital projects (digital marquees, radio system program, etc.) underway – for the district is Craig Jackson.

From his office in Building 200 at the John T. Morris Facilities Complex on Magic Way, Jackson leads a dedicated crew of program management consultants, including Krista McArthur and Matt Akins.

When not in his office receiving updates via virtual meetings or approving purchase orders or auditing reports, he can be found in his gray pickup truck traversing Orange County to work sites. There, he checks in on the work with general-contractor site managers, who ensure their crews with hundreds of men and women keep on task to make sure the schools and projects are on time and budget.

Jackson came to OCPS from the Lake County School District, where he was previously the director of Facilities Design & Construction for three years. Originally from upstate New York, he also worked as a general contractor and project manager for construction companies in Central Florida and on Long Island, New York building schools.

Also a photojournalist, Jackson eagerly documents a school’s building progression to include in his monthly COVE (Citizens’ Oversight and Value Engineering) report that he provides to the superintendent and COVE committee.

Jackson, who has worked in construction since age 13, is most proud when a school is finished on time.

“We [built] two high schools last year and we finished them on time and budget. That is an incredible feat,” he said. “I tell my friends on Long Island that, and they can’t believe we did that – two of them at the same time. … That’s just unheard of.” To highlight Building Safety Month in May, The Orange Peal team spent the day shadowing Jackson to gain more insight on his routine and responsibilities.

8-8:36 a.m.: In his office at the John T. Morris Facility 200 building at Magic Way, he attends a virtual meeting via WebEx with project managers, engineers and contractors about lead times to open portables at high schools in August. Also multitasks to answer emails.

Name: Craig Jackson Role: Sr. Construction Director, Facilities Services Construction Years with OCPS: 4 Hometown: Auburn, N.Y.

8:40 a.m.: Answers a phone call from a frustrated contractor (from the previous meeting) who thinks he has failed a plumbing inspection. He tells the contractor to calmly call the inspector and see what needs to be done to pass the inspection.

9-9:38 a.m.: Attends an Owner/Architect/Contractor meeting via Microsoft Teams about Kelly Park School, which is under construction.

While on the call, Jackson receives a text from the previously frustrated contractor who learned that he did pass inspection but misunderstood the communication. Crisis averted.

10:02-11:01 a.m.: Attends another Owner/Architect/ Contractor meeting via Microsoft Teams. This one is for the soon-to-open Hamlin Elementary.

11:37 a.m.: Approves a project request in EasyVista.

11:47 a.m.: Visits Program Manager Mark O’Connor about an auditing report.

11:53 a.m.: Departs the Magic Way office for lunch.

1:14-1:59 p.m.: Drives southwest past Lake Buena Vista High School, behind the Walt Disney World Resort, through Orange County’s Summerlake subdivision to the construction site of the new Panther Lake Elementary off Seidel Road. in Winter Garden.

2:01 p.m.: Jackson gets a quick update from Superintendent Brian Dey of Williams Company before walking into the school and through both floors and the bus loop. He notes work to be done and takes photos of some of the 200 crewmembers working for his monthly COVE report.

2:36 p.m.: Walks into the Williams Company trailer to speak with its Project Manager, Freddy Torres. He voices concern about missing drywall upstairs and tile work, no elevator and turn lane work in front of the school that still needs to be done. Torres says he is working on a change order for the turn lane work off-site and is continually pushing all trades to complete work inside the building. 2:44 p.m.: Back in his truck, he leaves the Panther Lake site to go farther west along Avalon Road (State Road 545) in Winter Garden.

3 p.m.: Arrives at the site of both Hamlin Elementary and Hamlin Middle schools. Before he gets out his truck, he sends the photos from the Panther Lake site back to his office, so he can have room for photos he will take here.

3:07 p.m.: As this is the end of the day for the construction crew, most of the workers are gone. Inside Hamlin Elementary, he tells the Welbro site superintendent that he is not receiving a DAS (distributive antenna system) signal.

3:22 p.m.: Upstairs, he photographs crewmembers installing ductwork and notes how far along Hamlin Elementary is with its drywall, painting and cabinet installation.

3:35 p.m.: Leaving the site, he drives around to see the track grading that has been done at Hamlin Middle and notes that the street the schools are on has not been connected all the way to Avalon Road. The program-management team will need to check in and address it with Orange County officials.

Jackson steers his truck down State Road 429, the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 4 back to Magic Way.

4:11 p.m.: Back in his office, Jackson begins to answer more than 30 emails that have come in since he was out in the field.

4:30 p.m.: Executive Assistant Mary Lu Bronson comes into Jackson's office to obtain the number of walkie-talkie radios. Jackson will answer a few more emails before he leaves for the day.